2022-23 Report on Workplace Equity and Organizational Culture in US Art Museums – Findings Discrimination And Harassment

Discrimination and harassment are important to address in their own right, if only because they have deep consequences across all aspects of our working lives. These harmful experiences undermine perceptions of workplace culture, spur workers to consider leaving the field, and depress job satisfaction substantially.¹⁸ Workplace discrimination¹⁹ in art museums does not affect everyone equally; rates are higher for those with disabilities, who identify as non-binary or other gender identities, are Native American or Alaska Native, or are multiracial.

More than a quarter of art museum workers have experienced discrimination at their current institutions, and the experiences are likely connected to their gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability status.

Among art museum workers with disabilities, experiences of discrimination are twice as likely (42% vs. 21% without disabilities). LGBTQ workers are 10% more likely to experience discrimination than heterosexual workers (32% vs. 22%). Workers who identify as non-binary are also particularly likely to feel discrimination (at 39%) compared to women (27%), who in turn have higher rates than men (18%).

With respect to race and ethnicity, such experiences are particularly likely for Native American or Alaska Native workers (39%) and multiracial workers (33%) compared to white workers (24%) (see fig. 40).

Seniority level also influences the likelihood of discrimination, with lower rates among executives (16%) than managers (29%).

Figure 40. Experiences of Discrimination, by Race and Ethnicity

Have you felt discriminated against or harassed on the basis of your gender, sexual orientation, racial or ethnic background, social or economic status, religion, age, or disability while working in your current museum workplace?

Native American/Alaska Native	39%
Multiracial	33%
Black	30%
Asian	29%
Latinx	27%
MENA	26%
White	24%
Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander	20%

Frequency of Discrimination

Inequities in discrimination are also notable in the frequency with which workers encounter these experiences, and a worker’s race makes a notable difference in how often they encounter this form of harm at work.

Of those workers with any experience of discrimination, 5% have these experiences on a daily or near-daily basis, and 17% endure them every few weeks (see fig. 41). In terms of frequency, the most common rate of discrimination is a few times per year (48%), followed by 30% who have had one or two experiences total in their current workplace.

Figure 41. Experiences of Discrimination

How often have you felt discriminated against and/or harassed while working in your current museum workplace?

Looking closer at those experiencing discrimination multiple times per month or more frequently (combining respondents answering “often” and “very frequently”), Black and Native American or Alaska Native workers (40% each) are more than twice as likely to have these experiences monthly or more frequently as their white colleagues (18%), and Asian workers (31%) are also more likely to face frequent discrimination compared to their white colleagues (see fig. 42). In addition, entry-level art museum workers are more likely to experience discrimination monthly or more frequently (34%) than those at every other level of seniority, particularly director (12%) and executive (14%).

Zooming in further on those who experience discrimination on a daily basis at work, the rates are particularly high among Black (14%), entry-level (16%), and part-time workers (13%), compared to 5% overall.

Figure 42. Frequent Discrimination, by Race and Ethnicity

Proportion who have frequently (a few times a month or more) felt discriminated against and/or harassed while working in their current museum.*

Native American/Alaska Native	40%
Black	40%
Asian	31%
Multiracial	31%
Latinx	22%
White	18%

* Note: sample sizes were too small to include rates for Middle Eastern or North African and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander workers.

Impacts of Discrimination

Worker satisfaction is more than just feeling happy on the job. It is positively linked to important outcomes including productivity, loyalty, and tenure. Experiences of discrimination degrade workplace satisfaction across all ten of the measures we tested (see fig. 43).

The largest gap in satisfaction between those who have and have not experienced discrimination is in day-to-day work enjoyment, which ranges from 37% for those with experiences of discrimination to 66% for those without such experiences. Based on discrimination, there is also a more than 20% gap in having a sense of purpose and dignity in your work (51% vs. 73%) and having the power to change unsatisfactory things about your job (14% vs. 34%).

Figure 43. Rates of Job Satisfaction, by Discrimination Experience

In your current employment situation, how satisfied are you with each of the following characteristics?*

* The proportion who are satisfied or very satisfied with this statement indicated by selecting a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale.

Ratings of organizational culture are poorer across the board by those experiencing discrimination at work (see fig. 44). Art museum workers with experiences of discrimination are almost three times more likely to feel that they have to hide aspects of who they are at work (56% vs. 19%). Workers who have experienced discrimination are more than twice as likely to say their workplace is negatively affecting their health (66% vs. 30%).

It is no surprise that the likelihood of recommending a workplace plummets among workers who have experienced discrimination (30% vs. 63%). And it’s notable that just one fifth of workers with experiences of discrimination (21%) believe their workplaces hold people accountable, compared to 47% of those without experiences of discrimination.

