According to a 2023 study, almost 90% of women say they are being penalised and undermined because of their achievements at work.

The Tallest Poppy study – named after the syndrome that occurs when people are attacked, resented, criticised or belittled because of their achievements or successes – heard from thousands of working women to determine how their mental health, wellbeing and performance are affected by interactions with their clients, colleagues and leaders surrounding their success and accomplishments.

It not only found that men in leadership positions were more likely to penalise or undermine women due to their success, but that this manifested in a number of different ways. In fact, 77% of respondents said that they had had their achievements downplayed, 72.4% had been left out of meetings and discussions and 66.1% said others had taken credit for their work.

Almost 90% of women are penalised because of their achievements at work, according to research