#MeToo and #MenToo Report | Equality Group

In late 2017, the hashtag #MeToo was popularised on social media to demonstrate against the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace. Since then, many high-profile individuals across the corporate and media arenas have come forward citing their broad spectrum of experiences, including the film industry, politics, fashion, and finance.

A year and a half since the popular emergence of #MeToo on social media, The Equality Group – an organisation that helps companies attract, retain and develop diverse talent – has commissioned nationally representative research that delves into the tangible impact the movement has had on the UK’s workplace culture. However, advancing the discussion well-beyond that of why #MeToo exists, today’s data unveils what the role of men in the UK’s workforce is, in bringing the existence of workplace abuse to an end.

Narrowing the gender gap in the workplace

50% of women have experienced harassment in the workplace and not reported it.
HALF of the UK workforce feel MEN should be more involved in solving #MeToo.
31% women feel their workplace is ineffective in resolving #MeToo.
44% of UK workforce feel their place of work has no measures in place to deal with harassment.
34% women confused as to whether incidents that made them feel uncomfortable in the workplace should have been reported.
44% of UK workforce feel their place of work has no measures in place to deal with harassment.
34% women confused as to whether incidents that made them feel uncomfortable in the workplace should have been reported.
34% women don’t want to report incidents at work because they are worried that it will negatively impact their career progression or create an uncomfortable working environment.
Nearly HALF of the UK workforce feel men should be more involved in providing a practical solution for the issues raised in the #MeToo movement.
31% feel their workplace has become WORSE, since the rise of the #MeToo movement, in addressing and resolving issues of harassment/bullying/inappropriate behaviour.

#MeToo & #MenToo Roundtable Discussion

Based on the above report Equality Group hosted a roundtable discussion with thought leaders within Finance and Tech industries, allowing a platform for professionals to talk about the problem at hand, the research statistics in addition to assessing how the UK can begin to progress and ensure gender parity is achieved in a workplace. Some of the practical solutions that came out of the discussion were as follows:

Increase diversity to create a better-balanced workplace.
Strive to create a safe and inclusive business culture.
Remove wooliness and grey zones surrounding what is acceptable in the workplace.
Ensure clear communication, education, de-stigmatisation to fix #MeToo issues within the workplace.
Ensure that men are well-engaged in the conversation and are part of the solution.
Encourage employees to call out inappropriate behaviour.
Invest in dealing with any inappropriate behaviour according to well-set policies and appropriate level of support

Hephzi Pemberton, Founder & Chair

“Workplace inclusivity is fundamentally about culture – it’s about how comfortable employees feel within their workplace, and how able each individual feels to be their authentic selves within a professional setting. Employee retention should always be at the forefront of companies’ minds, as even the best business cannot flourish without loyal employees. Companies with an inclusive culture have lower staff turnover and are subsequently more attractive to candidates.” – Hephzi Pemberton

#METOO & #MENTOO

Narrowing the gender gap

Narrowing the gender gap in the workplace

#MeToo & #MenToo Roundtable Discussion

Hephzi Pemberton, Founder & Chair

About Equality Group