Scottish workplaces rife with sexual harassment, Unite says

Glasgow Times

08-07-2025

A nationwide survey of more than 1000 Unite the Union members found that almost 10% of women had experienced sexual assault at work, while 46% reported unwanted flirting or sexual remarks from colleagues.
38% of respondents claimed they had been touched inappropriately while at work, and 52% said they had been the recipient of sexually offensive jokes.
However, three-quarters of respondents said they had not reported the incidents to superiors.
One woman, who works in the civil air transport industry, said: "Two of my friends were sexually assaulted on a work trip. I was involved in the investigation for months.
"The man in question is still flying in a managerial position. The company did nothing to support my friends or keep them safe."
Aviation is one industry where claims of sexual harassment are especially high. Another respondent, who works in the food and drink industry, added: "I reported disgusting behaviour and sexual comments from contractors which I had put up with for over two years and nothing was ever done about it.
"I refused to work with them in the end and they were still given work for over 12 months afterwards until another female colleague reported them and then action was finally taken.
"It made me feel worthless knowing that nobody had taken any notice of what I had said, and action was only taken after the reports from another female colleague.
Unite has called for greater protections for those experiencing workplace harassment, including mandatory sexual harassment training for all employees, standalone sexual harassment policies, and extra legal support from the government.
The survey, which polled 1,100 Scottish women, found that only 26% of respondents believed their employer had done enough to promote 'zero-tolerance' sexual harassment policies.
The trade union has also called on the government to do more to enforce the 2023 Workplace Protection Act, which states that employers must take action against workplace harassment.
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Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Staff safety should be among the highest priorities for employers, but the results of our Scottish survey are damming and show women workers are being failed by bosses.
"Nobody should suffer sexual harassment in the workplace. Unite is committed to taking a zero-tolerance approach and we will put every Scottish based employer turning a blind eye on notice.
"We will fight every step of the way to stamp out workplace harassment once and for all. Every worker deserves a safe working environment and should feel able to report harassment."