Why more than half of workers experiencing workplace misconduct ‘stay silent’
The majority of employees who experience bullying, harassment or sexual harassment choose not to report it, with young people more likely to believe there is no point in speaking up, new research suggests.
Culture Shift’s Annual Report 2026/27 found that among the 57% of those who remain silent, more than a third said it wasn’t worth the personal risk.
More concerningly, the research shows a significant divide between how senior leaders perceive workplace culture and how employees experience it in practice.
With the Worker Protection Act 2023 and the Employment Rights Act 2025 coming into force, employers have a greater responsibility to prevent and address workplace bullying and harassment.
But Culture Shift’s research identified a clear ‘speak-up divide’ across organisational hierarchies. Junior employees were twice as likely as senior leaders to believe that speaking up is pointless because nothing meaningful will be done, with 54% holding this view compared to 27% of senior leaders.
Notably, the results suggest HR leaders are unaware of the realities in the workplace, with 91% of surveyed HR leaders believing employees felt ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ safe when reporting workplace misconduct.
The survey of 1,060 employees and 300 HR leaders should be making employers pause, particularly given CIPD found in 2024 that a quarter of employees had experienced conflict or abuse in the workplace during the previous 12 months.
Culture starts at the top
Low reporting rates have an impact because they can create a false sense of reassurance. Employers may interpret a low number of complaints as proof of a positive workplace culture, when the reality may be that employees lack confidence in the reporting process.
As Culture Shift notes, organisations can only address the misconduct they know about. Where concerns go unreported, employers risk making decisions about the workplace based on incomplete information.
Culture is shaped by leadership, and employees need confidence that concerns will be taken seriously. The report highlights the important role leadership plays in building confidence in workplace reporting systems.
Encouragingly, about four in five HR professionals said their organisation understands the importance of investing in workplace culture and that senior leaders are open to discussions about misconduct. However, only 32% reported having a dedicated budget for misconduct reporting and culture initiatives, while just 39% said misconduct and speak-up data is regularly shared with the board.
The findings suggest that, for many organisations, leadership commitment is not yet matched by investment or accountability.
Beyond bullying policies and procedures
If employees do not believe their concerns will be taken seriously, then reporting mechanisms, policies and training programmes can only go so far.
The report argues that organisations need to use the information to proactively prevent workplace misconduct, rather than just reacting to complaints. By treating the complaints as a source of insight into the organisation, employers can intervene earlier, address root causes and prevent issues escalating into formal grievances, legal claims or wider cultural failings.
Creating a culture where employees feel genuinely safe to speak up requires more than compliance. It requires trust, transparency and visible action when concerns are raised.
Until employees at every level feel that speaking up is both safe and worthwhile, workplace misconduct will continue to thrive, leaving organisations unable to properly identify and address it.
Bullying and harassment at work should never be tolerated. If you have experienced bullying, harassment or other workplace misconduct, we encourage you to reach out to Bolt Burdon Kemp for a free and confidential conversation with one of our experts.
