Nearly a third (31%) of workers believe that workplace misconduct is or would be ignored by their employer, in a damning verdict on company culture and employee safety. The figures are contained in the Trust Gap, a new research report commissioned by Vault Platform, the leader in the workplace misconduct reporting and resolution arena. Based on 2,000 responses from professionals, the most comprehensive independent report in the market reveals how workplace misconduct is impacting employees and the measures that employers need to be taking in response.
Bridging the Trust Gap
Trust between employer and employee is crucial for any functioning organization, but the discovery that a third of workers think misconduct would be ignored by businesses is clear evidence that trust is strained at best.
These figures suggest a widespread and deeply-rooted lack of confidence amongst rank-and-file workers in the people running their organizations – and, in turn, they suggest organizational dysfunction on an endemic level.
Employees who don’t even trust their employers to act on something as important as workplace misconduct are, in turn, unlikely to be invested in their organizations, working to the best of their abilities, or engaging in a truly passionate way with their work.
Far more important, however, is that the figures suggest a huge number of employees simply don’t feel safe in the workplace. This is an indictment of organizational culture, and also a talismanic issue for those pushing for better, more modern workplaces.
Every organization must put its people first, if only because it is the right thing to do. But it is now, finally, becoming clear that safe workplaces, happy people, and transparent organizations are also the best bet for business. Investing in safety is both a moral imperative and the cornerstone of sustainable business.
The hidden costs of misconduct
The Trust Gap report comes at the crest of a wave of employee activism and social justice movements. Increasingly large swathes of the workforce are no longer willing to tolerate poor working conditions, and they are more and more invested in speaking up.
At the same time, the post-pandemic ‘great resignation’ is shifting the balance of power in employees’ favor. As a widespread labor shortage begins to really bite, employers are finally being forced to take real steps to make their businesses safe, attractive propositions for talent.
In this way, the costs of this collapse in trust go far beyond fines or PR damage. Employee churn, higher recruitment and training costs, lower productivity, and less-engaged workers can wreak catastrophic damage on businesses, and can quickly become firmly entrenched.
Protect your business now
Vault Platform is the misconduct reporting and resolution platform designed for the modern workplace. Replacing outdated hotlines with mobile-first, digital native reporting and case management tools, Vault Platform is the heart of any Ethics and Compliance or HR activities.
