Discrimination and Bullying in the Web Industry

Posted on May 16, 2017 by ORC Editor

Sexism, bullying and racist stereotyping are everyday occurrence in the tech sector, driving underrepresented employees out of their jobs.

According to the recent research, 10% of women in tech industry experience unwanted sexual attention, and almost 25% people of color face stereotyping. The survey covered over 2,000 people who quit tech jobs in the last 3 years and found out that sexual harassment and complaints about unfairness are disproportionately high in the tech industry compared to other sectors. It is the first report of its kind to analyze the reasons why tech employees voluntarily leave their jobs. Apparently, hostile work environments drive the staff turnover.

The respondents most frequently cited unfairness or mistreatment as the reason for leaving – at least twice more often than recruitment for better opportunities. 40% underrepresented men of color left due to unfairness, while a total of 78% of employees said they experienced unfair behavior or treatment.

Women of colour pointed out high rates of facing discrimination: 30% of underrepresented women said they were passed over for a promotion, which is higher than that of white and Asian women. Besides, unwanted sexual attention was reported almost twice more often among employees in the tech sector compared to tech employees in other industries. 57% of people who said they faced sexual harassment admitted that those experiences contributed to their departures.

It was also found that LGBT tech workers were the most likely to experience bullying and hostility: 1/4 of them cited “rude and condescending behavior” and said they were publicly humiliated or embarrassed. 64% of queer employees left because of bullying.