Figure 44. Workplace Culture Ratings, by Experiences of Discrimination

Please rate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements in relation to the culture of your current museum workplace.*

* The proportion who are satisfied or very satisfied with this statement indicated by selecting a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale.

Not surprisingly, workers experiencing discrimination at work also report more negative emotional states (see fig. 45). These workers have fewer positive emotions and more negative emotions across the board. The greatest differences are in disappointment, which is almost twice as high for those experiencing discrimination (58% vs. 30%), and anger, at triple the rate (30% vs. 10%).

Figure 45. Worker Emotions, by Discrimination Experience

Thinking about the past twelve months in your workplace (or your total tenure if less than twelve months), which of the following three emotions do you most associate with working at your museum? Select up to three.

Types of Discrimination

Discrimination in art museums is most commonly based on gender, age, and race or ethnicity (see fig. 46). Workers facing discrimination experience an average of two types in their workplaces. The more senior a worker is in the organization, the fewer distinct types of discrimination they experience, with a low of 1.8 among executives up to a high of 2.7 types among entry-level workers.

Figure 46. Types of Discrimination

Which of the following forms of discrimination and/or harassment have you experienced in your current museum workplace? Select all that apply.

Gender	52%
Age	40%
Race or ethnicity	33%
Social/economic circumstances	29%
Disability	13%
Sexual orientation	11%
Religion	5%

Gender-based discrimination is most commonly experienced by non-binary or other gender workers and women in art museums compared to men (see fig. 47). LGBTQ employees are also more likely to report gender-based discrimination than heterosexual workers.

Figure 47. Gender-Based Discrimination, by Gender and Sexual Orientation

Of those who have experienced any discrimination at their current museum workplace, the proportion who selected “Discrimination and/or harassment based on gender (including pregnancy, gender expression, gender identity, etc.).

Non-binary or other gender	69%
Women	58%
Men	23%
LGBTQ	60%
Heterosexual	49%

Gender-based discrimination is highest among white workers (59%) and lower among Latinx (38%) and Black workers (42%). Interestingly, gender-based discrimination is much less common among Baby Boomers (29%) compared to every other generation (ranging from 50 to 59%), potentially due to how normalized this type of discrimination is for older generations.

Age is the next most-frequent type of discrimination reported (40% overall), and it is most acute for Baby Boomers and Gen Z employees, with lower rates among Gen X workers (see fig. 48).

Figure 48. Age-Based Discrimination, by Age

Of those who have experienced any discrimination at their current museum workplace, the proportion who selected “Discrimination and/or harassment based on age.”

Baby Boomers	59%
Gen X	25%
Millenials	43%
Gen Z	55%

Age-based discrimination varies significantly by department, with the highest rates in communications (53%) and the lowest rates in building operations (31%).

Discrimination based on race and ethnicity is the third most common form reported by art museum workers (33% overall). A remarkable 93% of Black workers and 81% of Asian employees have experienced race-based discrimination; also reporting such discrimination were 67% of Native American or Alaska Native, 59% of Hispanic or Latinx, 58% of multiracial, 43% of Middle Eastern or North African, and 16% of white workers (see fig. 49).²⁰

Figure 49. Race-Based Discrimination, by Race and Ethnicity

Of those who have experienced any discrimination at their current museum workplace, the proportion who selected “Discrimination and/or harassment based on race and/or ethnicity.”

Black	93%
Asian	81%
Native American/Alaska Native	67%
Latinx	59%
MENA	43%
White	16%

More than a quarter of workers reporting discrimination have experienced social or economic discrimination (29%). The strongest connection to this form of discrimination likelihood is seniority level, with almost half of entry-level workers reporting such discrimination compared to a quarter of executives (see fig. 50).

Figure 50. Economic-Based Discrimination, by Seniority

Of those who have experienced any discrimination at their current museum workplace, the proportion who selected “Discrimination and/or harassment based on social or economic status.”

Entry Level	48%
Experienced Non-Manager	28%
Manager	29%
Director Level	10%
Executive	25%

Disability status is also strongly connected to this form of discrimination, with 43% of those with disabilities experiencing social or economic discrimination versus 21% of those without disabilities. This type of discrimination is also more common among Latinx workers (41%).

Experiences of discrimination based on disability (13% overall) are more likely among non-binary or other gender workers (25%) compared to men (13%) and women (12%). These experiences are also most common among entry-level workers (28%) and experienced non-managers (14%), compared to other levels of seniority (5–8%), which aligns with a higher proportion of those workers who have a disability.

