Sexual harassment still pervades industry workplaces, so why aren't businesses tackling it?

It's time for senior staff and leaders to take on more responsibility.

It’s a sad truth that sexual harassment continues to persist in our industry and remains a serious concern for businesses.

Despite this – and the training that the industry initiative timeTo rolled out to industry staff and businesses in 2021 – we have yet to see the huge change we all want. So why does sexual harassment still take place in 2023?

The evidence is clear – we know that training is a game-changer in raising awareness and discussion of the issue, thereby reducing incidences of sexual harassment.

By educating people and making them aware of the issues, we can encourage victims to come forward and get support, enable bystanders to better understand their role in reporting and calling out such unacceptable behaviour and, importantly, also make the perpetrators accountable for their actions.

And by signing up to the training, senior leaders can demonstrate their responsibility in creating a culture where sexual harassment is not tolerated and does not take place. 

I’m pleased to report that we have seen some positive progress in various areas of the industry. According to the Advertising Association’s All In Census, the number of people experiencing sexual harassment has declined. In 2021's census, 3% of women and 2% of men said they had experienced sexual harrassment in the workplace; in 2023, 1% of men and women said they had experienced it.

And while that demonstrates that things are moving in the right direction, the data also reveals the harsh reality that sexual harassment affects marginalised and vulnerable groups disproportionately.

Almost twice as many people who identified their ethnicity as "other" experienced sexual harassment, and people with disabilities experienced it 2.5 times more. 

TimeTo’s research has shown that sexual harassment causes the industry to lose talent, particularly younger women. Lots has been said and written about the talent crisis, particularly post-Covid, so it’s critical that we recognise this situation and take meaningful action to rectify it.

We cannot afford to lose talent from the workforce, especially if we haven’t been able to protect people properly. 

Yet despite the significance of the problem, only 77 out of the 304 agencies that have pledged to support timeTo and have signed up to its code of conduct have completed the training.

This begs the question: why are companies hesitating to embrace a training programme that tackles sexual harassment head-on and has demonstrable results?

One reason is the fear that participating in such training may inadvertently signal that a business already has a problem with sexual harassment that needs dealing with.

This fear stems from a desire to maintain a positive public image and not accepting that something as unsavoury as sexual harassment could take place in the businesses we are proud to work in. But this may well lead to a failure to address the issue because we know that so much sexual harassment goes unreported.

The training drives awareness of how to deal with it if it does exist, and also how to prevent it. 

Another obstacle is a lack of awareness of what constitutes sexual harassment. It is essential for businesses to fully understand the various forms of harassment to effectively combat it.

There can be grey areas and blind spots when it comes to sexual harassment, and people can be harassing others unknowingly. Which is why education is so crucial. 

Furthermore, many businesses mistakenly perceive sexual harassment as an old problem from a previous era and that it no longer exists in their workplace.

If they see positive progress – such as that reported in the recent All In Census referenced earlier – the issue can get pushed to their back of minds. This misconception not only disregards the experiences of victims but also undermines efforts to create a safe and inclusive environment. 

As an industry, we must acknowledge that sexual harassment is an ongoing issue that requires constant vigilance and proactive measures. It’s unpalatable in the amazing, creative industry that we are fortunate to work in but, sadly, it is true.

And, interestingly, some individuals who initially hesitated to undergo the timeTo training have shared their personal journeys and highlighted the knowledge and understanding they gained in just a few hours.

The training really is a game-changer, fostering open discussions among teams and paving the way for positive change. The industry urgently needs more companies to sign up to the timeTo training and share their positive experiences. 

By doing so, misconceptions about the training can be dispelled, inspiring others to participate and contribute to addressing this critical issue.

Each individual leader and organisation has a role to play in eradicating sexual harassment from industry workplaces. It is time to collectively embrace the necessary training and take a stand on this pervasive issue.

Read her call to action here on Campaign.