Women feel less psychologically safe at work in Sweden

Women in Sweden consistently feel less psychologically safe at work than men, according to a review of nearly one million employee survey responses collected over seven years.

The figures show that 13% of female employees do not feel able to express their opinions freely. The same proportion say they do not dare to discuss mistakes with their work groups. Across all respondents, 10% say they do not feel respected by their colleagues.

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Women overall experience poorer psychological safety than men in their workplaces. It concerns everything from daring to express an opinion and admit mistakes to feeling part of the group.

Sofie Johansson, an employee survey expert at Brilliant Future, said the gender gap appeared across industries and remained broadly constant over time. The period covered major economic swings, the MeToo movement, the pandemic and changing global conditions, yet the difference between women’s and men’s experiences persisted.

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There have been major economic swings, the MeToo movement, the pandemic and upheavals in the global situation. But this difference remains, despite changing conditions in society and at workplaces. I find that remarkable.

Johansson said the sharpest divide concerned the willingness to take the social risk of expressing an opinion. She linked psychological safety to leadership, group norms and workplace culture, particularly the way colleagues react when someone challenges an idea, questions a decision or admits a mistake.

She said psychological safety develops through small daily interactions. The survey findings suggest that women are less likely than men to take the risk of speaking openly, even as workplace conditions and wider society change.

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We know that factors such as leadership, group norms and culture affect how people react when someone disagrees, questions something or admits to making a mistake.