Male And Female Perception Of Gender Discrimination In The Workplace

Over the years, gender discrimination in the workplace has noticed a positive change and progression, however there is still a long way until we can safely say inequality in the workplace becomes a thing of the past.

Data from the Market Inspector, as per the report “Gender Inequality in the Workplace” shows that there is still progress that needs to be made regarding this issue. The report shows that in 2017, only 35% of women in the UK are in managerial positions, while when it comes to junior positions, 69% of employees are female; perhaps alluding that women are less likely to take on or be offered leadership roles.

As a result, Savoy Stewart decided to find out what men and women think of each other in the workplace, and whether they blame gender inequality for the issues they are experiencing. To do so, Savoy Stewart extracted data from a YouGov survey which asked 1,579 adults in the UK who are working, or have previously  worked, if they have experienced different scenarios at work regarding gender discrimination in the workplace. After clarifying that they had experienced an uneasy situation at their place of work, the respondents were then asked if they believe their gender to have played a role in what had occurred. Savoy Stewart pulled the questions from YouGov and identified the following information.

Gender Discrimination in the Workplace: The Findings

When asked if they have ever been spoken to in a patronising way, 57% of the male respondents said yes, while a whopping 63% of females also said they had. Yet, when asked if they believe the reason they’ve been spoken to in a patronising is because of their gender, 6% of men said yes, while 38% of females claim gender to have contributed to being spoken to in a patronising way. The respondents were also asked if they have been spoken over or ignored in meetings, and the number of women (41%) and men (42%) responding affirmatively was almost equal. However, when asked if they believe gender was to blame, 30% of women said yes, while only 5% of men responded said the same.

Simultaneously, Savoy Stewart observed that when the respondents were asked questions regarding a positive scenario such as if they have been promoted, 56% of men tend to have more opportunities than women (44%). However, when asked if a promotion had occurred because of their gender, it is interesting to note that both men and women did not agree that their gender contributed towards a promotion. However, 20% of women claim their gender was to blame when given less complex tasks compared to people on the same level.

This is particularly interesting as research by Savoy Stewart, last year, showed a gap of £8,840 in average full-time salaries between men and women in the UK – with males earning 30% more each year.

Darren Best, managing director of Savoy Stewart comments:

“Whilst gender discrimination in the workplace has gradually narrowed over the last decade, the issues which underpin it still continue to exist unfortunately. This research highlights that more needs to be done to bring women on the same pedestal as men. Women who are being told they are not capable of doing certain tasks purely because of their gender is not only discriminatory but can make them feel uncomfortable and doubtful of their own capabilities.”