Men continue to pull back from interacting with women in the wake of #MeToo
May 17 2019 - 8:30AM
Today, LeanIn.Org and SurveyMonkey released new research showing
that 60 percent of managers who are men say they are uncomfortable
participating in a common workplace activity with a woman, such as
mentoring, working one-on-one, and socializing together. That is a
32 percent increase from last year. In light of these findings,
LeanIn.Org is calling on men to do more to support women’s careers.
This year’s study finds that men appear to be pulling back from
actively supporting women at work. Senior-level men are far more
hesitant to spend time with junior-level women compared with
junior-level men across a range of basic work activities. They
are:
- 12 times more likely to hesitate to have one-on-one
meetings
- 9 times more likely to hesitate to travel with a junior woman
for work
- 6 times more likely to hesitate to have a work dinner with a
junior woman
Thirty-six percent of men also say they’ve avoided mentoring or
socializing with a woman because they were nervous about how it
would look.
“The vast majority of managers and senior leaders are men. If
they are reluctant even to meet one-on-one with women, there’s no
way women can get an equal shot at proving themselves,” said Sheryl
Sandberg, Facebook COO, SurveyMonkey board member, and founder of
LeanIn.Org. “There’s not a company in the world that can afford to
leave talent on the sidelines because it’s female. But that’s what
will keep happening unless all of us—especially men—commit to doing
better.”
The survey also reveals that sexual harassment remains pervasive
in the workplace—and that women and men perceive what is happening
differently:
- 57 percent of women report that they’ve experienced some form
of sexual harassment in the workplace, from hearing sexist jokes to
being touched in an inappropriate way.
- 24 percent of women say harassment at work is on the rise. 19
percent of men agree. On the other hand, 27 percent of men say
harassment is decreasing. 15 percent of women agree.
- 50 percent of men say that the consequences of sexual
harassment claims are more damaging to the careers of harassers,
not victims. 64 percent of women say the victims end up paying a
higher price.
Furthermore, employees say that companies are addressing sexual
harassment, though there is room for improvement:
- 70 percent of employees say that their company has taken action
to address sexual harassment—a significant increase from 46 percent
in 2018.
- More than three-quarters of employees believe their company
would thoroughly investigate harassment claims.
- But half of employees say punishments are not harsh enough. And
3 in 10 employees think that high performers are rarely or never
held accountable when they harass someone.
“We're heartened to see that companies are making an effort to
address sexual harassment claims head on, but we hope this research
helps shine a light on some of the less overt, more insidious
challenges many face,” says Jillesa Gebhardt, survey scientist at
SurveyMonkey and lead researcher on the study. “Even if we
completely eliminate sexual harassment, we still won't reach gender
equality at work if senior-level men are avoiding or excluding the
women on their teams.”
In response to these findings, LeanIn.Org is encouraging men to
do more to actively support women at work, including mentoring and
sponsoring them. Numerous studies show that mentorship and
sponsorship help employees advance more quickly, and right now
women receive less of both kinds of support. By ensuring that women
get equal access, managers can help make the workplace fairer and
safer for everyone.
“Ultimately, this is about closing the gender gap at work, from
the entry-level all the way to the top,” said Rachel Thomas,
president of LeanIn.Org. “When companies employ more women, sexual
harassment is less prevalent. And when women hold more leadership
roles, company profits are higher and workplace policies are more
generous. Supporting women makes companies stronger and safer. To
get there, we need men to be part of the solution.”
To read more about the study, please visit
surveymonkey.com/curiosity/mentor-her-2019. Additional resources,
including tips for how to be an effective mentor to women, can be
found at leanin.org/mentorher.
About SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey is a leading global survey software company on a
mission to power the curious. The company’s People Powered Data
platform empowers over 17 million active users to measure and
understand feedback from employees, customers, website and app
users, and the market. SurveyMonkey’s products, enterprise
solutions and integrations enable 350,000+ organizations to solve
daily challenges, from delivering better customer experiences to
increasing employee retention. With SurveyMonkey, organizations
around the world can transform feedback into business intelligence
that drives growth and innovation.
About LeanIn.Org
An initiative of the Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family
Foundation, LeanIn.Org works to help women achieve their ambitions
and create a more equal world. LeanIn.Org offers inspiration and
support through an online community, free education materials, and
Lean In Circles, small groups of peers who meet regularly to learn
and grow together. The Lean In community includes over two million
women and men and 40,000 Lean In Circles in 169 countries. The
Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation, which also
runs OptionB.Org, is a private operating nonprofit organization
under IRS section 501(c)(3).
Media:
SurveyMonkeySandra Gharib626-862-8043
sandrag@surveymonkey.com
LeanIn.OrgPamela Nonga Ngue and Kaylie Hanson
Longpress@leanin.org
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