A new study published in the Harvard Business Review revealed a troubling pattern in today’s workplaces: when men and women report the same kind of abuse, women are still less likely to be taken seriously.
The research found that gender plays a significant role in how abuse reports are evaluated, especially when there isn’t hard evidence. In those cases, decision-makers tend to rely on perceived credibility. And that’s where the gap shows up. Reports from women were consistently seen as less credible than identical reports from men.
To test this, the team designed a series of experiments using AI-generated voice recordings. Participants were asked to assess abuse reports that were exactly the same, except for the voice of the person making the complaint. The outcome was clear: complaints made in a woman’s voice were less likely to be taken seriously or lead to any action.
The only time the playing field leveled out was when the reports included clear, additional evidence, like fake chat logs. Without that, the gender of the person reporting made a significant difference.
According to the researchers, this reaction stems from persistent stereotypes that paint women as more emotional or less rational than men. These assumptions often go unspoken but still shape how leaders respond to sensitive issues. And with workplace abuse often happening behind closed doors, a lack of hard proof is common.
This isn’t a small oversight. Past studies already showed that complaints from women are less likely to result in consequences, even when job roles and types of abuse were the same. The new study confirms those patterns in a more controlled, experimental setting.
The research team offered practical steps for companies that want to address the problem. First, separate the roles of people who receive abuse reports from those who evaluate them. Second, set up a consistent and documented process for reviewing every report, no matter who it comes from or how much evidence it includes.
These findings matter even more in today’s climate, public comments from high-profile CEOs calling for more “masculine” energy in the workplace only muddy the waters.
For business leaders, the takeaway is straightforward: don’t assume your team is immune to bias just because things seem fine on the surface. Without a fair and formal reporting system, the odds are stacked against people — especially women — trying to speak up about workplace abuse.
