Abstract:
Purpose: Sexual harassment (SH) is a broad term that refers to a growing number of
workplace difficulties in Sri Lanka. Despite decades of research, conversations, debates,
legislation, and remedies, SH in the workplace is a widespread problem. The goal of this
study is to determine how much workplace SH impacts women's personal life.
Methodology: The study follows a quantitative method and used a descriptive survey
design. The sample size was 425, and the study focused on working women in the
Gampaha District. However, the sample size for the study was estimated at 385 using
Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) sample size determination formula. Despite this, the
researchers only obtained 351 responses. Convenience sampling was the sampling
technique and data collection was administered via a standardised instrument. The
correlation analysis was performed to measure the link between them, and a simple
regression analysis was employed to determine the impact of the independent variable.
Findings:According to the research findings, SH in the workplace causes psychological,
physical, and interpersonal concerns. Many victims of SH do not report instances of lack
of confidence that they will be intentionally reprimanded and fear of retaliation and / or
loss of their job.
Implications: The SH can increase labour combustion and lead to a reduction in work
commitment and labor turnover in the future female workforce. Another outcome of
this study is a greater awareness of SH in the community. Being aware of harassment and
taking action if you are being harassed or assaulted is the best defense against it.
Organisations must avoid SH before it has a negative impact because it can actually
lower employee and consumer-friendly behavior.
