Sexual harassment at work affects more than isolated incidents. In the US, 42% of working women reported sexual harassment during the 2018 survey period, and 33% reported experiencing it at some point in their lifetime in a 2020 study. Exposure also tracks with worse outcomes, with employees reporting 23% lower job satisfaction than those who were not exposed.
Key Takeaways
- 16% of women in the EU reported experiencing harassment related to sex in the workplace in the last 12 months
- 42% of US working women reported experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace in the 2018 survey period
- In the US, 1 in 3 women (33%) reported experiencing sexual harassment at work during their lifetime in a 2020 study
- 2.5x higher turnover for employees who experienced sexual harassment compared with those who did not
- A 10% increase in perceived harassment is associated with a 2% decrease in employee well-being scores
- Employees exposed to harassment had 23% lower job satisfaction scores than those not exposed (meta-analysis estimate)
- The EU Employment Equality Directive is 2006/54/EC and includes protection from discrimination related to sex
- Directive (EU) 2019/1937 established protections for whistleblowers in EU member states, relevant to reporting harassment
- 85% of workers say they would report harassment if they could do so anonymously
- 53% of employers provide annual sexual harassment training to all employees (US survey)
- 61% of organizations use confidential reporting channels for harassment complaints (survey of employers)
- 44% of employees reported witnessing harassment at work in a survey (global)
- In the health care sector, 1 in 3 (33%) workers reported experiencing sexual harassment at work in a 2022 study
- Remote/hybrid workers reported lower rates: 14% reported harassment via digital channels in a 2023 survey
Sexual harassment remains widespread and costly, harming job satisfaction and employee well-being across workplaces.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence Rates3 stats
01
16% of women in the EU reported experiencing harassment related to sex in the workplace in the last 12 months
02
42% of US working women reported experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace in the 2018 survey period
03
In the US, 1 in 3 women (33%) reported experiencing sexual harassment at work during their lifetime in a 2020 study
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
Prevalence rates show that sexual harassment remains widespread, with 16% of women in the EU reporting harassment related to sex in the last 12 months and US figures rising from 42% in 2018 to 33% of women experiencing it at work over their lifetime.
02 · Category
Economic Impact8 stats
01
2.5x higher turnover for employees who experienced sexual harassment compared with those who did not
02
A 10% increase in perceived harassment is associated with a 2% decrease in employee well-being scores
03
Employees exposed to harassment had 23% lower job satisfaction scores than those not exposed (meta-analysis estimate)
04
Harassment victims reported a 27% higher likelihood of psychological distress in a meta-analysis
05
$240 million annual cost of harassment to US employers from HR time and legal costs (estimate)
06
$6.9 billion in total employer costs linked to harassment in the US (estimate)
07
In a survey of US employers, 64% reported sexual harassment investigations cost more than $50,000
08
In the US, 67% of employers reported that harassment claims affected team productivity
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
For the economic impact of workplace sexual harassment, the data show clear cost and productivity fallout, including 2.5x higher turnover and $6.9 billion in total employer costs in the US.
03 · Category
Reporting And Enforcement2 stats
01
The EU Employment Equality Directive is 2006/54/EC and includes protection from discrimination related to sex
02
Directive (EU) 2019/1937 established protections for whistleblowers in EU member states, relevant to reporting harassment
Interpretation
Reporting And Enforcement Interpretation
For the reporting and enforcement angle, two EU measures in recent years spotlight that harassment accountability is backed by sex discrimination protections in 2006/54/EC and stronger whistleblower protections from 2019/1937, signaling a clear trend toward improving how complaints are made and acted on.
More related reading
04 · Category
Workplace Policies6 stats
01
85% of workers say they would report harassment if they could do so anonymously
02
53% of employers provide annual sexual harassment training to all employees (US survey)
03
61% of organizations use confidential reporting channels for harassment complaints (survey of employers)
04
12% of workers were unsure whether their employer has an anti-harassment policy (global employee survey)
05
3 in 5 (60%) employees said they would feel more comfortable if managers were trained to handle harassment
06
70% of employees said they want leadership commitment communicated after harassment incidents
Interpretation
Workplace Policies Interpretation
Workplace policies are improving but still inconsistent, since 85% of workers want anonymous reporting while only 61% of organizations offer confidential channels and 12% are unsure about anti-harassment policies.
05 · Category
Trends And Sectors5 stats
01
44% of employees reported witnessing harassment at work in a survey (global)
02
In the health care sector, 1 in 3 (33%) workers reported experiencing sexual harassment at work in a 2022 study
03
Remote/hybrid workers reported lower rates: 14% reported harassment via digital channels in a 2023 survey
04
In 2021, 55% of organizations reported an increase in harassment complaints compared with prior year (survey)
05
In a 2022 peer-reviewed study, 18% of managers reported having observed sexual harassment at work
Interpretation
Trends And Sectors Interpretation
Across trends and sectors, reports suggest workplace sexual harassment remains widespread, with 44% of employees globally witnessing it and health care showing the highest reported burden at 33%, while organizations also saw 55% reporting an increase in complaints in 2021.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Sexual Harassment In The Workplace Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Sexual Harassment In The Workplace Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Sexual Harassment In The Workplace Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+4 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)