Workplace bullying and sexual harassment at work among hotel housekeepers in the Balearic Islands (Spain)
IntroductionHotel housekeepers are close to being a 100% feminized occupational group in Spain. This fact, coupled with some features of the job, places them at high risk of sexual harassment at work and bullying in the workplace. This study aims to explore experiences of sexual harassment at work a...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1241255/full |
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| author | Xenia Chela-Alvarez Xenia Chela-Alvarez Xenia Chela-Alvarez Oana Bulilete Oana Bulilete Oana Bulilete M. Esther García-Buades Victoria A. Ferrer-Perez Joan Llobera Joan Llobera Joan Llobera |
| author_facet | Xenia Chela-Alvarez Xenia Chela-Alvarez Xenia Chela-Alvarez Oana Bulilete Oana Bulilete Oana Bulilete M. Esther García-Buades Victoria A. Ferrer-Perez Joan Llobera Joan Llobera Joan Llobera |
| author_sort | Xenia Chela-Alvarez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionHotel housekeepers are close to being a 100% feminized occupational group in Spain. This fact, coupled with some features of the job, places them at high risk of sexual harassment at work and bullying in the workplace. This study aims to explore experiences of sexual harassment at work and workplace bullying among hotel housekeepers in the Balearic Islands. Second, it aims to describe and estimate the prevalence of both phenomena.MethodsThis is a mixed-methods study. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants, and six focus groups were held with hotel housekeepers. Additionally, a quantitative cross-sectional study (n = 1,043) was undertaken.ResultsMost participants in focus groups had been sexually harassed at work. However, they had normalized this kind of situations, not labeling themselves as victims of sexual harassment; and harassment events were seen as unimportant, normal, and unquestioned, as well as being part of their daily work. Hotel housekeepers who were sexually harassed indicated high levels of stress at work and low social support. The prevalence of different workplace bullying behaviors was quite high among hotel housekeepers working in the Balearic Islands. Some were associated with poorer self-rated health, less satisfaction with the job and the salary, lower social support, and higher levels of stress. Despite this, qualitative methods informed us that less severe behaviors were normalized and perceived by hotel housekeepers as intrinsic to their job.DiscussionThe results show the high tolerance to less severe expressions of sexual harassment at work and workplace bullying, as well as difficulties in or reluctance to labeling this kind of experiences as such. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:52:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f459c20ec8a4454bba7ca344c755d6a7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:52:13Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f459c20ec8a4454bba7ca344c755d6a72024-01-09T04:40:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-01-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.12412551241255Workplace bullying and sexual harassment at work among hotel housekeepers in the Balearic Islands (Spain)Xenia Chela-Alvarez0Xenia Chela-Alvarez1Xenia Chela-Alvarez2Oana Bulilete3Oana Bulilete4Oana Bulilete5M. Esther García-Buades6Victoria A. Ferrer-Perez7Joan Llobera8Joan Llobera9Joan Llobera10Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Balearic Islands Health Service, Palma, SpainGrAPP-caIB – Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, SpainRICAPPS- Red de InvestigaciónCooperativa de Atención Primaria y Promoción de la Salud – Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), Madrid, SpainPrimary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Balearic Islands Health Service, Palma, SpainGrAPP-caIB – Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, SpainRICAPPS- Red de InvestigaciónCooperativa de Atención Primaria y Promoción de la Salud – Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), Madrid, SpainDepartment of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, SpainDepartment of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, SpainPrimary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Balearic Islands Health Service, Palma, SpainGrAPP-caIB – Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, SpainRICAPPS- Red de InvestigaciónCooperativa de Atención Primaria y Promoción de la Salud – Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), Madrid, SpainIntroductionHotel housekeepers are close to being a 100% feminized occupational group in Spain. This fact, coupled with some features of the job, places them at high risk of sexual harassment at work and bullying in the workplace. This study aims to explore experiences of sexual harassment at work and workplace bullying among hotel housekeepers in the Balearic Islands. Second, it aims to describe and estimate the prevalence of both phenomena.MethodsThis is a mixed-methods study. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants, and six focus groups were held with hotel housekeepers. Additionally, a quantitative cross-sectional study (n = 1,043) was undertaken.ResultsMost participants in focus groups had been sexually harassed at work. However, they had normalized this kind of situations, not labeling themselves as victims of sexual harassment; and harassment events were seen as unimportant, normal, and unquestioned, as well as being part of their daily work. Hotel housekeepers who were sexually harassed indicated high levels of stress at work and low social support. The prevalence of different workplace bullying behaviors was quite high among hotel housekeepers working in the Balearic Islands. Some were associated with poorer self-rated health, less satisfaction with the job and the salary, lower social support, and higher levels of stress. Despite this, qualitative methods informed us that less severe behaviors were normalized and perceived by hotel housekeepers as intrinsic to their job.DiscussionThe results show the high tolerance to less severe expressions of sexual harassment at work and workplace bullying, as well as difficulties in or reluctance to labeling this kind of experiences as such.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1241255/fullsexual harassment at workworkplace bullyinghotel housekeepersself-rated healthmixed-methods studyjob satisfaction |
| spellingShingle | Xenia Chela-Alvarez Xenia Chela-Alvarez Xenia Chela-Alvarez Oana Bulilete Oana Bulilete Oana Bulilete M. Esther García-Buades Victoria A. Ferrer-Perez Joan Llobera Joan Llobera Joan Llobera Workplace bullying and sexual harassment at work among hotel housekeepers in the Balearic Islands (Spain) Frontiers in Psychology sexual harassment at work workplace bullying hotel housekeepers self-rated health mixed-methods study job satisfaction |
| title | Workplace bullying and sexual harassment at work among hotel housekeepers in the Balearic Islands (Spain) |
| title_full | Workplace bullying and sexual harassment at work among hotel housekeepers in the Balearic Islands (Spain) |
| title_fullStr | Workplace bullying and sexual harassment at work among hotel housekeepers in the Balearic Islands (Spain) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Workplace bullying and sexual harassment at work among hotel housekeepers in the Balearic Islands (Spain) |
| title_short | Workplace bullying and sexual harassment at work among hotel housekeepers in the Balearic Islands (Spain) |
| title_sort | workplace bullying and sexual harassment at work among hotel housekeepers in the balearic islands spain |
| topic | sexual harassment at work workplace bullying hotel housekeepers self-rated health mixed-methods study job satisfaction |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1241255/full |
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