Research published by TimeTo has revealed that one in 10 respondents from its endorsing companies have experienced sexual harassment during the past 12 months. Figures were slightly higher among females aged 18-24.
In response to the findings of the study, carried out Credos, TimeTo – the industry initiative that aims to tackle sexual harrassment in the ad industry – is launching a toolkit, a refreshed "Where do you draw the line?" campaign and a training programme. It is also offering advice to global companies that may find it difficult to get endorser status signed off.
The survey involved 1,114 respondents from TimeTo endorsing companies. It found that 14% of female participants aged 18-24 had experienced sexual harassment in the past 12 months. Meanwhile, 31% of those experiencing sexual harassment "ignored" the incident and 11% had witnessed sexual harassment happening to others.
"Where do you draw the line?" is being rolled out over the Christmas period and was created by Lucky Generals. It is part of TimeTo's continued work to ensure "everyone working in the UK advertising industry can enjoy safe festive celebrations".
A training programme led by Nabs is in development to raise awareness, educate employees and drive cultural change. The training, launching in 2020, will be available to companies to run in-house or at Nabs' central London office.
The toolkit was fuelled by the third of respondents calling for training on how to deal with sexual harassment. It will be for use by all endorsing companies, with materials developed specifically for leadership teams, HR departments and company staff. It is made up of email templates, a sexual harassment policy insert and an endorser deck for leadership to present to staff meetings.
Diana Tickell, chief executive of Nabs, said: "The sad truth is that sexual harassment continues in our industry and we are determined to do everything to put a stop to it. We need all of our endorsing companies to play their part in ensuring everyone has a safe workplace and that, in the event of sexual harassment, people feel confident to report it with the certainty that action will be taken."
No-one should have to experience sexual harassment any time or anywhere. If you or someone you know needs someone to talk to, contact Nabs, which offers free confidential advice, guidance and support on 0800 707 6607 or support@nabs.org.uk
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