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Shop boss called sexual harassment 'harmless behaviour'

Eleri Griffiths
BBC News
Getty Images Generic image of a businesswoman pushing a male colleague's hand off her leg at work. Their faces can't be seen. The woman, on the left, is wearing a light blue jacket, white blouse and light blue trousers. The man, on the right, is wearing a long sleeve pink shirt with black trousers. Getty Images
A recent Censuswide survey found almost half of workers in Wales have experienced sexual harassment at work

A woman who was sexually harassed as a teenager in her supermarket job said management dismissed it as "harmless" behaviour.

Kay Stevens said a male colleague's unwanted touching made her feel "really uncomfortable" as "we weren't friends."

A recent Censuswide survey found almost half of workers in Wales interviewed have experienced sexual harassment at work.

Now a union representative for the independent trade union for transport and travel industries TSSA, Ms Stevens, stressed the need for better education to help people understand that even so-called "jokes" can cause harm.

Commissioned by TUC Cymru, the body for trade unions in Wales, the survey gathered responses from 2,000 employees across the country.

It found that 43% of men and 48% of women had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.

The highest rate was recorded in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries, where 66% of respondents reported incidents.

Of those who had experienced harassment, around half did not report it.

One in ten said this was because they did not trust their employer to believe them.

Portrait image of Kay Stevens looking at the camera with a stern expression. She is stood in what looks like her home. Kay is wearing a floral dress and has long straight brown hair.
Kay Stevens was sexually harassed at work as a teenager says her complaint was dismissed by management as "harmless" behaviour

Ms Stevens said the man would often put his arm around her "when there just wasn't any need to."

"I asked him to stop, and he did for a while - but then he'd start again," she told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"I kept asking, but he kept crossing the boundary."

Although she reported his behaviour to management, she said they "just didn't particularly care", dismissing it as the man "just being friendly".

Regardless of his intent, Ms Stevens said it made her feel uncomfortable and "really unsupported".

"He crossed my boundaries, and I just felt really uncared for," she added.

Ms Stevens eventually changed departments to "just to get myself out of the situation at the time".

"You're so young, you're naïve," she said.

"You feel embarrassed, you don't really want to stand up for yourself and call people out on it because you don't want to make a fuss."

Getty Images Generic image of three colleagues standing behind frosted glass in office, talking. Their faces can't be seen. The woman is wearing a black dress and the man is wearing a black suit. Getty Images
Ms Stevens says many people do not realise their behaviour is inappropriate at work

Under the Worker Protection Act, employers must discipline or hold accountable those who are found guilty of sexual harassment.

The law, which was introduced in October 2024, covers harassment on social media as well as that by customers, clients, service users, or members of the public.

This also includes conduct in any event or situation related to work such as a Christmas party, client event, or messaging between colleagues.

Of the survey respondents, one in 10 said their workplace either had no formal sexual harassment policy or they were not informed of a policy in place.

Ms Stevens, who is trained in the issue, said her own experiences have made her "even more passionate about ensuring everyone is safe at work at all times".

She explained that many people do not realise their behaviour is inappropriate, but once it's pointed out, most stop - but she said repeated behaviour should be addressed more seriously.

Ms Stevens emphasised the importance of education and urged anyone affected to speak to their union rep, saying: "We're here, we will listen, and we will act."

To raise awareness around support available to workers from unions around sexual harassment in the workplace, TUC Cymru has launched a campaign, called We'll Support You.

The organisation has also published a handbook to give union reps the information and resources they need to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

Shavanah Taj from TUC Cymru said "everyone deserves to feel safe at work" and that workplace sexual harassment "has to stop".

She said the new campaign will empower union reps to be a "visible ally" for workers, hold employers accountable under the new Worker Protection Act, and "ultimately help reduce harassment in workplaces in Wales".

What is sexual harassment?

According to Wesh Women's Aid, sexual harassment is any unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that may cause offense, distress, will intimidate or humiliate a person.

Some examples are:

  • making sexually degrading comments or gestures
  • being stared or leered at
  • unwanted or inappropriate sexual jokes or propositions
  • e-mails, social media or text messages with sexual content
  • unwelcome sexual advances and touching, forms of sexual assault
  • displaying sexually explicit pictures in a shared space, such as at work