Workplace Mistreatment through a Gendered Lens: A Main Effect and Moderation Analysis

Abstract

Background: Workplace mistreatment is an important societal issue, with gender playing a key role in shaping both exposure to and the dynamics of such behaviour. This thesis explores how gender and gendered work sectors influence experiences of four types of unwanted workplace behaviour: unwanted sexual attention, bullying, intimidation, and physical violence. The study applies a structural and feminist perspective to understand how workplace cultures and hierarchies contribute to gendered mistreatment. Methods: Using cross-sectional data from the 2024 Regionale Enquête Beroepsbevolking (REB) in Amsterdam (n = 2,794), binary logistic regressions were conducted to test main effects of gender and moderating effects of work sector. Analyses were performed with and without statistical weights. Results: Logistic regression analyses indicate that on average women have significantly higher odds than men of reporting unwanted sexual attention (Exp(B) = 2.42, p < .001), bullying (Exp(B) = 1.47, p < .001), and intimidation (Exp(B) = 1.64, p < .001) in the workplace, even after controlling for age, education, income, and migration background. No significant gender effect was found for physical violence (p = .498), though this result should be interpreted cautiously due to a small number of cases (n = 120). There was also some differences across sectors. Unwanted behaviour was more frequently reported in service-oriented sectors such as hospitality and healthcare. A significant interaction effect was observed in the industry sector, where gender disparities in reports of unwanted sexual attention were smaller compared to other sectors. Additional interaction effects, including those in hospitality, education, and transport, were not statistically significant, suggesting limited evidence for sector moderation of gendered mistreatment across most workplace contexts. Conclusions: Gender significantly influences the odds of reporting unwanted workplace behaviour, with women reporting higher odds of sexual attention, bullying, and intimidation. These effects are shaped not only by individual characteristics but also by gendered sector dynamics, underscoring the structural nature of workplace mistreatment.