Employees in healthcare and hospitality most often experience unwelcome behavior

Staff in health care and the hospitality industry most often experience undesirable behavior in the workplace, such as sexual attention, harassment, violence or bullying. This is according to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and TNO. Female employees report such experiences more often than their male colleagues, according to the National Survey of Working Conditions.

According to the survey, last year 17 percent of all employees (aged 15 to 75) reported experiencing unwanted behavior at work in the past 12 months.

In healthcare, 30 percent of workers reported having experienced this and in hospitality 20 percent. In contrast, workers in agriculture and construction experienced it relatively infrequently.

CBS says more than one in five female employees experiences unwanted behavior. That is more than male employees (13 percent). A factor in this is that a relatively large number of women work in healthcare.

Inappropriate behavior is also more common among employees who have relatively frequent contact with others such as co-workers, patients and customers during their work, such as in the healthcare and hospitality industries.

In healthcare, 30 percent of female employees say they experience unwanted behavior and in the hospitality industry the figure is 24 percent. In the hospitality industry, women relatively often experience unwanted sexual attention.

Trade union CNV calls it scandalous that 17 percent of workers have to deal with undesirable behavior in the workplace. This is the union's response to CBS figures published Monday morning.

CNV calls on employers to speed up efforts to combat undesirable behavior, such as sexual attention, harassment or bullying.

"For more than a million Dutch people, the workplace is unsafe. A daily ordeal," says CNV president Piet Fortuin. ,,We also see this reflected in the absenteeism figures: psychological absenteeism is higher than ever. Employers must fight this scourge more fiercely. No workplace in the Netherlands should be unsafe anymore."

In 2022, absenteeism costs for employers due to mental strain rose to a record 4.4 billion euros, a 33 percent increase from 2021. On average, absenteeism cost 14,000 euros per employee, according to the TNO Fact Sheet 2024. The biggest cause was excessive workload, followed by social insecurity.

According to OVAL director Karin Hoogteijling, an unsafe work environment and lack of social safety not only bring high costs, but also lead to work stress and reduced productivity.

,,A lack of social safety in the workplace leads to high costs, work stress and lower productivity among employees. Thus, an unsafe work culture partly determines the quality of work. Especially in these times of labor shortages, it pays to invest in a safe working environment. It pays for itself twice over."

One in four employees experience conflicts in the workplace and 17% have experienced unwanted behavior, such as bullying or harassment. Absenteeism costs due to such conflicts are significantly higher, an average of €18,500 per employee. Although support from colleagues is often present, Hoogteijling emphasizes that respectful interaction remains essential for job satisfaction and motivation.

Source: the Entrepreneur - The Entrepreneur is the business platform for entrepreneurs, with inspiration, tips and current events.