Poll: Is #MeToo bringing about positive change in your workplace?

Oil and gaslighting

Credit: Mihai Surdu/Unsplash

Mustel Group conducted two surveys for BCBusiness in the spring. The first, from May 28 to June 11, asked 500 people in Metro Vancouver how they were dealing with high gasoline prices. Of the 446 who drove, almost half were changing their behaviour, notes principal Evi Mustel. “I think people are trying to stay closer to their communities and do their shopping and activities,” she says. “They’re cutting out trips completely and maybe switching to a little bit more walking and biking.”

From June 9 to 12, Mustel Group polled 500 businesspeople across the province about the effects of the #MeToo movement. The big story here is the difference between the men and the women, observes Mustel, pointing out that although it may not be surprising, it’s still interesting that one in four males disagree that #MeToo has brought about positive change in the workplace.

Mustel had recently attended a conference of corporate directors where discussion on the topic became heated. “Some of the male panellists felt it was constraining relationships in the office,” she explains. “There was now this real level of concern about having one-on-one meetings with women or going out for lunch. They were feeling it was actually taking away from their business dealings, so I think just having to be that much more cautious of their behaviour.”