One in four men believe it’s acceptable to tell lewd jokes at work, new study suggests 

More than a quarter of men think it is acceptable to tell sexual jokes in the workplace, a study revealed.

A survey of 20,000 people in 27 countries was carried out to mark International Women’s Day which is celebrated on March 8.

It found that 28 per cent of men thought stories of a sexual nature were acceptable at work, compared with 16 per cent of women.

The research, by Ipsos MORI and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, found that British men are more accepting of such behaviour than their counterparts in countries such as Australia, Canada and the US.

But the study also found more British men (58 per cent) than women (48 per cent) would be comfortable calling out a senior colleague for making a sexist comment.

Kelly Beaver, managing director of Ipsos MORI public affairs, said: ‘Our research shows that we still have a way to go when it comes to levelling the playing field, especially in the workplace.’ 

Ms Beaver added: ‘International Women’s Day is a great reminder each year to think about where we are headed, and how far we have come, in the fight for gender equality. 

‘Our data shows that people feel women’s careers are significantly more at risk then men’s if they turn down a romantic advance, if they talk about their family life or don’t take part in social activities with colleagues.’