LONDON: Two out of every three young women have faced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse in the workplace in Britain, according to a survey published on Friday.

But most victims do not report incidents for fear they will not be believed or that it might harm work relationships and career prospects, said UK umbrella labour organisation the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

They released the results as part of a campaign to persuade Britain’s government not to backtrack on new laws aimed at protecting workers from assault and harassment.

In its poll of 1,000 women, the TUC said that three out of every five reported such incidents at work — but that climbed to two thirds among those aged between 25 and 34 years.

Most cases occurred on work premises but also happened via phone, text messages and emails, and via social media or virtual meetings.

And rather than being isolated incidents they were often repeated, the survey found.

The TUC says the new law protecting workers is being sabotaged by some lawmakers from the governing Conservative party.

“Every woman should be safe from sexual harassment but every day we hear stories about the extent of sexual harassment in our workplaces,” said TUC general secretary Paul Nowak.

“We know many women in public-facing jobs — like retail workers and GP receptionists — suffer regular abuse from customers and patients. “Sexual harassment and bullying have no place in modern workplaces.”

Fewer than one in every three women who experienced sexual harassment had informed their employer, the survey found.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2023