According to the 2024 ‘Ethics at Work Survey’ survey, one in three employees said they were aware of abuse of authority (35 per cent) and bullying and harassment (32 per cent). One in five (20 per cent) were aware of sexual harassment.
Yet one in three employees who knew about misconduct did not report it.
The survey found that the key deterrents to speaking up after witnessing misconduct were fear of jeopardising their job (34 per cent) and concerns that their organisation would not take corrective action (34 per cent).
The survey of 12,000 employees across 16 countries found that of the two-thirds of employees who did raise concerns (64 per cent), nearly half (46 per cent) reported facing personal disadvantage or retaliation because of speaking out, and 28 per cent expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome.
Just three in five employees (61 per cent) said their organisation provided 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.”
Generational divide
The survey also showed a generational divide in willingness to report misconduct. Younger employees aged 18-34 (70 per cent) are more likely to raise concerns compared to their older colleagues aged 35-54 (61 per cent) and those aged 55 and older (54 per cent).
Younger employees (52 per cent) are also more likely to experience retaliation after raising concerns about misconduct than their older colleagues aged 35-54 (43 per cent), and 55 and over (33 per cent).
Lauren 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.”
According to the institute, approximately four in five employees said that people in their organisation know what is expected of them in terms regarding ethical behaviour. Yet, only about three in five said that issues of right and wrong are discussed in staff meetings.
Only three in five participants said that decisions about people are made fairly in their organisation.