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Gender equity reduces hostile, sexist behavior toward women in frontline roles

Women-led teams experience less hostile, sexist behavior and reduced climate of silence

Catalyst data shows that women in frontline roles are significantly less likely to experience hostile, sexist behavior when their team leader is a woman.1 This is important because 61% of women and 58% of men have experienced this type of behavior at work in the past year.2

Yet, 62% of team leaders are men, according to nearly 4,500 employees in frontline roles in the manufacturing, retail, hospitality, banking, extraction, utilities, and transportation and warehousing industries in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.3

Women-led teams experience less hostile, sexist behavior.

When teams are led by women, employees of all genders are also less likely to report a high level of climate of silence.4

Women-led teams are less likely to have a high level of climate of silence.

These findings show that all employees in frontline roles stand to benefit from gender equity in team leadership. This is critical because a recent Catalyst report found that climate of silence drives hostile, sexist behavior, as well as burnout and turnover intentions, and places strong pressure on men to conform to rigid gender stereotypes.5

Women on male-dominated teams are more likely to experience hostile, sexist behavior and a high level of climate of silence

Regardless of their team leader, gender inequity within teams also impacts women negatively. Our data show that women are more likely to experience hostile, sexist behavior6 and a high level of climate of silence7 when their teammates are mostly or entirely men.

WWomen are more likely to experience hostile, sexist behavior in male-dominated teams.

Women are more likely to experience a high level of climate of silence in male-dominated teams.

Take Action

Talent retention and recruitment teams should focus on improving gender equity among teams and leadership to reduce instances of hostile, sexist behavior toward women and reduce burnout and turnover by preventing a climate of silence. While this will have an important effect, especially for women team members, HR practitioners should also implement strategies to dismantle climate of silence, which is critical for decreasing hostile, sexist behavior toward employees of all genders.

1. Address gender inequities.

Enhance recruitment, retention, and promotion processes by removing biases, roadblocks, and barriers that prevent women’s full participation in the workforce.

2. Reduce climate of silence.

Climate of silence pressures men to conform to rigid gender stereotypes about how men “should” behave at work, increases their likelihood of experiencing hostile, sexist behavior,8 and decreases the likelihood of interrupting sexism when they witness it at work.9

3. Root out hostile, sexist behavior for everyone.

Read our recent report, which outlines key actions leaders can take to increase fair treatment and reduce climate of silence and hostile, sexist behavior in frontline workplaces.

Supporter-Exclusive Perks
  • Implement MARC for the Front Line training to drive conversations about gender stereotypes in frontline workplaces.
  • Help leaders learn to identify and address a climate of silence and start taking actionable steps to promote gender partnership.
  • Explore Window to the Front Line, an action-oriented toolkit for corporate leaders to help attract, develop, and retain women in frontline roles. The toolkit resources include a worksheet, checklist, and leading practices. Watch the demo.
  • Review Moments That Matter, a series of scenario-based learning cards and a collection of video and audio micro-learnings that help managers tackle challenging workplace situations.
  • Explore this e-book, featuring 3 key ways to improve workplace culture
  • Share these inclusive communication skills posters and infographics.

How to cite: Brassel, S. (2024). Gender equity reduces hostile, sexist behavior toward women in frontline roles. Catalyst.

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Endnotes

  1. A chi-square analysis determined that women’s rates of hostile, sexist behavior significantly differed depending on if their team leader was a woman (57%) or a man (65%), χ2(1) = 13.51, p < .001. Team leader gender was not significant for men.
  2. Hostile, sexist behavior – known as “gender harassment” – involves unwanted, demeaning behavior that conveys offensive gender attitudes; Brassel, S. (2024). How to reduce hostile, sexist behavior in frontline workplaces. Catalyst.
  3. We surveyed 4,452 employees in the manufacturing (n = 924), retail (n = 845), hospitality (n = 776), banking (n = 616), extraction (n = 269), utilities (n = 348), and transportation and warehousing (n = 674) industries in Canada (n = 1,299), the United Kingdom (n = 1,335), and the United States (n = 1,818). Our sample comprised women (49%; n = 2,174), men (50%, n = 2,237), and trans and nonbinary employees (1%, n = 38). Most respondents were White (71%, n = 3,139) and our sample included representation from other racial and ethnic identities as well (e.g., Black, Indigenous, Asian, Multiracial, Latine employees; 29%, n = 1,270). Most respondents identified as heterosexual/straight (86%, n = 3,702), and our sample represented other sexual identities as well (e.g., asexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual, queer employees; 14%, n = 606). Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 73, with an average age of 41 years. All participants were in non-management roles and worked in positions that required them to be physically present at a work site (as opposed to working remotely). Note that participants could skip demographic questions, so totals may not equal 100%.
  4. A chi-square analysis determined that experiencing high levels of climate significantly differed depending on if their team leader was a woman (21%) or a man (26%), χ2(1) = 11.16, p < .001.
  5. Brassel, S. (2024).
  6. A chi-square analysis determined that women’s rates of hostile, sexist behavior significantly differed depending on if their team was male-dominated, χ2(1) = 80.64, p < .001. Team gender composition was not significant for men.
  7. A chi-square analysis determined that women’s rates of climate of silence significantly differed depending on if their team was male-dominated, χ2(1) = 10.12, p = .001. Team gender composition was not significant for men.
  8. Brassel, S. (2024).
  9. Shaffer, E., Sattari, N., & Pollack, A. (2020). Interrupting sexism at work: How men respond in a climate of silence. Catalyst.

Topics:

Frontline Employees Gender Equity Inclusive Workplaces Women's Workplace Health & Safety Frontline Employees Gender Equity Inclusive workplaces Women's Workplace Health and Safety