SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Almost two-thirds of young women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse at work, according to a new poll. Some 62% of those in the 25-34 age group reported being pestered or persecuted on work premises, as well as during virtual meetings, over email and on the phone, the survey by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) found.

Overall, 58% of women of all ages reported they had experienced being harassed, bullied or verbally abused while trying to do their job. However, it was not just colleagues who were responsible for the mistreatment. The poll found that in almost 40% of the most recent incidents to affect a victim, responsibility lay with a third party, such as a customer or client. The findings come amid scrutiny of workplace treatment of women following a string of recent allegations of sexual misconduct at high-profile organisations, including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Its new director general recently apologised to female staff following claims of a “toxic” culture at the business lobby group, including allegations of sexual misconduct, some of which police are investigating.

To demonstrate the damage done by such harassment, the CBI Board has engaged lawyers for advice on a potential insolvency ahead of crunch member vote.

John Lewis & Partnership has just survived a morality scare when its CEO, Dame Sharon White, thumbed her nose at a cherished century-old legacy, while searching for outside investment for the group. Who is Dame Sharon, and what did she do to cause such concern? By

ALAN WARES