last updated 9 May 2007

As the Commission of the European Union states, "sexual harassment pollutes the working environment and can have a devastating effect upon the health, confidence, morale and performance of those affected by it. The anxiety and stress produced by sexual harassment commonly leads to those subjected to it taking time off work due to sickness, being less efficient at work, or leaving their job to seek work elsewhere. Employees often suffer the adverse consequences of the harassment itself and short- and long-term damage to their employment prospects if they are forced to change jobs. Sexual harassment may also have a damaging impact on employees not themselves the object of unwanted behaviour but who are witness to it or have a knowledge of the unwanted behavior."

"There are also adverse consequences arising from sexual harassment for employers. It has a direct impact on the profitability of the enterprise where staff take sick leave or resign their posts because of sexual harassment, and on the economic efficiency of the enterprise where employees' productivity is reduced by having to work in a climate in which individuals' integrity is not respected."

"In general terms, sexual harassment is an obstacle to the proper integration of women into the labour market."

From European Union Commission Recommendation of 27 November 1991 on the protection of the dignity of women and men at work, 1992 O.J. (L49) 1.

Health Effects

In a summary of two studies of sexual harassment completed in 1998 covering 16 European countries, the EU Commission reported that almost all people suffering sexual harassment reported negative consequences both in their private lives and relating to their job. As regards the former, psychosomatic symptoms, loss of self-esteem, and interference with private life are the most commonly reported consequences. As regards the latter, it appears that harassed employees experience a negative impact on their career more often than the harassers. Adapted from Sexual harassment in the workplace in the European Union, European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Industrial Relations and Social Affairs (1998) (PDF, 243 pages).

American scholars have come to similar conclusions. They maintain that "[s]exual harassment often has a serious and negative impact on women's physical and emotional health, and the more severe the harassment, the more severe the reaction. The reactions frequently reported by women include anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, weight loss or gain, loss of appetite, and headaches. Researchers have also found that there is a link between sexual harassment and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." From National Women's Law Center (citing Barbara A. Gutek and Mary P. Koss, Changed Women and Changed Organizations: Consequences of and Coping with Sexual Harassment, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Vol. 42, 28, 33 (1993); Louise F. Fitzgerald, Sexual Harassment: Violence Against Women in the Workplace, American Psychologist, Vol. 48, 1070, 1072 (1993)). For more information on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder see Health Consequences of Sexual Assault.

Prominent U.S. psychologist Louise Fitzgerald, PhD, has studied sexual harassment extensively in private U.S. companies using the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ) she developed.   The SEQ "measures harassment in what Fitzgerald has defined as the behavioral categories of gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion" expressed through "crude words, acts and gestures conveying hostile, misogynist attitudes." Unwanted sexual attention is analogous to the legal concept of "hostile work environment harassment" and sexual coercion is analogous to the legal concept of "quid pro quo sexual harassment".  "The SEQ  gauges the psychological anguish harassment victims experience, whether, for example, the harassment made them feel incompetent.  It also measures outcomes such as anxiety, depression, job satisfaction and work withdrawal."  Using the SEQ, Fitzgerald has demonstrated that sexual harassment leads to depression, anxiety and stress-related physical problems, especially when the harassment is severe and frequent.  No job benefit need be lost for harassment to have a psychological effect on its target.  From Bridget Murray, Psychology's voice in sexual harassment law, American Psychological Association (August 1998)(referencing Fitzgerald, L.F., Drasgow, F., Hulin, C.L., Gelfand, M.J. & Magley, V.J., Antecedents and consequences of sexual harassment in organizations: A test of an integrated model, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82, 578-589 (1997); Fitzgerald, L.F., Swann, S. & Magley, V.J., But Was It Really Harassment? Legal, Behavioral and Psychological Definitions of the Workplace Victimization of Women, in W. O'Donohue (Ed.), Sexual Harassment: Theory, Research and Treatment (1997); and Schneider, K.T., Swann, S. & Fitzgerald, L.F., Job-related and psychological effects of sexual harassment in the workplace: empirical evidence from two organizations, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82, 401-415 (1997)). 

