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Nearly 20 Percent of Americans Work in Hostile Environments

AdobeStock 97101944
AdobeStock 97101944

From their own work environment to Fox News, Uber and Google, Americans are familiar with hostile work environments. Whether it’s stress coming from their bosses, coworkers or work conditions, they’ve learned to deal with it if they want to get paid. A new study by the RAND Corporation along with Harvard Medical School and University of California, Los Angeles shows just how much hostility Americans are putting up with in their workplace, 

Too much hostility

The study surveyed more than 3,000 workers with its American Working Conditions Survey from July to October 2015. The survey was designed to collect data from “a broad range of working conditions in the American workplace,” according to RAND. Right off the bat, the study opens frankly with the conclusion that “the American workplace is very physically and emotionally taxing, both for workers themselves and their families.”

The study found that nearly one in five American workers are exposed to a hostile or threatening work environments. The experiences vary depending on age, gender and education level, with each differing demographic having a different factor that affects them the most in the workplace.

Results found that “with younger and prime-aged (35-49 years old) women more likely to experience unwanted sexual attention, and younger men more likely to experience verbal abuse,” according to the study.

Differences in gender

The kind of hostility that men and women face in the workplace differs.

“Among men, the most common adverse events were verbal abuse and threats (13 percent in the past month), humiliating behavior (10 percent in the past month), bullying or harassment (9 percent in the past year), physical violence (2 percent in the past year), and unwanted sexual attention (1 percent in the past month),” according to the study.

Women also face hostility, but it varies somewhat, with some overlap with their male counterparts.

“Among women, the most common adverse events were verbal abuse and threats (12.1 percent in the past month), bullying or harassment (11 percent in the past year), humiliating behavior (8 percent in the past month), unwanted sexual attention (5 percent in the past month), and physical violence (1 percent in the past year),” the study stated.

Differences in education

College-educated men are less likely to experience abuse in the workplace than those who didn’t attend college. Men who didn’t attend college experienced abuse more across all age groups, with a large spike in the men under 35 who didn’t attend college, they are more likely to experience abuse. College-educated women were more likely to experience abuse than non-college-educated women.

“Broken down by type of event, 28 percent of young, non-college-graduate men report being subjected to verbal abuse or threats, 27 percent experienced humiliating behavior, and 4 percent reported receiving unwanted sexual attention in the past month; 11 percent reported being subjected to bullying or harassment (including sexual harassment) in the past year; and 2 percent reported physical violence in the past year,” according to the report.

Education level made no difference for women — all groups suffered from unwanted sexual attention. “Nine percent of young, college-graduate women (age 25-35), 8 percent of young, non-college-graduate women, and 7 percent of prime-age, non-college-graduate women (age 35-49) reported receiving unwanted sexual attention in the past month.”

The good news

In what seems to be a report filled with bleak findings, there was still some good news. Many Americans are self-led and enjoy high levels of independence at work.

Workers had a lot of autonomy when it came to their work, “Seventy-five percent can choose or change the order of tasks, 72 percent can choose or change their methods of work, and 78 percent can choose or change the speed or rate of their work,” according to the study.

The vast majority of those surveyed also said that they have a supportive boss and that they have good friends at work.

Workers also had positive qualities when describing their bosses. They agreed with statements such as; “trusts you,” “respects you,” “gives praise/recognition,” “gets people to work together,” “is helpful,” “provides useful feedback,” and “encourages and supports your development.” Ninety-five percent agreed with at least one of these statements, but what’s most surprising is that more than half agreed with all seven.

Takeaway

A surprisingly large number of Americans suffer through an abusive workplace. A college degree among men helps avoid abuse in the workplace. Regardless of education level, women will suffer from unwanted sexual attention at work.

There are millions of people in good situations. The majority enjoy independence and autonomy without an overbearing boss, even going as far as describing their boss positively, while also reporting that they have closer friends working with them.

Unfortunately, there are still far too many people working in hostile environments. The latest PR scandals at big-name companies are helping bring these issues to light, giving much-needed attention to many of the issues that were reported in the survey.

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