Bullying at workspace may worse your career than sexual harassment

Bullying at the agency, comprising unfavorable behavior like belittling comments, relentless critique or withholding of resources, is obviously more harmful than intimate molestation, says an original survey. Both bullying and intimate molestation can produce unfavorable job environments and unsound consequences for employees, but the researchers establish that hostility had more serious consequences. Employees who experienced bullying, deficiency of politeness or interpersonal dispute were more possible to stop their jobs, have lower welfare, be less satisfied with their job and have less rewarding relations with their bosses than employees who were sexually harassed, the researchers establish.

The findings of the study were presented Saturday at the Seventh International Conference on Work, Stress and Health, co-sponsored by the American Psychological Association, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and the Society for Occupational Health Psychology.

M. Sandy Hershcovis of University of Manitoba and Julian Barling of Queen's University, Ontario, who co-authored the study, reviewed 110 studies conducted over 21 years

'As sexual harassment becomes less acceptable in society, organisations may be more attuned to helping victims, who may therefore find it easier to cope,' said Hershcovis.

Doctors, nurses face sexual harassment at work place

Women doctors and nurses are victims of sexual harassment at the workplace and not many of them are ready to come out openly against it.

This fact has been brought out by a recent study in which several doctors and nurses, including senior staff members, revealed that sexual harassment in hospitals is quite common.

The study was conducted in Kolkata, West Bengal, with 135 in-depth interviews of women employees in two government and two private hospitals over a period of 11 months.

'Power imbalances characterised many of the incidents of sexual harassment as the perpetrators were frequently persons in authority and victims were often those in a relatively subordinate position,' said Paramita Chaudhuri, who conducted the study on behalf of an international NGO called Population Council.

'The doctors and administrators in positions of authority harassed other doctors, nurses and other non-medical lower level staff. Even patients are seen to be in positions of authority because their complaint could lead to dismissal,' she added.

The study 'Sexual harassment in work place - experiences of women in the health sector' says victims were sexually harassed by not only their co-workers but also by patients and their relatives.

'Women will study and enter various professions and then men will behave in this manner. We have accepted this is how things will continue,' a 30-year-old government doctor said when interviewed for the study.

Sharing her personal experience, a 35-year-old nurse in a government hospital said: 'Saying bad things when they see a woman is natural. It doesn't matter if the man is a doctor or a non-medical staffer.'

The study also found that in a large number of cases the victims were reluctant to go public on this issue.

Of the 135 women interviewed, 77 admitted sexual harassment but 50 did not complain. Of the 45 doctors interviewed 24 had been harassed; of the 50 nurses, 31 were victims of sexual harassment.

'Many fear they will be blamed for provoking sexual harassment. Others fear loss of reputation after complaining. So the culture of silence and denial continues,' the study said.

Shockingly, the biggest perpetrators of abuse were patients and their families followed by doctors and non-medical staff.

'Nurses are the only group harassed by everyone - doctors, non-medical staff, patients and their relatives and outsiders,' a 29-year-old doctor in a private hospital admitted.

According to the study, just 20 of the 135 women interviewed were aware of the Supreme Court guidelines on sexual harassment and none had heard of a complaints committee for redressal of their grievances.

Gender Equality: The Untouched Goal of Indian Workforce

Gender equality is yet to be a reality for the Indian workforce. If women’s participation in top management is to be seen, it is pathetically low, with just 3% of the senior positions in the private sector being filled by them. In the public sector, 5-6% is occupied by women, according to an ICICI Bank presentation made at an Aima conference for ‘Women In Leadership Roles’, in New Delhi last week.

Globally, women’s presence in boardrooms has improved. Poonam Barua, regional director, The Conference Board, a US-based research firm, said: “The number of Fortune 500 companies with 25% or more women on their boards has increased from 11-64% from 1995-2005.”

Overall, in India, women’s participation in the workforce has grown to 31% in 2005 from 26% in 2000. The growth has been more in the rural areas with 34% compared to 26% urban participation, according to Roopa Purushothaman, chief economist of the Future Group.

Given the talent crunch and the need for creating a quality resource pool, firms are hiring a number of women. It was the need of the hour that was helping reduce gender inequality, experts said.

“The services sector has been the growth engine for the Indian economy. Its share of GDP has grown to about 52% in 2004-05 from 41% in 1990-91. Of the existing base of 85 lakh workers in the organised sector, 30% will retire within five years,” said Madhabi Puri Buch, head (operations), ICICI Bank.