Nearly Half of American Workers Are Bullied According to Survey
NEW YORK (PRWEB) February 15, 2018 -- Market research group Radius Global Market Research today announced the results of its first “Bullying in the Workplace” survey, which found that bullying in the workplace is extremely prominent and affects nearly half of American workers, regardless of gender, representing 77 million people. Even more respondents (60 percent), reported witnessing a coworker being bullied. Unfortunately, a portion of cases are never addressed and only half of those that are addressed are resolved satisfactorily.
The study was conducted online between September 21 and October 9, 2017 among 1,025 adults in the U.S. over age 18.
“Harassment at work is not just limited to encounters that are sexual in nature,” said Jill Gress, vice president, Radius Global Market Research. “As toxic work environments can severely impact employee productivity and job satisfaction, we are determined to bring greater awareness of bullying into the public eye so organizations can take positive action to change employee behavior.”
Bullying Behaviors Vary
Workplace bullying behaviors aren’t always as clear-cut as they seem. Despite the proliferation of digital channels, such as email, texting and social media, 81 percent of respondents noted experiencing or witnessing bullying in person. While the most common form of mistreatment is being ridiculed or reprimanded in front of other staff (29 percent), nearly a quarter of respondents reported harassment based on looks or body type (23 percent), work attire (23 percent), pressure to take on a specific task (23 percent) or coercion to work extra hours (22 percent). Of those who report experiencing or witnessing bullying in the workplace, one in five reported subtle or overt sexual harassment.
Also, bullying at work is surprisingly not top down. Nearly 60 percent of respondents noted experiences were most often committed by coworkers, followed by a manager (39 percent) or company executive (23 percent). One in five experienced bullying from a subordinate.
Some Bullying Goes Unreported and Unresolved
While most workers who experience bullying confront the offender or discuss the issue with a Human Resources representative, nearly one in four take no action. In addition, of those who specifically have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment in the workplace, 44 percent reported the problem remains unresolved.
Exacerbating the toxic nature of bullying, data showed that people are often unaware that their actions are constituted as bullying. One in three admitted to behaving in ways that are considered bullying, while not intentionally meaning to be hurtful or insensitive.
Methodology
The “Bullying in the Workplace” survey was conducted online within the United States by Radius Global Market Research from September 21 - October 9, 2017 among 1,025 adults aged 18+. The sample is representative of the U.S. adult population. A complete survey method is available upon request.
About Radius Global Market Research
Radius Global Market Research (http://www.radius-global.com) is one of the largest independent market-research companies. For more than 50 years, the business has partnered with global marketers to develop insight-based strategies that drive brand performance. A superior level of senior team involvement is the hallmark of Radius GMR's approach. Radius GMR is based in New York. Global operations include London-based Radius Europe, Radius MEA in Dubai, and Radius Asia in Beijing.
Andrea Holland, DialedPR, http://www.dialedpr.com, +1 925-915-3003, [email protected]
Share this article