Sexual Harassment at the Workplace in Malta - Executive Summary

The Ministry for Social Policy has recently finalised a study investigating the prevalence of conduct of a sexual nature within the workplace and the workers' perception about this sexual conduct.

According to various definitions, including that given by the European Union, sexual harassment includes unwanted conduct of a sexual nature or conduct based on sex which is offensive to the recipient. Therefore, the perception of the sexual conduct as offensive is enough to constitute sexual harassment.

Work on this exercise started in April 2001 with a random distribution of approximately 5500 questionnaires amongst workers in the private, public and self-employed sector and amongst various categories of employment. A total number of 1344 responses were received deriving a response rate of 24 per cent. The questions were set on a 5-point Likert Scale investigating the prevalence and the perception of the verbal, non-verbal, physical and quid pro quo sexual conduct.  A number of other questions were aimed at studying the demographic aspect of the respondents.  Just over one-third (34.1%) of all those who replied to the questionnaire fell within the 16-25 age category, whilst sixty percent of the respondents were females. Around half of the respondents were married, while fourty two per cent were single.

The results of the study indicated that both males and females were found to be exposed to the verbal, non-verbal and physical sexual conduct. However, it emerged that females were more likely to experience sexual harassment.  Quid pro quo (harassment resulting from a person who demands sexual favours of an employee as a condition of getting or keeping a job benefit) exist to a much lesser degree. In comparison to the manager/authority and clients, the workmates were more likely to carry out the sexual conduct.  Nevertheless, respondents perceive sexual conduct, performed by their manager and/or clients, as more offensive.

Tables one and two highlight the main findings of the study. As regards the prevalence of sexual behaviour at the place of work, the highest percentage was reported for the non-verbal sexual behaviour, whereby 38.2 per cent of the surveyed respondents reported that they received non-verbal sexual advances from their workmates. Of these, 81.8 per cent reported that they consider this behaviour to be offensive. The second highest percentage reported was that for the verbal sexual behaviour. In this case, 30.1 per cent of the respondents encountered sexual verbal behaviour from their workmates. When analysing the perception of this behaviour (Table 2), 44.1 per cent of the respondents who had encountered verbal sexual behaviour from their workmates reported that they perceive this behaviour to be offensive.

TABLE 1: PREVALENCE OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR BY STAFF RANKS
Prevalence of Behaviour	Superior	Workmates	Clients
Verbal Behaviour	7.5%	30.1%	8.2%
Physical Behaviour	3.2%	11.1%	4.3%
Non-Verbal Behaviour	8.6%	38.2%	16.6%
Quid Pro Quo	1%	1.3%	0.7%

The survey also investigated the participants' perception of these behaviours. Table 2 presents the percentages of the respondents who encountered these behaviours and perceive them as offensive.

The sexual behaviours are viewed as mostly offensive when performed by the clients. Nevertheless, when it comes to the physical sexual behaviour it is mostly seen as offensive when the superior carries out the behaviour.

TABLE 2: PERCEPTION OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR BY STAFF RANKS
Perception of Behaviour as Offensive	Superior	Workmates	Clients
Verbal Behaviour	48%	44.1%	61.8%
Physical Behaviour	71.4%	53.9%	64.8%
Non-Verbal Behaviour	86%	81.8%	88.7%
Quid Pro Quo	64.6%	76.5%	77.8%

The age group mostly affected, according to the survey, was the 16-25 age category and it declines gradually with subsequent increasing age categories. The study did not highlight any striking differences between the prevalence of the various sexual conducts across the different marital statuses - particularly single or married.  However, it was evident from the results that sexual conducts were perceived differently by people in opposite marital statuses.

The study also addressed the lack of local research on sexual harassment.  Future research investigating the effects of sexual harassment and its origin is recommended to build further on this study.  Recommendations reflecting on the results are presented at the end of the study. These recommendations include measures to be implemented both at the micro and macro level with a view to address sexual harassment at the workplace in Malta.

In conclusion, the Ministry for Social Policy would like to thank the respondents of the study for their kind co-operation.

Sexual Harassment Report [2,967KB]