Most workplace sexual harassment victims stay silent, survey finds

Over 30 percent of women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace in the past three years, but 60 percent of the victims did not come forward, according to a survey.

The survey also found that over half of the companies have not drawn up policy statements or established complaint and handling procedures that can protect privacy.

The online questionnaire, conducted jointly by Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), women’s rights groups and business associations, interviewed 104 enterprises and 311 female employees last month.

Around 91 percent of the firms said they have not received complaints related to sexual harassment.

However, over 30 percent of the female employees claimed that they experienced sexual harassment at work, mostly involving language, text messages or physical contact.

Among these women, 60 percent took no action, 30 percent took the complaint to their superior, and only 9 percent reported to the police or filed a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission, the city’s equality watchdog.

The women employees explained their inaction in the survey. Some said they were not surprised by the harassment, while some did not want to damage the relationships, according to the questionnaire responses.

The survey also found that 17 percent of the victims did not think coming forward could be of any help, 5 percent feared losing their jobs. 

For companies, more than 60 percent of employers or senior managers claimed that they are well aware of the definition of workplace sexual harassment, merely 9.6 percent of them have received anti-sexual harassment training.

Elizabeth Quat Pei-fan, who chairs the DAB’s women affairs committee, criticized companies for all talk and no action.

“Many firms talked about their ESG [environmental, social, and governance] initiatives, such as green measures, community services and anti-corruption, but I have not heard any of them mention the prevention of workplace sexual harassment”, Quat said.

She urged small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to follow the guidelines of the Equal Opportunities Commission, formulate relevant company policies, and establish clear complaint channels.

Pamela Mak Mei-yee from the Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association pointed out that some large companies have dedicated personnel to handle workplace complaints, but SMEs find it difficult to have an independent department due to manpower shortages.

This makes it challenging to protect the privacy of complainants and prevent retaliation, Pamela said, adding that in some cases, employees might be complaining about their bosses, leaving them with only two choices: resign or stay in silence.

(Jamie Liu)