A former finance professional has revealed the shocking reality of misogyny and harassment she endured within the industry, including being instructed by a male colleague to be willing to 'spread her legs' to secure a business contract.
A Culture of Degrading Comments and Isolation
The woman, who shared her story with Metro's 'This Is Not Right' campaign, described an incident shortly before a client meeting in a new role. A male colleague casually advised her to do 'whatever it takes' for the contract, explicitly using the offensive phrase. She was left speechless with humiliation.
The harassment escalated weeks later when, in front of her entire team, she was asked if she had slept with a new client to win business. One colleague laughed while others sat in uncomfortable silence. She retorted that her work spoke for itself, but was subsequently labelled 'difficult' for not tolerating the degrading behaviour. Senior figures were never held accountable.
She described the environment as an 'old boys' club' that protected its own. The isolation was intense, with few women her age, and while she bonded with some female colleagues over shared experiences, not all were allies.
Clients, HR Failure, and the Statistics
The toxicity extended to client interactions, which included inappropriate comments, groping, and one man offering £1 million to kiss her. She used humour as a defence but felt desperately alone.
A critical failing, in her experience, was the role of Human Resources departments. She asserts they often struggle to challenge top figures, prioritising the institution's reputation over employee wellbeing and avoiding difficult conversations.
Her personal ordeal is reflected in stark national data. According to the Trades Union Congress, 58% of women have experienced sexual harassment at work, with most never reporting it. Furthermore, the Financial Times reported a two-thirds spike in bullying cases across financial services in 2024.
Building a Solution and a Call for Action
Her experiences, coupled with witnessing a male colleague broken by racism and aggressive bullying, ultimately drove her to leave the sector. She founded Invicta Vita, an initiative providing coaching and mentoring to help people build confidence, find suitable career paths, and speak up against toxic behaviour.
She issues a clear call for change, stating it must come from the top. Leaders cannot ignore toxic behaviour or silence their teams. There must be real consequences for harassment and bullying, and HR must be empowered to protect employees honestly and objectively.
Her advice to anyone experiencing workplace harassment is to document everything, find witnesses, and seek a supportive mentor. She concludes that no job, contract, or promotion is worth sacrificing self-respect, and it is time to demand better and hold power to account.
Metro's 'This Is Not Right' campaign, launched on 25 November 2024 in partnership with Women's Aid, aims to address violence against women. The campaign encourages sharing stories via vaw@metro.co.uk.
