Are Employee Reporting Systems Effective? You Make The Call

July 10, 2026

A recent harassment survey found that 22 percent of employees who witness workplace harassment never report it, and 38 percent of those who do report are dissatisfied with the employer's response.

Gen Z employees report the highest exposure, with 46 percent saying they have witnessed harassment and 33 percent experiencing it directly. Risks are elevated in customer-facing settings such as hotels, restaurants, bars, retail, and manufacturing, where employees report higher rates of witnessing harassment and greater dissatisfaction with how complaints are managed compared with the management of complaints in office environments.

Employees cite fear of retaliation and doubts that the organization will act effectively as reasons for staying silent. Four percent say they do not feel comfortable reporting harassment through any channel.

Although 59 percent of employees feel comfortable reporting to HR and 53 percent to managers, fewer are comfortable using legal, compliance, executive, online, or anonymous channels, leaving gaps in reporting coverage.

Most employees receive basic code of conduct and harassment training, but far fewer receive bystander intervention or microaggression training. Older workers are more likely to report receiving no training in the past year.

These patterns result in unpredictable, erratic reporting and outcomes, particularly for frontline workers with limited access to HR and less standardized processes.

Source: https://www.hrmorning.com/news/traliant-reporting-workplace-harassment-data/

So, the question for our readers is: Are Employee Reporting Systems Effective?

Here is an opinion from one of the McCalmon editorial staff:

Jack McCalmon, Esq.

For reporting systems to work, they must deliver on two promises: reliability and safety. Reliability means the employer consistently, and in good faith, acts on every report, and safety means employees can come forward without facing retaliation for disclosing wrongdoing and concerns.

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