In the two years since the #MeToo movement sparked a major public reckoning over sexual harassment and assault, workplaces have made very little progress on curbing harassment and improving gender equity. This is the finding according to survey results from a study commissioned by Have Her Back, a Chicago-based, women-led consultancy. While those surveyed feel that #MeToo has made a major impact culturally, they have not seen the movement tranlsate into the workplace.
Professor Lesley Wexler, an expert on sex discrimination, spoke to Crain's Chicago Business about the post-#MeToo work environment.
“Companies haven’t been particularly proactive in overhauling institutional culture,” she said. “For too many of them, training is the beginning and the end of their attempt to address gender equality.”
Following #MeToo, Wexler said, companies have been more focused on legal compliance, especially in states like Illinois that have approved legislation requiring more training and protections against gendered discrimination. Instead, she said, firms should be more proactive in changing workplace culture by focusing on pay equity, parental leave and putting women in leadership roles.
Read the full article at chicagobusiness.com.