Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: In November 2017, Fairygodboss surveyed 502 women in 2017 about sexual harassment in the workplace and issued the survey again in 2018 to include a few new questions. We surveyed 400 women in October of 2019 to update the results and found that 61% of women believe things have largely stayed the same or gotten worse for women in the workplace in 2019, and 30% of women have experienced some form of sexual harassment at work.

1. Sexual Harassment
in the Workplace
November 2017 | October 2018 | October 2019

2. Have you ever been sexually harassed at work?
0
0.175
0.35
0.525
0.7
Yes No I'm Not Sure
1%
69%
30%
1%
63%
37%
3%
56%
41%
2017 2018 2019

3. Who was the harasser?
Check all that apply.
0
0.15
0.3
0.45
0.6
Direct Boss/Manager Colleague Other Person in Management Client/Vendor
8%
19%
60%
41%
14%
25%
56%
36%
12%
25%
57%
36%
2017 2018 2019 *only includes respondents who reported the incident

4. Did you report it?
(i.e. did you tell a manger/HR/law enforcement)
0
0.175
0.35
0.525
0.7
Yes No
67%
33%
59%
41%
67%
33%
2017 2018 2019 *only includes respondents who reported the incident

5. Who did you report it to?
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Human Resources Manager or Supervisor Trusted Colleague Law Enforcement Other
3%
8%
18%
72%
51%
7%5%
12%
68%
43%
4%6%
13%
67%
46%
2017 2018 2019
Other free responses included: friends and family
*only includes respondents who reported the incident

6. What stopped you from reporting it?
0
0.15
0.3
0.45
0.6
Fear of retribution Reporting it doesn’t
result in any action
The harasser was my
direct supervisor/
manager
Didn’t want to create
a fuss / look like a
trouble-maker /
get a bad reputation
Feelings of shame
or shared blame
Other
14%
23%
48%
41%
31%
38%
14%
23%
52%
33%
36%
42%
19%19%
52%
23%
34%
28%
2017 2018 2019 *only includes respondents who did not report the incident
Check all that apply.

7. What type of harassment did you encounter at work?
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Verbal Physical Emotional/Psychological Other I Prefer Not to Answer
0%
5%
28%
48%
74%
3%2%
31%
42%
80%
0%
3%
28%
50%
76%
2017 2018 2019
Check all that apply.
*only includes respondents who reported the incident

8. How old was your harasser(s)?
0.125
0.25
0.375
0.5
20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60+ None of the above
3%
9%
22%
31%
36%35%
1%
9%
20%
32%
40%
23%
1%
7%
15%
30%
43%
30%
2017 2018 2019
Check all that apply.
*only includes respondents who reported the incident

9. At what age do you feel you experienced
the most harassment at work?
0.15
0.3
0.45
0.6
18-24 25-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 45+ None of the Above
4%
6%
3%
9%
21%
39%40%
1%
3%3%
12%
19%
39%
57%
1%2%
5%6%
20%
45%
50%
2017 2018 2019
Check all that apply.
*only includes respondents who reported the incident

10. Do you think the increased media attention on sexual harassment
will help reduce the number of incidents?
0
0.11
0.22
0.33
0.44
Yes No Unsure
27%
32%
42%
29%
33%
39%
28%29%
43%
2017 2018 2019

11. Do you think the increased media attention on sexual harassment
will help hold harassers more accountable?
0
0.175
0.35
0.525
0.7
Yes No Unsure
20%22%
58%
22%
20%
58%
22%
18%
61%
2017 2018 2019

12. What do you think employers/companies can do to
prevent incidents of sexual harassment at work?
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Create better, clearer
policies that protect victims
Create better, clearer
policies that address
perpetrators
Create an anonymous
helpline to report incidents
Make it easier to sue
(e.g. the no NDAs, forced
arbitration clauses, etc)
Other
4%
34%
63%61%
71%
6%
30%
63%64%
69%
6%
30%
61%
64%66%
2017 2018 2019
Check all that apply.

13. Do you think the #MeToo movement
has made an impact at your workplace?
0
0.175
0.35
0.525
0.7
Yes No
70%
30%
2018 *only includes 400 respondents from Oct. 2018

14. Do you think the #MeToo movement has made a
positive or negative impact at your workplace?
0
0.15
0.3
0.45
0.6
Positive Negative Neither/Unsure
53%
13%
34%
2019 *language updated for 2019; only includes 400 respondents from Oct. 2019

15. Has your employer enacted or updated any policies addressing
sexual harassment as a result of the #MeToo movement?
0
0.15
0.3
0.45
0.6
Yes No Unsure
40%
47%
13%
33%
60%
8%
2018 2019

16. What policies has your employer created or updated to
prevent incidents of sexual harassment?
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Created better,
clearer policies that
protect victims
Created better,
clearer policies that
address perpetrators
Created an
anonymous helpline
to report incidents
Made it easier to sue
(e.g. the no NDAs, forced
arbitration clauses, etc)
Other
4%
14%
39%
52%
75%
6%9%
38%
47%
69%
2018 2019
Check all that apply.

17. When, if ever, is it appropriate for celebrity perpetrators
like Matt Lauer or Louis CK to return to their careers?
0
0.15
0.3
0.45
0.6
0-6 Months 7-12 Months 1-3 Years More than 3 Years Never
59%
18%
13%
5%6%
48%
19%18%
5%
10%
2018 2019

18. Have you ever experienced sexual harassment
or assault outside of a work context?
0
0.15
0.3
0.45
0.6
Yes No Prefer Not to Answer
4%
54%
42%
5%
45%
50%
2018 2019

19. Where do you think you are more likely to
experience sexual harassment (if at all)?
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Work context Non-work context
69%
31%
74%
27%
2018 2019

20. Have you ever experienced microagressions like a
slight or snub based on your gender at work?
0
0.15
0.3
0.45
0.6
Yes, extensively Yes, sometimes No, never
55%
35%
10%
51%
38%
11%
2018 2019

21. Do you think things have changed for women in
the workplace in the U.S. this past year?
0
0.15
0.3
0.45
0.6
Yes, things have gotten better. Neutral, things have stayed the same. No, things have gotten worse.
8%
53%
39%
9%
57%
34%
2018 2019