An inappropriate male joke, an unwanted touch, or even a forced kiss: Sexual harassment at work is a topic that people don't like to talk about. A recent study on the topic puts startups in the spotlight.
Accusations of sexual harassment are a recurring issue in the startup scene — for example at Uber or the VC Binary CapitalA new study supports this allegation, finding significantly more cases of sexual harassment in startups than in traditional companies. However, the study, commissioned by Bild am Sonntag, is not representative in this regard.
The results in detail
More than half of the startup employees surveyed (54 percent) had been the target of suggestive comments or jokes in the past twelve months. In other companies, this figure was 28 percent. Nearly half of the female startup employees (44 percent) reported being stared at inappropriately. Nearly a third experienced unwanted touching, 27 percent received sexually suggestive messages, and a fifth reported being kissed against their will.
In total, the study's authors surveyed 1,247 women between the ages of 18 and 65. However, only 200 respondents were employed in startups.
