The Impact of Sexual Harassment and Gendered Violence on Workers in New York State
Workplace sexual harassment and violence have been put under the spotlight during the past five years, heightening public awareness of how pervasive these issues are. Amid this increased attention, policymakers, employers, and unions continue to grapple with the question of how to effectively respond. The Worker Institute has just released a policy brief that shares pertinent findings on workplace sexual harassment and gendered violence in New York State from the 2022 Empire State Poll, carried out by Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR).
While New York State has been recognized as a leader in addressing sexual harassment through legislation and policy initiatives, the results of the Empire State Poll (ESP) reveal that workplace sexual harassment is a problem for New Yorkers across all gender identities and racial/ethnic groups. Findings reveal that 35.6% of cis women reported experiencing workplace sexual harassment, 18.9% of cis men, and 50% of respondents who identified as transgender, nonbinary, nonconforming, questioning or other gender identity. The analysis in our policy brief also demonstrates the significance of race/ethnicity in shaping experiences of workplace sexual harassment, with the high rates reported among respondents who identified as two or more race/ethnicities being especially noteworthy.
The results also revealed that intimate partner violence (IPV) impacted New Yorkers’ employment, across all gender identities. Download the policy brief here to read the detailed findings as well as recommendations grounded in the knowledge of survivors, advocates and researchers who have been grappling with these issues for decades.