Tags: Speak Up, Ethics Programme issues, Harassment & bullying
One in four employees (25%) report being aware of conduct that violated either the law or their organisation’s ethical standards in the last year, a significant increase from 18% in 2021. One in three said they were aware of abuse of authority (35%) and bullying and harassment (32%), and one in five were aware of sexual harassment (20%). Yet one in three employees who knew about misconduct did not report it.
The Institute of Business Ethics’ 2024 Ethics at Work Survey found that one in three employees cited fear of jeopardising their job (34%) or concerns that corrective action would not be taken by their organisation (34%) as a deterrent to speaking up after witnessing misconduct.
The survey of 12,000 employees across 16 countries found that of the two-thirds of employees who did raise concerns (64%), nearly half (46%) reported facing personal disadvantage or retaliation as a result of speaking out and 28% expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. Only three in five employees (61%) say that their organisation provides a confidential means of reporting.
Lauren Branston, CEO of the Institute of Business Ethics, commented:
“If we’re serious about preventing the harmful workplace behaviours that we see constantly hitting the headlines, like sexual harassment and bullying, a safe speak up culture is crucial. When employees are afraid of retaliation or believe their concerns won't be acted upon, serious issues can persist unchecked.
“A culture where employees feel safe to speak up leads to increased trust, improved employee engagement, and ultimately, better overall performance. You can’t fix something if you can’t see that it’s broken, so having a positive approach to speak up should be seen as a vital part of an organisation’s culture. Getting this right isn’t just about risk management - it has real, tangible benefits for businesses.”
The survey also showed a generational divide in willingness to report misconduct. Younger employees aged 18-34 (70%) are more likely to raise concerns compared to their older colleagues aged 35-54 (61%) and those aged 55 and older (54%).
Younger employees (52%) are also more likely to experience retaliation after raising their concerns about misconduct than their older colleagues aged 35-54 (43%), and 55 and over (33%).
Branston added:
“When workers don’t feel that issues will be addressed internally, they may look for other avenues to speak out. We’re increasingly seeing employees, particularly younger employees, turning to social media platforms like TikTok to voice their concerns.”
While about four in five employees say that people in their organisation know what is expected of them in terms of ethical behaviour, only about three in five say that issues of right and wrong are discussed in staff meetings. Only three in five said that decisions about people are made fairly in their organisation.
For further information or comment from Lauren Branston please get in touch with Speed Communications:
(E) ibe@speedcomms.com
(T) 0117 973 1173