See also Chelsea R. Willness, et al., Journal of Personnel Psychology, A Meta-Analysis of The Antecedents and Consequences of Workplace Sexual Harassment (2007) (“[Sexual Harassment] experiences are associated with negative outcomes such as decreased job satisfaction, lower organizational commitment, withdrawing from work, ill physical and mental health, and even symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder . . . . Sexual harassment (SH) has been identified as one of the most damaging barriers to career success and satisfaction for women.”)

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has noted that:  “Those affected by violence or harassment in the workplace tend to report higher levels of work-related ill-health.”  European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Fourth European Working Conditions Survey (2007).  For example, the Foundation discovered that the proportion of workers reporting symptoms such as sleeping problems, anxiety and irritability is nearly four times greater among those who have experienced workplace harassment than among those who have not.  Fourth European Working Conditions Survey at 40.

Financial Effects

The financial effects of sexual harassment are potentially severe, especially when the employer does not have adequate policies and complaint procedures in place. Financial harms to victims of sexual harassment include loss of wages because of taking sick leave or leave without pay from work or as a result of the termination or transfer of employment. For example, the U.S. Government estimated that federal employees lost $4.4 million in wages from 1992-1994 because of sexual harassment. From U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, Sexual Harassment in the Federal Workforce: Trends, Progress and Continuing Challenges, 13 (1995).  Victims may face more intangible financial or career losses such as a loss of job references or recommendations, or being ostracized from professional or academic circles.  From Sexual Harassment Support, Effects of Sexual Harassment (2006).

According to the National Council for Research on Women, women in the United States are 9 times more likely than men to quit their jobs, 5 times more likely to transfer, and 3 times more likely to lose jobs because of harassment. From 911 for Women, What to Do if You or Someone You Know is Sexually Harassed, Feminist Majority Foundation (citing The Webb Report (June 1994)).

Violence, including instances of sexual harassment, also "affects third parties, with witnesses and observers frequently leaving the organization in response to their experiences." From European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Preventing Violence and Harassment in the Workplace (2003) (PDF, 109 pages).

Global Costs of Sexual Harassment

The costs of sexual harassment suffered by employers and consequently the global economy are high. These costs result from absenteeism, reduced job satisfaction and productivity, premature ill health and retirement, higher rates of staff turnover and insurance costs, legal defense and liability for sexual harassment claims. From European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Preventing Violence and Harassment in the Workplace (2003) (PDF, 109 pages). It is generally believed that formal sexual harassment policies against sexual harassment in the workplace is one way to prevent lawsuits and drops in productivity and efficiency. See the Employer Responsibilities Section for more information about such policies.

In Europe, it has been noted that workers who are exposed to “psychosocial risks” like sexual harassment are significantly more likely to report they have been absent from work due to work-related ill health.  European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Fourth European Working Conditions Survey (2007).  These workers also “tend to have longer durations of work absence and are over-represented in that category of workers who took 60 days off in the previous 12 months due to work-related ill health.”  Fourth European Working Conditions Survey at 40.

In the United States, it is estimated that "[i]gnoring problems of sexual harassment can cost the average company up to $6.7 million a year in low productivity, low morale, and employee turnover and absenteeism, not including litigation or other legal costs." From 911 for Women, What to Do if You or Someone You Know is Sexually Harassed, Feminist Majority Foundation (citing "Sexual Harassment in the Fortune 500," Working Woman, Dec. 19, 1988). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) indicates that $48.8 million in monetary benefits were provided to filers of sexual harassment claims in 2006; this amount does not include monetary benefits obtained through litigation. From Sexual Harassment Charges EEOC & FEPAs Combined: FY 1997-FY 2006. In addition, the federal government reported a loss of $327 million from 1992-1994 due to sexual harassment. From U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, Sexual Harassment in the Federal Workforce: Trends, Progress and Continuing Challenges, 13 (1995).