The Economic Impact of Protest
An Environment of Violence
In order to establish the influence of sexual harassment on the economy, accurate assessments and research conducted in various workplace contexts should be provided. Thus, in 2013, more than 10,000 complaints from workers about sexual harassment in the workplace were filed with government agencies (Parramore). During their research, it can be ascertained that the main category of victims is women who are constantly exposed to violence in the working environment. However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) data indicate that not even half of the women who suffer sexual harassment are pressed for charges. It is worth remembering the recent letter of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, sent by the first national women’s organization of agricultural workers (Parramore). It stated that violence and harassment in their area were routine.
The Economic Effects on Businesses
It should be highlighted that even though CEOs tend to be the initiators of sexual violence, they have a negative impact on business. At the same time, even before the #MeToo movement, the economic consequences of violence were exacerbated by losses for companies. For example, businesses were forced to waste budgets on resolving lawsuits. Research conducted by the Society of Managers indicates that in 2010, one in three companies in the U.S. market had a case for violence (Parramore). Moreover, they have repaid nearly seven hundred million dollars to employees discriminated against and sexually abused. Moreover, in 2016, Fox News Channel was in the center of controversy and refunded almost twenty million dollars to a television host. Former broadcaster Gretchen Carlson filed sexual assault charges against former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes (Parramore). Accordingly, this kind of expense is significant for the operations of large companies economically.
Although it is important to emphasize that indirect costs and economic consequences for businesses also exist, they can include the problem of job performance, increased employee turnover, and damage to reputation. In 1988, studies showed that typical Fortune 500 companies lost nearly seven million dollars a year due to employee inefficiency, sick leave, and strikes that arose from sexual harassment cases. Likewise, these costs are no less now; for instance, Fox News has had advertisers refuse to work with it through former host Bill O’Reilly after allegations of harassment (Parramore). Another example is the Weinstein Company, which sold movie distribution rights due to significant economic damages.
The Economic Impact on Women
In fact, it is common knowledge that women who are sexually abused also suffer economic damages, but it is hard to assess these casualties. The effect of claims on wages, productivity, and career opportunities restrains women from making public statements and litigating. Advances by sociologists indicate that eighty percent of women are fired from their jobs because of sexual violence (Parramore). The negative economic impact is that these incidents occur more often at the beginning of a career and prevent women from progressing, which entails tremendous financial losses throughout their lives.
Women suffer from the fact that in a new job, they have to start gaining credibility and proving their professional competence. One can use the example of Sean Hannity, who worked as an anchor at Fox News. She publicly stated that in 2017, a former Fox News guest invited her to a hotel room, but the woman declined his proposal (Mason). Consequently, she was added to the Fox News blacklist; in this way, the woman experienced moral humiliation and lost a financial earning opportunity. The publicity of this story harms her career because company owners, not confident in the virtues of their employees, do not want to work with her, not to provoke a new conflict.
Significance of the Protest
Importantly, it is noteworthy that the protest is supported by many women, even though they have not been abused but fear it in the future. At the same time, #MeToo has started to work on strengthening legal remedies and redress. Victims of sexual violence can now receive compensation and protection from the government and community organizations. Moreover, in the wake of the protest, there was a need for a broader strategy to address gender inequality. As an example of the positive impact of the protests, Jeff Franklin was charged because he made inadequate comments about sexual violence against women in the workplace (Sharf). Consequently, he was fired from the show, and his contract with the network was terminated. In this way, this case demonstrates the value of the protest.
One of the significant issues in the case of Harvey Weinstein and other influential persons was the use of nondisclosure agreements. For example, Zelda Perkins, Weinstein’s former assistant, signed a settlement agreement preventing him from telling family members about Weinstein’s crimes (Parramore). However, the #MeToo movement was attracting attention, which is why states started passing laws banning the use of such agreements. As a result, women had additional security guarantees and could report abuse without fear of large payments if the deal was broken.
At the same time, the value of the protest was that women gained access to management positions, thus improving their financial situation and ensuring gender balance. Companies’ human resources departments have recently changed to handle sexual harassment complaints fairly and timely. Therefore, employees received additional protection and protection in the workplace (Parramore). Moreover, employees received medical, psychological, social, or legal services and other restitution or compensation forms due to the abuse.
The Relevance of the Issue at this Time
In the age of the latest technology, information can be disseminated quickly, which is why this is how the protest received significant publicity and support. The hashtag #MeToo on social media enabled women to read victims’ stories and publish their own. Thus, the audience that could learn the truth about the crimes increased through the internet and social media. Moreover, different organizations and companies started to establish mass media that also reported in the press; thereby, everyone was fully informed about the situation and could participate in the protests. Another factor contributing to the rise of this issue in modern times was freedom of speech and growing investment in feminism (Parramore). Women were not afraid that society would not understand them or would not respond to the problem.
Summary
Hence, the movement prompted by the scandal against Harvey Weinstein influenced people’s consciousness, and society quickly re-evaluated its priorities. In general, workers across the state demanded fair treatment and dignified behavior, and employers began assessing their companies’ labor climate. It should be noted that sexual pretensions in the workplace had a negative effect on work-life and economic trajectories that suffered. The changing culture, attitudes, and disclosures about the #MeToo movement have enabled discussion about the economic factors of this global challenge, which has been largely ignored.
Works Cited
Mason, Aiden. “Sean Hannity Invited Female Show Guest to Hotel Because Of Course He Didt.” TVOvermind, Web.
Parramore, Lynn. “MeToo: The Economic Cost of Sexual Harassment.” Institute for New Economic Thinking, Web.
Sharf, Zack. “‘Fuller House’ Creator Jeff Franklin Removed as Showrunner After Inappropriate Behavior Complaints.” IndieWire, Web.