Survey reveals sexual harassment in P&C insurance industry

Wells Media Group publication Carrier Management is releasing a four-part series exploring sexual harassment in the property/casualty insurance industry.

In part one of the series, The P/C Insurance Industry’s #MeToo Moments, Carrier Management shares the results of a survey and speaks directly and at length with four women who shared their accounts of alleged harassment.

The Carrier Management reader survey (with 267 responses) reveals that the problem has hit much of the industry. It finds that carrier and agency employees have experienced sexual harassment in equal measure. Most were female, and respondents noted incidents as recently as 2017 as well as going back decades.

Victims experienced inappropriate humour or joking, sexual innuendos about their appearance, persistent flirting, unwanted physical contact, and leering or obscene gestures. (A small number of respondents acknowledged experiencing these incidents, but did not equate them as forms of sexual harassment.)

About half of survey respondents say they’d never shared their experiences, and just 13% of those who reported an incident were satisfied with how human resources handled the matter.

Only about 21% say they had a satisfactory outcome from talking to a superior.

In the subsequent chapters, to be published through Thursday, Aug. 30, readers will learn about one woman’s individual story and the legal perspective on whether sexual harassment challenges have gotten better.

Part four will further explore the results of the Carrier Management survey on sexual harassment in the workplace and also reader perspectives on the issue.

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This story was originally published by Canadian Insurance Top Broker.