Call it inappropriate behavior on the part of intoxicated men or inflated egos of women who interpret any interaction with a man as a “pass,” but a new survey is reporting that four out of five working women say they have been hit on at a company party or event.
The survey, conducted by the online newsletter and website WorkingMomsOnly.com, found that 81 percent of women surveyed had been “hit on” by a co-worker at a company holiday event, that 86 percent had been surprised by the encounter and that more than 60 percent said that a superior had made the advance.
According to the the women’s site, 79 percent did not report the incident to a supervisor.
Naturally, the findings call for more sexual harassment awareness.
“Regardless of the amount of training and awareness made available within companies today, sexual harassment is still a continuous issue within organizations all over,” said CEO and founder of WorkingMomsOnly.com, MaryEllen Tribby.
“With a down economy, many working moms are desperate to keep their jobs and the money they need to support their families,” said Tribby. “This puts women all over in a terrible situation when faced with an uncomfortable situation with a co-worker. Often, their fear of losing their job outweighs their desire to stand up for what is right.”
WorkingMomsOnly.com has even put together a helpful video to raise awareness about the high percentage of alleged inappropriate actions occurring at and around company holiday gatherings.
Watch:
tips for ladies spurning a male co-worker’s unwanted advances, such as: “Avoid drinking too much,” “Don’t spend too much time talking to one person or any male colleague,” “If you do not have a date, bring a friend or relative with you,” ”Always remain in a group setting,” “Avoid getting into deep personal stories with co-workers,” and should you be “hit on” report the incident to human resources “immediately.”