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Lancashire Times
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1:05 AM 20th January 2025
business

Experts Call For Overhaul Of Harassment And Whistleblowing Policies In UK Workplaces

Image by u_w24h9b9v3p from Pixabay
Image by u_w24h9b9v3p from Pixabay
Recent reports of workplace harassment and misconduct in the fast-food sector have underscored a pervasive issue that affects employees across industries.

These revelations highlight a stark reality: too many workplaces fail to adequately protect their staff or create environments where employees feel safe to raise concerns.

According to Protect, who commission regular YouGov research into attitudes toward whistleblowing, 83% of UK workers said they would be willing to raise concerns if they witnessed wrongdoing at work. However, only 64% of workers who witnessed malpractice actually raised the issue, showing a slight increase from previous years.

Skillcast, a leader in workplace compliance training, urges companies to reassess their approach to whistleblowing and sexual harassment policies, ensuring they have the right systems in place to support employees, foster accountability, and prevent misconduct.

To create a culture where employees feel confident in raising concerns, businesses must establish secure, anonymous, and easily accessible reporting channels. This will help employees feel safe when reporting misconduct and ensure that concerns are taken seriously and addressed with impartiality.
Vivek Dodd, Director of Skillcast


Vivek also considers the following steps crucial for businesses:

Zero-tolerance Approach

“Protecting whistleblowers is just one part of the equation. Businesses must demonstrate clear, visible leadership in tackling workplace harassment. A zero-tolerance approach requires more than just policies; it demands that senior management visibly support and enforce those policies. This is crucial to ensure transparent investigations and to take immediate action when necessary. Without these steps, companies risk failing to instil the trust needed for employees to speak out in the first place.”

Harassment Prevention

“Prevention is another key element. Compliance training programmes emphasise the importance of raising awareness among employees and managers about what constitutes harassment, the legalities of whistleblowing, and how to address unconscious bias. Only by embedding a culture of respect and inclusion can businesses start to combat the issues that lead to harassment in the first place.”

Review Systematic Factors

“Beyond the immediate steps to tackle misconduct, companies must consider broader systemic factors. Issues such as insecure working conditions and power imbalances can contribute to harassment, particularly for vulnerable workers. Businesses should reassess their practices to ensure fairness, inclusion, and protection for all employees, regardless of their role or seniority.

“Creating a safe and respectful workplace is not just about complying with the law, it’s essential for long-term success,” concludes Vivek. “Companies that foster environments where employees feel safe to raise concerns and are protected from harassment will see greater engagement, productivity, and trust from their teams.”

Skillcast encourages UK businesses to take action now by strengthening their whistleblowing procedures, investing in anti-harassment training, and ensuring they have clear systems in place for reporting and addressing concerns.