Abstract:
: This research investigates the prevalence of workplace harassment and its impact on employee retention
among blue-collar workers in Sri Lankan apparel companies, specifically within the Gampaha district. The
primary objective of this research is to analyze the impact of workplace harassment on employee retention among
blue-collar workers in the apparel companies of the Gampaha district. Addressing a research gap where the
existing body of knowledge focuses primarily on white-collar professions, with a lack of comprehensive research
on how harassment manifests and affects blue-collar workers within the apparel industry, this study uses a
quantitative approach. Furthermore, it addresses the gap in research on the broader issue of workplace harassment
and its impact on employee retention within Gampaha's apparel industry, where individual studies exist on types
of harassment (verbal abuse, physical intimidation, unfair treatment) but lack a holistic view. Data was derived
from a survey of 366 blue-collar workers in 5 selected companies in the Gampaha District. A structured
questionnaire was used for data collection, and the cluster sampling method was used to create the sampling
framework. The study aims to analyze the impact of workplace harassment on employee retention, investigate the
impact of verbal abuse, sexual harassment, bullying, and discrimination on employee retention among blue-collar
workers. The findings reveal a significant negative association between workplace harassment and employee
retention. Verbal abuse and workplace discrimination have a strong negative impact on employee retention.
Factors influencing the reluctance to report sexual harassment include fear of retaliation, lack of support, cultural
or societal norms, and lack of awareness. A significant positive association between workplace bullying and
employee retention was also found, indicating that a work environment where employees feel supported by their
hierarchical superiors islikely to tolerate workplace bullying. Based on these findings, the study recommends that
organizations in the Sri Lankan apparel industry implement comprehensive anti-harassment policies, create a
positive work environment, provide training and education, investigate complaints thoroughly, offer support to
victims, monitor and evaluate, and involve employees in the process. This research underscores the importance
of anti-harassment and offers a roadmap for empowering anti-harassment policies.
