27 Percent of Flight Attendants are Victims of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment in the workplace is something that many people in New Jersey have been forced to deal with. Unfortunately, some professions come with a higher likelihood than others of being victimized sexual harassment.

Recently, the Equal Opportunities Commission released the results of a study it conducted about the amount of sexual harassment flight attendants are subjected to. The findings are unsettling.

Flight attendants under the Hong Kong Flight Attendants Alliance, which includes British Airways and United Airlines among others, were asked about sexual harassment on the job. Shockingly, 27 percent of those who filled out the questionnaire said they had been sexually harassed in the last year while working.

In a situation like this, many people might assume that flight attendants are being harassed by disrespectful passengers. While this is certainly true in many cases, more than 40 percent of instances of sexual harassment come from other workers on the flight, the survey respondents said.

Survey respondents also reported that more often than not the harassment comes in the form of unwanted physical contact. Others experienced inappropriate sexual jokes and requests for sexual favors. Both men and women flight attendants said they had experienced sexual harassment while on duty in the last year.

No one deserves to be treated inappropriately by a co-worker. Unfortunately, when your job involves flying on planes, it is difficult to escape a threatening co-worker. However, no matter what your job is, it is important to understand that sexual harassment is illegal. Whether by talking to your human resources department or filing a lawsuit, you can put an end to sexual harassment.

Source: CNN.com, "Report: 27% of flight attendants sexually harassed," Chuck Thompson, Feb. 21, 2014