According to a new study led by scholars at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Pennsylvania, women who report workplace abuse are more likely to have their claims dismissed than men who have made the same complaint.
The study authors examined information from the 2016 Merit Principles Survey that included reports of abusive behavior from nearly 2,500 federal employees, finding consistently lower rates of corrective action taken in response to claims made by women compared to those made by men.
Next, the authors conducted four online experiments that presented participants with scenarios regarding workplace abuse, differing only in the gender of the complainant. The participants were then asked to judge the credibility of the claims and decide if any action should be taken. Aligned with their earlier findings, the authors found women’s claims were taken less seriously than men’s reports. However, when the scenario included evidence to back up the claim, such as chat logs, emails, or eyewitness accounts, participants treated reports by men and women the same.
“Inequality is associated with all kinds of negative outcomes, such as reduced well-being and physical and mental health,” said co-author Alyssa Tedder-King, an incoming assistant professor of management and organization at the University of Maryland who recently completed her doctorate at the University of North Carolina. “It also has implications for organizations. People aren’t going to want to stay where they feel like they are not being treated fairly.”
To overcomes these stereotypes, the authors call for organizations to implement standardized systems that ensure each claim is evaluated solely on the information provided. They suggest firms should offer anonymous reporting, create dedicated channels for employees to voice concerns to someone other than their manager, and separate people who receive reports from those who evaluate them.