Security stewards report rising harassment at work

Harassment faced by security stewards has increased, with many reporting sexual harassment, verbal abuse and threats, Yle reports. A survey by the Service Union United PAM found that 43 per cent of people who have worked in the security industry had experienced sexual harassment.

Maiju Leiponen, 29, has worked as a security steward for more than a decade. She says colleagues and customers have called her derogatory names, tried to kiss her by force and made jokes about what could be done with handcuffs.

She has also been prevented from moving around an area and shouted at. Leiponen, who is from Pirkanmaa, was among those who responded to Yle’s questionnaire about harassment faced by security stewards.

When Leiponen began working as a security steward at 18, she encountered even more harassment than she does today. She says the job requires workers to deal with disappointed customers and angry reactions, but they should not have to tolerate everything.

“I hope security stewards would also intervene in these situations themselves and talk about the harassment they have experienced. No one needs to be ashamed of encountering harassment,” Leiponen says.

She says people in the industry now talk about harassment more openly than when she started, which she considers a positive development.

Sexual harassment and verbal violence are widespread

According to PAM’s 2023 membership survey, 43 per cent of people who have worked in the security industry experienced sexual harassment. Seventy-seven per cent experienced verbal violence and 70 per cent verbal threats.

In addition, 47 per cent said they had been threatened with a weapon or other object at work. The same proportion had experienced physical violence, while 75 per cent reported other inappropriate behaviour.

Among service-sector employees under 25, 80 per cent had experienced harassment. Among young people working in the security industry, 85 per cent were at risk of encountering harassment.

People in the service sector who have experienced harassment are more likely to consider changing industries than those who have not.

Women report harassment more often than men

Erika Kähärä, PAM’s specialist in work environment and equality issues, says reporting of sexual harassment has increased in the security and guarding sector, which includes security steward work.

Men, however, report their experiences of sexual harassment to supervisors less often than women do. Kähärä says many people believe nothing can be done about harassment even if they report it, making it difficult to assess the scale of the problem.

Although the security steward and guarding sector is dominated by men, sexual harassment still occurs there. Such harassment is more common in female-dominated fields and particularly affects young women.

Service-sector workers, including security stewards, also encounter threatening and inappropriate behaviour. Kähärä says this often becomes personal, with people insulting a worker’s appearance or another personal characteristic rather than simply expressing anger or bad temper.

Harassment can significantly affect employees’ motivation. It may also affect their health if it happens frequently or if the abuse is serious, Kähärä says.

Long-serving trainer has seen harassment become more physical

Ari Kärki, who has worked in the industry for four decades and has also trained workers, says he has clearly observed harassment in the security sector becoming more common and more physical.

Kärki, who is from Hailuoto, says the biggest change has taken place over the past slightly more than 10 years. He believes it reflects a broader change in society.

“People no longer value those who keep this society safe in the same way. That causes problems for security stewards and many others, such as emergency services workers,” Kärki says.

He says harassment takes many forms, including both sexual harassment and other types of abuse. He has also experienced threats himself.