Speaking up takes a financial toll on harassment victims: Study

A study published Wednesday by Time’s Up and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research sought to quantify what people who have been harassed end up paying after they speak out.

While it’s long been clear that victims of sexual harassment often face retaliation that can damage their careers, the financial cost they shoulder has been difficult to quantify. To put a number on it, a study published Wednesday by Time’s Up and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), “Paying Today and Tomorrow,” sought to nail down what people who had been harassed ended up paying. Victims interviewed faced expenses anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. For one woman working in the well-paid, male-dominated construction industry, the lifetime cost could reach $1.3 million, according to the study. Even someone forced out of a low-wage job like those in the fast-food industry saw financial fallout totaling $125,600.