As a non-degreed professional with a horrible workplace abuse experience under my belt, and my family having to live through the aftermath of that, I know how important it is to ensure our graduates, be they high-school or college grads, have the tools, education, and skills they need to enter, navigate and survive a potential toxic workplace, and be able to heal and to thrive once they've escaped it.

According to a 2019 Monster.com survey of 2,081 respondents, 94% of had been bullied at work. Over half (51.1%) said they were bullied by a boss or manager. 

That means the likelihood of our graduates being bullied at their first job is over 50% - that is far too high of a percentage this mother of a college student (who has just barely survived her virtual freshman year in a pandemic) is willing to accept. The long-lasting mental, emotional & physical health effects that the lack of socialization/normalcy for our young adult children imposed by the pandemic will not be known for years...the last thing I want is for my daughter to land her dream job in her field, only to be confronted with a toxic workplace or a workplace bully and not know how to handle it. 

After searching for data on the topic and coming up short handed, I decided to conduct my own research study.  I started with an ungated MailChimp survey, which I sent to my mailing list and shared on social.  A few weeks later, I ran a public poll on LinkedIn. As the incredible responses and data rolled in, I knew I was on to something that, as a society emerging from a life-changing pandemic, was a clear sign that pedagogy, academia and employers need to address.  

I'll be sharing the data from my study this week, follow me on social @gentlewomanboss #thegentlewomanboss