Research from Spot
November 4, 2024
According to a study with over 1,000 participants, people who witnessed harassment or discrimination at work told many others about it—but not HR.
Public awareness about the underreporting of workplace harassment and discrimination has grown significantly, thanks in part to international campaigns like #MeToo. It’s clear that the problem spans multiple industries beyond just tech and entertainment, with sectors such as finance, healthcare, and hospitality increasingly recognizing the pervasive issue. Despite this attention, most incidents still go unreported. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) highlighted that nearly 90% of individuals who experience harassment never file a formal complaint.
Most research in this area has understandably focused on victims—those directly affected by inappropriate behavior. However, there has been less attention given to the impact on witnesses.
In analyzing Spot reports contributed for research, we discovered that around 60% of incidents involved a witness. This figure surprised us. To better understand this dynamic, Spot’s research team conducted a study with over 1,000 participants, examining the role witnesses play in reporting workplace harassment and discrimination to employers. The research was conducted in collaboration with academics from UK universities and NGOs that support individuals with protected characteristics.
The primary goals of the research were to:
Assess how many witnesses report incidents of harassment and discrimination to HR or management
Identify the barriers preventing witnesses from reporting
Understand what organizations can do to improve the witness reporting process
Why study witness reporting?
Research on witnesses is crucial for two main reasons:
It’s not just those directly targeted by harassment or discrimination who suffer. Witnesses can also experience negative effects, contributing to a toxic work culture where morale and engagement decline.
Witnesses have the potential to be powerful allies, helping to alleviate the burden of reporting from those directly affected.
Everyone’s talking about It—just not to HR
Our research confirmed that harassment and discrimination at work remain pressing issues. The majority of participants had witnessed such behavior:
79% of participants had observed harassment or discrimination in the past five years
42% had seen it within the past year
What’s concerning is that while witnesses often discuss these incidents, they usually don’t report them to HR or management—where action could be taken to address or prevent the behavior. Instead, they confide in family, friends, or colleagues.
67% of witnesses told someone outside of work, primarily family or friends
46% talked to coworkers about what they saw
77% never reported the incident to HR
This silence within the workplace often leads to a “social contagion” effect, where negative behaviors and attitudes spread, poisoning company culture over time.
It’s not just victims who worry about retaliation
Fear of retaliation is one of the main reasons victims of harassment don’t come forward. But witnesses are also concerned about the risks of speaking up. The top reasons cited for not reporting were:
Fear of consequences (34%)
Not wanting to interfere (29%)
Unawareness that witnesses could report (22%)
Reluctance to be seen as a “snitch” (18%)
Lack of knowledge on how to report (16%)
Participants often selected more than one reason, highlighting the complexity of why witnesses remain silent.
The Search for Solutions
So, what can organizations do to help witnesses feel more comfortable reporting? When asked why they didn’t report to HR, many witnesses pointed to issues with the reporting process itself:
16% didn’t know how to report
9% found the process too complicated
5% said they didn’t have time
Witnesses suggested they would be more likely to report if:
They had different options for where to report
Their employer actively encouraged reporting
An automated and anonymous reporting system was available
The reporting process was clearly communicated
The most commonly requested improvement was an incident reporting system that ensures anonymity for witnesses.
To better engage witnesses and prevent the spread of toxic workplace culture, organizations should:
Leverage the insights witnesses can provide to identify patterns of harassment and discrimination
Educate employees on the importance of witness reporting and clarify how they can report issues
Train employees on being effective allies while respecting victim confidentiality
Implement an anonymous, user-friendly reporting system to make it easy for witnesses to speak up
Witnesses represent an untapped resource in addressing workplace harassment and discrimination. By offering a secure reporting process, encouraging witness involvement, and respecting anonymity, employers can make significant strides toward a safer and more inclusive workplace.
