There is no shortage of gender issues at work that we should be concerned about, including the gender pay gap, unconscious gender bias and sexual harassment. Despite recent efforts to raise awareness and concern for these issues at work, a new survey just released by the Hollywood Reporter and Morning Consult reveals these efforts fell a little short, particularly when it comes to men. Of all the issues facing women at work, including less pay, obstacles to advancement and sexual harassment, what are men most concerned about? By far, men’s biggest concern is women making false claims of sexual harassment and assault.
The nationally representative poll conducted at the end of December asked 2,201 respondents to rate how concerned (very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned, not at all concerned) they were about issues like women being paid less than men, women facing obstacles to career advancement, women experiencing sexual harassment and assault at work, and women making false claims about harassment or assault.
For men, only about a third described themselves as very concerned about women being paid less and obstacles to women’s advancement at work, but a whopping 55% were very concerned about women making false claims of harassment and assault. Another 27% described themselves as somewhat concerned about this issue, resulting in 82% of men who are worried about women making false allegations of harassment or assault at work. This is a problem – for women.
This Is A Problem For Women At Work
First, women need male allies at work. Since men still run most of our organizations and dominate top management, they are still the most valuable mentors and connections. But if men have false harassment or assault allegations on the brain, they are likely to forego making the effort to help female coworkers and subordinates. When it comes to interacting with women, men who fear false allegations are naturally more likely to avoid one-on-one meetings, business lunches or dinners, and business trips with female employees. In other words, women could be excluded from the very events that could help their careers the most.
A second problem is that if workers believe false allegations are an issue, then women will be less likely to be trusted when they speak out about abuses at work. One of the primary messages of the#MeToo and Times Up movements were that women should no longer fear speaking out, and that women who do speak out will be heard and believed. Unfortunately, the large concern over false allegations is a sign that women who speak out will still be greeted with suspicion.
The poll results also suggest that other women's issues at work are not very high on men's radar. If women are ever going to eliminate the gender pay gap and break down their obstacles to advancement, they can’t do it alone. They will need to get the men on board. Unfortunately, this survey indicates that only about one third of men are very concerned about these issues.
What is particularly distressing about these particular poll statistics is that more respondents expressed concern about false claims of assault and harassment than expressed concern about women actually experiencing sexual harassment or assault in the workplace. Can these respondents truly believe that false allegations are as big an issue as harassment and assault itself?
False Allegations Are Rare
I believe that most working women suffer from the gender wage gap and obstacles to their advancement at work, but only very few will ever make false allegations. Still, I get the men's concern. Even unproven allegations can damage an individual’s reputation, and since most harassment and assault claims are against men, men may fear that false allegations would be directed at them. It may be comforting for men to know that not only are false allegations rare, but even most legitimate harassment sadly goes unreported.
For women, the concern over false allegations is harder to explain. Over half of women surveyed reported that they themselves are very concerned about this issue of women filing false allegations. Perhaps women believe that the filing of false allegations would decrease the likelihood that legitimate claims will be believed. Nonetheless, it seems odd that women’s concern about false allegations is on par with their concern for harassment and assault victims.
More Education Is Needed
If workers truly understood how the gender pay gap operated, and how women and men receive differential treatment at work, I believe that both men and women would become more concerned about these issues - if not for themselves, than for their moms, sisters, daughters, or wives. #MeToo, Time's Up and the dialog of the past year has given us an opportunity to teach people about these issues. The results of this survey indicate we still have a lot more educating to do.
