Protecting People and Productivity: Harassment Prevention in Manufacturing
Harassment Prevention
If you work in healthcare, you already know how tough the job can be — long shifts, emotionally intense situations and the constant pressure to make the right call. It’s a high-stakes environment where stress is part of the norm. But there’s another challenge that often flies under the radar: workplace harassment.
It’s a serious issue that affects not just individual employees but entire teams — and even patient care. Healthcare workers — especially women — report equal or higher rates of sexual harassment compared to most industries, and often, the source of harassment is patients and their families. In fact, harassment from the public is more frequent in healthcare than in most other service industries, largely due to the emotional and physical demands of care.
The reality behind the job
Harassment can happen to anyone — nurses, doctors, administrative staff and support personnel — and the offenders vary. In many cases, they’re patients and family members, but coworkers and supervisors can also be responsible, particularly when professional hierarchies or power imbalances come into play. Even vendors or contractors, who often work closely with healthcare teams, can contribute to the problem.
Frontline caregivers, especially nurses, often face harassment from all directions — patients, family members, visitors and sometimes even their own colleagues. A review published in BMC Nursing found that 47% of female nurses reported being harassed by patients, and 28% by patients’ family members. A report by National Nurses United found that 68% of nurses experienced verbal abuse (a form of harassment).
Physicians aren’t immune either. A Medscape Survey found that 59% of female physicians and 21% of male physicians reported experiencing sexual harassment from patients.
And those working behind the scenes — the admin teams and support staff — often face their own share of inappropriate behavior, whether it’s from coworkers or third-party vendors.
Why it matters
Harassment doesn’t just affect the people directly involved — it has a ripple effect across the workplace. When people feel unsafe or unsupported, they’re more likely to burn out, disengage or leave altogether. And in an industry already facing widespread staffing shortages, that’s a problem no organization can afford.
According to the American Nurses Association, harassment is a top reason nurses leave their positions or the profession entirely. A survey from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reported that 35% of physicians who experienced harassment considered leaving their job or specialty.
What’s more, harassment takes a toll on the quality of patient care. When healthcare workers experience harassment, they report increased stress and anxiety, affecting both their well-being and job performance. Verbal abuse can impair healthcare workers’ ability to diagnose and treat patients effectively. When employees are distracted, stressed or withdrawn, it creates conditions where mistakes are more likely, and teamwork suffers.
How training makes a difference
One of the most effective ways to prevent harassment is through education. Thoughtful, engaging training helps employees recognize what harassment looks like — not just the obvious cases, but the subtle, easily missed behaviors too. It empowers people to speak up when something feels off and to report incidents knowing their concerns will be taken seriously.
It’s also vital for managers. They need to know how to respond appropriately, support their teams and help build a culture where harassment isn’t tolerated.
Real prevention goes beyond a one-time training session. It becomes part of the workplace culture — woven into how new employees are onboarded, how policies are communicated and how leaders show up every day.
Seven states—California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, New York, and Washington—along with Chicago and New York City, require sexual harassment prevention training. But harassment can happen anywhere, especially in healthcare, which serves every community. That’s why all employees should receive training, whether it’s required by law or not, to help build a respectful and trustworthy workplace.
It’s about more than compliance
At the end of the day, preventing harassment is about protecting the people who make healthcare work — and making sure they can deliver the kind of care patients deserve. When staff feel respected and safe, they’re more engaged, more focused and better able to provide compassionate, high-quality care.
