Building trust – How Britain feels about making workplace complaints
Whether you’re an employee or the one that does the hiring, it’s important that you feel supported at work. Unfortunately, research by specialist lawyers Bolt Burdon Kemp has found that only half of Britain say their employer takes bullying, harassment and discrimination complaints seriously. They also found many other factors that could mean British workers are unable to seek justice when they need it most. Read on for further findings from their survey of 2,000 British adults.
In general, the British public are empowered to seek justice.
Starting on a positive note, the firm found that most people do know what to do if something traumatic happened to them. They were asked about situations involving workplace discrimination, sexual harassment and abuse, medical negligence, and issues with the police. When asked what they’d do if they needed help, support or to make a complaint, 31% and 41% respectively said they’d feel comfortable approaching the police or a law firm. Further findings from the survey include:
• 62% would know what to do if a doctor was inappropriate with them.
• 43% would know what to do if a doctor misdiagnosed them.
• 59% said it’s too expensive to access legal support.
• 52% said there are too many barriers to getting legal support.
Women are less confident and comfortable making a complaint than men.
Unfortunately, there’s a gender imbalance at play, with women being less likely than men to say they’d know what to do if something traumatic happened to them. In fact, more women than men say they’d hesitate to talk to the police or a lawyer if something happened to them. For 19% of women (and 14% of men), this is in case they weren’t believed. For 15% of women (and 11% of men), this is in case they get blamed for what happened.
• 56% of men said they know where to go to make a sexual harassment complaint. This drops to 52% for women.
• More women (55%) than men (48%) believe there are too many barriers to getting legal support.
The youngest generation are the least prepared for dealing with difficult situations .
Equally, there are generational differences that suggest more education needs to happen earlier in life to educate the younger generation on their legal and workplace rights. While younger people have more trust in the police than older generations (with 35% of 16-24-year-olds saying they’re comfortable going to the police compared to 31% of those aged 35+), the younger generation are also less likely to know what to do in most of the situations addressed in the survey.
• 45% of those aged 16-24 say they know where to go to make a sexual harassment complaint (compared to 55% of those aged 35+).
• 34% of 16-24-year-olds say they’d go to the police for help, in comparison to 30% of those aged 35+.
• The youngest generation (16-24-years) are also more likely to be put off going to the police or a lawyer about sexual abuse, with 23% hesitating in case they’re not believed.
• Compared to other age groups, a larger proportion of those aged 25-34 (15%) said they wouldn’t report sexual abuse in case it negatively affects their relationships or career.
All this also suggests it’s important that practical and actionable information is provided at all ages, so everyone is prepared and informed on how to seek justice if they are wronged.
People on lower incomes are less likely to feel empowered in traumatic situations
The survey also found that, compared to respondents in other income ranges, those who earn £15,000 or less per year are the least likely to say they’d know what to do if something happened to them.
• Only 50% of those earning £15,000 or less (compared to 59% earning £55,000 and over) would feel comfortable making a complaint about discrimination at work.
• 43% of those earning £15,000 or less (versus 57% earning £55,000 and over) said their workplace takes bullying, harassment or discrimination complaints seriously.
Where to get help if you’ve faced a traumatic situation at work.
It's important that workplaces provide information and support to help workers through traumatic events. If your workplace does not do so – and you’ve faced discrimination, harassment or other trauma – the following information might be helpful for you.
If your employer is responsible for sexual harassment, bullying or discrimination, you could contact your workplace union, or organisations such as the National Bullying Helpline or the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. And, if you’re faced with a traumatic event or you suffer something unjust, you can usually contact a lawyer for initial help without being charged for their time. Organisations such as Citizens Advice can also help provide free legal advice.
Employee wellbeing and support is crucial to ensure a healthy, happy workplace. Hopefully, by providing resources and avenues for seeking justice – as well as ensuring a safe working environment in the first place – we can ensure more people are empowered at work.