By Scott Sampson, Head of UK and Ireland, Personio
A new workplace law has just come into force – the Worker Protection Act. In short, the Act requires employers to actively protect their staff from workplace harassment. Our own research found that one in ten (10%) employees have witnessed or experienced sexual harassment at work, but nearly half of them (49%) did not report it.
This speaks to a serious problem with behaviour and employee security in addressing these issues. It also raises the question of when employers will be required to step in and what constitutes behaviour requiring such steps, which carry significant consequences for all involved.
The Worker Protection Act will be welcomed with open arms by employees, and is no doubt a great step towards positive change; all employees should be safe, secure and protected.
But to truly tackle the issue, the Worker Protection Act must be seen as more than just a legal requirement. It should represent an opportunity for businesses to rethink the cultural foundations of their workplace, prioritising trust, openness and acceptance and creating an environment where employees feel safe and supported – with or without legislative mandates.
Employee silence driven by a lack of trust
Employee silence over workplace misconduct is a worrying trend, which is largely driven by a lack of confidence and trust in whistleblowing procedures. In fact, our data found that 43% of employees would feel worried about retaliation or retribution if they were to report an issue, and only 56% of employees feel confident that sensitive workplace misconduct situations would be treated properly and fairly by their organisation.
It’s clear that employees do not feel able to report behaviour, worrying that if they do, there will be ramifications professionally or personally. Unacceptable behaviours are going unchecked as a result.
So, what can we do to tackle this once and for all?
Creating a culture of trust and transparency
Creating a culture whereby employees trust one another, and their leadership, is absolutely fundamental to tackling workplace misconduct. It’s all well and good having procedures and policies in place – but if the trust is not there, they won’t be utilised to their full potential.
Concerningly, at present, trust is desperately lacking. In fact, our research found that only half (52%) of employees feel that they trust their senior leadership.
Regaining, or gaining, trust may feel like a mountain to climb, and it can be hard for leaders to know where to start. But one key tip is to think about transparency as more than just sharing information. It’s about proving to your employees that you are listening to, and acting on, concerns. This could include opening and maintaining lines of communication, creating support groups, or sharing helpful and informative materials with staff.
Through employers building relationships and demonstrating a willingness to support, staff will begin to gain confidence in leadership and the business more generally, encouraging them to come forward when needed and feel confident in their decision to do so.
In short, while greater protections should be welcomed, they alone won’t resolve the underlying issues of behaviour and, crucially, a lack of confidence in raising concerns.
Communication is key
Another critical piece of the puzzle is the need to create a culture of openness and acceptance. Of course, it’s vital that employees feel that they can report misconduct anonymously and having protected lines of communication is paramount to employee safety and wellbeing.
However, leaders must also work hard to create a supportive culture, built on effective communication, which encourages discussion and openness between colleagues and with leadership. One way to do this is to create regular opportunities for employees to voice concerns openly. For example, recurring employee surveys or town halls will, over time, contribute to a company culture where people feel able to speak up without fear of judgement or retribution.
This cultural shift won’t happen overnight. It requires ongoing commitment, with employers demonstrating that they act on feedback, visibly address concerns, and continually refine their whistleblowing policies to ensure they remain effective and trusted.
The Worker Protection Act is an extremely important and welcomed step for employees and employers alike. And whilst the legislation adds to the already full plates of small businesses, implementing it will be a major step in creating a great place to work.
But to go beyond legislative requirements and to truly transform organisations, improving trust in leadership and creating a culture of acceptance at work should be at the heart of business decision making – at every single step.
Personio Whistleblowing is available now. If you are interested in learning more, visit the website.
