Gender norm stress and interrupting sexism at work

When harmful attitudes about gender show up at work in the form of demeaning comments, crude behavior, insults and other forms of exclusion, unfairness, or disrespect (i.e., “gender-based hostility”) employees can “step up and step in.” But they don’t always, and gender norms have a lot to do with why. Looking specifically at why men don’t interrupt gender-based hostility in the workplace, Catalyst research shows that many men actually want to intervene — yet many times do not. So, why not?

This study finds one eye-opening reason: men at work often experience distress over not living up to society’s rigid masculine standards — what we refer to as “gender norm stress” — and as a result are less likely to interrupt in the face of gender-based hostility at work. In fact, we found that 94% of men surveyed experienced at least some degree of gender norm stress at work, and men who experience high levels of gender norm stress are five times more likely to do nothing to confront gender-based hostility than men who experience less of that stress.

Organizations must take a hard look at their culture to determine whether it directly or inadvertently reinforces behaviors and norms that align with certain ideas of manliness. These restrictive norms can drive “combative cultures,” creating an atmosphere that deters men from intervening when gender-based hostility occurs. The good news? Organizations can leverage fair and transparent policies and procedures to reduce combative cultures and create environments where all employees can speak up in support of respect, belonging, and inclusion.