Eleven percent of art museum workers have experienced discrimination based on sexual orientation. Among LGBTQ workers, 26% have experienced this form of discrimination compared to 2% of heterosexual workers (see fig. 51). This form of discrimination is more common among non-binary or other gender workers (41%) followed by men, then women.

Figure 51. Sexual-Orientation–Based Discrimination, by Sexual Orientation and Gender

Of those who have experienced any discrimination at their current museum workplace, the proportion who selected “Discrimination and/or harassment based on sexual orientation.”

LGBTQ	26%
Heterosexual	2%
Non-binary or other gender	41%
Men	21%
Women	6%

Overall, experiences of religion-based discrimination are relatively low, just 5% of those with any experiences of discrimination.

Worker Responses to Discrimination

Sadly, most experiences of discrimination are going unreported, as the most common response is to do nothing.

Almost half of workers (47%) who experience discrimination do nothing in response (see fig. 52). The next most common response is talking to human resources or a manager. While not statistically significant, there’s an interesting generational shift at play in the actions workers take, with older generations much more likely to talk to an HR employee (36% Baby Boomers vs. 18% Gen Z), while younger generations are more likely to talk to a neutral employee or manager (27% Gen Z vs. 15% Baby Boomers).

Black workers have particularly high rates of action (30% have done nothing vs. 47% overall), which means they are more likely to speak up when they are being treated unfairly.

Figure 52. Worker Responses to Discrimination

Have you taken any of the following actions in response to discrimination and/or harassment in your current museum workplace? Select all that apply.


47%	Nothing

29%	Talked to HR

26%	Talked to a manager

11%	Filed HR complaint

5%	Anonymous report

5%	Anonymous reporting mechanism

3%	Ombudsman

1%	Union procedure

1%	Employee hotline

The belief that nothing will be done is the main reason workers do not take action in response to experiences of discrimination (see fig. 53).

The sample sizes in the remaining two sections of this report are notably lower than in the rest because they only cover those who reported experiences of discrimination or harassment. Therefore, none of the subgroup analysis in this section has statistically significant differences. However, some trends in the analysis align with other patterns in the report and are worth noting. The belief that nothing will be done is highest among director-level workers (76%) and lowest (though still high) among executive-level workers (67%). Entry- and executive-level workers, who are likely dealing with the general public and board members as part of their jobs, are most likely to share that they didn’t report because their harasser is not a staff member (26% and 22% vs. 15% overall).

Black and Latinx workers are notably less worried about retaliation from their harassers (33% and 31% vs. 46% overall) as a reason not to report. Baby Boomers are more worried than average about retaliation from their harasser (52%), and Gen X workers are more worried about retaliation from leadership (54%).

Figure 53. Reasons for Inaction in Response to Discrimination

If you have experienced any discrimination or harassment and decided NOT to take action in response, what were your reasons? Select all that apply.


70%	I didn't think anything would be done

47%	Worries of retaliation from harasser

46%	Worries of retaliation from leadership

19%	Unware of what actions are available

15%	Harasser not a staff member

11%	There are no reporting mechanisms at my museum

Figure 54. Fears of Retaliation Preventing Reporting of Discrimination, by Group

If you have experienced any discrimination or harassment and decided NOT to take action in response, what were your reasons? “I worried about retaliation from the person who discriminated against/harassed me.”

The majority of workers who do report discrimination are not satisfied with how the museum resolved their complaint.

Overall, 46% of art museum workers have some level of satisfaction with how their complaint was addressed, with just 8% of workers very satisfied and 38% somewhat satisfied (see fig. 55). That leaves more than half of workers who are not at all satisfied (54%) after reporting discrimination. (See note in the section above about the small sample sizes in this final part of the report; subgroup comparisons do not meet the threshold of statistical significance applied throughout the rest of the report.) Part-time workers tend to be less satisfied with outcomes than full-time workers (30% somewhat or very satisfied for part-time vs. 48% for full-time workers).

Notably, Black workers tend to be more satisfied with the resolution of their complaints (60% somewhat or very satisfied), while Asian workers have much lower rates of satisfaction (32% somewhat or very satisfied) after reporting.

A few institutional metrics seem to influence satisfaction levels as well, with 68% somewhat or very satisfied with outcomes in culturally specific museums, 64% in noncollecting museums, and just 44% in collecting institutions.

Figure 55. Satisfaction with Institution Response to Discrimination

How satisfied are you with how HR and/or the museum resolved your complaint(s) overall?

Findings, Section 4: Discrimination and Harassment

Frequency of Discrimination

Impacts of Discrimination

Types of Discrimination

Worker Responses to Discrimination