TUC Cymru finds almost half of workers in Wales have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace

•    46% of respondents to a Censuswide survey said they had been a victim of workplace sexual harassment
•    8% of employees saying they didn’t know how to report incidents when they occur
•    13% of workers said their workplace does not have a formal policy addressing sexual harassment, or they didn’t know if there was one.

TUC Cymru commissioned survey in June/July 2025, run by Censuswide, of 2000 employees across Wales. The survey found that 43% of men and 48% of women reported experiencing sexual harassment at work. 

The survey found that young workers aged 25-34 were most likely to have experienced sexual harassment with just over half (53%) of respondents in that age range saying they had experienced it. The number who have experienced it decreases with age but is still as high as 21% in the over 55 age range. 

The survey also found that women are less likely (17%) to report an incident of sexual harassment than men (11%).  Men (21%) are more likely than women (13%) to turn to a union representative for help. 

A third of women (30%) who didn’t report said the reason was, “I didn’t think it was serious enough”.

And shockingly, more than 1 in 10 respondents said their workplace either had no formal sexual harassment policy or they were not aware of a policy in place. Over a third (36%) said they have not received any training on identifying or reporting sexual harassment in the workplace.

Get involved in TUC Cymru’s We’ll Support You campaign

Trade unions are ideally placed to help 

Shavanah Taj, TUC Cymru General Secretary said: 

“Everyone deserves to feel safe at work. It’s shocking that, in 2025, nearly half of all workers in Wales have experienced sexual harassment at work. This has to stop. And that’s why we’re launching our We’ll Support You campaign.

Trade unions and reps are ideally placed to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace. Our We’ll Support you campaign will show all workers in Wales that, if they experience or witness sexual harassment, their trade union rep will be there, a visible ally by their side, every step of the way.  

This campaign will empower trade union reps to negotiate with their employer and make sure they’re complying with the new Worker Protection Act. Ultimately, this campaign will reduce the amount of sexual harassment taking place in workplaces in Wales.”

Change in the law

From October 2024, the Worker Protection Act places further responsibilities on employers to discipline or hold accountable those who are found guilty of sexual harassment. The legislation includes harassment from customers, clients, service users, or members of the public, and would include conduct in any event or situation related to work such as a Christmas party, client event, or messaging between colleagues.

TUC Cymru’s We’ll Support You campaign aims to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace. Created to raise awareness around support available to workers from unions, the organisation has published a handbook to give union reps the information and resources they need to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

Kay’s passion for ensuring safety at work at all times 

Kay Stevens, TSSA union rep, spoke about her own experiences as both a victim and an advocate: 

“I had a colleague that just kept putting his arms around me and touching me. I told him that it made me feel very uncomfortable, so he’d stop for a bit and then carry on doing it.

“I reported it to management, who told me he was just being friendly. I was so disappointed by their response – I'd asked him to stop, so why hadn’t he?

“Now as a union rep, my experiences of workplace sexual harassment have made me even more passionate about ensuring that everyone is safe at work at all times. 

Everyone should feel safe in the workplace, and they deserve to have someone in their corner. Whether it’s happening now or happened a long time ago, I’d urge people to speak to their union reps – we're here, we will listen, and we will act.”

Found out how you can get involved in the We’ll Support You campaign