Women face higher levels of sexual harassment at work, a fact supported by data from Eurofound. This European Union agency studies working conditions across its 27 member states and aims to improve them. The data show that women experience more forms of workplace mistreatment, including sexual violence and microaggressions, when compared with men. Across sectors, workers in health and social care, hospitality, and other front‑line roles are most exposed to inappropriate behavior during their professional activities.
The Eurofound findings come from the European Working Conditions Survey, which gathered information from 70,000 interviews across 36 European countries. A key takeaway is that women face higher risks of ill-treatment by bosses, coworkers, or outsiders connected to their workplace. Younger women, in particular, are more likely to encounter hostility on the job.
Experiencing harassment at work does more than disturb the day. It can affect mental and physical well‑being, leading to stress, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, digestive issues, or skin reactions. Ariadna Villa, a respected expert on gender-based violence and a board member of the Col·legi Oficial de Psicòlogia de Catalunya, emphasizes how pressure on the victim spills into personal and professional life alike.
Eurofound data also indicate that those who face hostile behavior at work are almost three times as likely to suffer physical fatigue and emotional strain. They are also nearly twice as likely to experience anxiety or depression compared with those who do not encounter such treatment.
Mandatory protocol in all companies
Employers of every size are required to implement a policy against sexual harassment. Yet compliance remains uneven, with some organizations lacking transparency and credibility, according to Eva Gajardo, the equality and education secretary for the Catalan branch of a major workers’ union. Data from recruitment and employment consultants suggest that around half of companies do not maintain an explicit harassment protocol.
As Gajardo notes, victims are sometimes blamed or pushed to leave, while perpetrators may be dismissed for unrelated reasons or not sanctioned at all. This dynamic undermines trust and can hide ongoing abuse. Vilà of the Col·legi de Psicòlogia stresses that prevention hinges on clear, publicly accessible steps and a known, trusted contact within the organization to activate the protocol. Victims must feel safe reporting incidents; otherwise the goal is defeated and pressure on the victim only intensifies.
Experts advocate that protocols be developed jointly by management and workers. These guidelines should spell out what constitutes hostile behavior and lay out the process for reporting and resolution. A unilateral, top‑down approach often fails to prevent abuse and may damage the company’s reputation if incidents are not handled properly. In addition, poorly managed aggression undermines performance and can erode public confidence in the organization.
The more public exposure, the more aggression
While gender inequality affects multiple dimensions of work, risk is not uniform across all sectors. Eurofound notes that certain roles show higher harassment rates, with calls to acknowledge how female concentration in some positions correlates with exposure. For example, in service environments, a female employee might encounter harassment from a customer, a dynamic that reflects broader patterns of gendered vulnerability.
Pilar Babi, coordinator of the working group against sexist violence at Camfic, describes how frontline staff may confront unsettling remarks or unwelcome advances in settings like reception areas, clinics, or during meetings. This reality underscores how vulnerability can vary by workplace context and role and why tailored prevention matters.
Catalonia’s medical community has increasingly recognized the need for institutional safeguards. Leaders in health care emphasize robust training and proactive measures to identify and respond to problematic behavior. The aim is to equip professionals with tools to recognize abuse and manage it effectively, while also ensuring that patients and staff are protected and supported. The consensus is clear: prevention, timely reporting, and accountability are essential to minimize harm and preserve workplace well‑being and trust.