A new study has revealed that almost all UK employees (94%) would report workplace misconduct, while only 6% never would.
Safecall’s survey found that more than two-thirds (67%) of workers believe they also know how to report wrongdoing.
In addition, the study conducted by an independent whistleblowing hotline found that 53% of employees believe they will remain anonymous if reporting malpractice. More than 2,000 respondents to the survey believed that they would be punished at work if the whistle was blown.
Research shows that, while most employees are willing to report any wrongdoings, they may not be doing so to the correct person.
The majority (52%) of respondents would contact their manager first, increasing the burden they have to bear and risking that the problem is handled by a person who does not possess the necessary training. Safecall warned that this could lead to incorrect processes being followed and incidents not managed appropriately.
A good whistleblowing procedure, according to two-thirds of respondents (65%), improves the culture in a company. Meanwhile, 56% think that using an independent service is more reliable than using an internal process for reporting malpractice.
Just 12% of respondents said they would call an independent hotline to report incidents.
Joanna Lewis commented, “It’s encouraging to see the vast majority believe they will report malpractice at the workplace – but it can be a huge gap between their predictions and reality when faced with a bad scenario.” The lack of trust and fear of repercussions in the workplace means that some incidents continue to be ignored.
“Anonymity and a consequence-free atmosphere foster a safe environment. This is a key way to reduce malpractice and relieve managers of the burden. It is important to have some training, as line managers are usually the first point of contact. The focus of the business can’t stop with the report; the investigation has to be thorough and fair.”
The Protection for Whistleblowers Bill, currently being debated in Parliament, will be in effect in the UK in October 2024. This highlights the importance of whistleblowing to combat sexual harassment in the workplace.
Lewis said: “Companies that want to build a culture of trust and inclusion should use formalised whistleblowing solutions. They should also take steps to promote these systems and procedures internally, so employees feel confident to report misconduct while remaining anonymous.
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