Seniority Confidence Gap When It Comes To Speaking Up
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New research into workplace bullying and harassment has uncovered a widening confidence gap between junior employees and senior leaders when it comes to speaking up at work.
Featured in The HR Director, our research of more than 1,000 UK employees reveals that many workers, particularly junior staff, still do not feel psychologically safe enough to raise concerns about harmful behaviour in the workplace. Here is a taster of what the article explores:
“A third of junior team members said they didn’t feel psychologically safe enough to raise a concern.”
The findings also revealed a significant knowledge gap around workplace reporting processes, with many employees unsure how to formally raise an issue if something goes wrong.
“Almost all (95%) of senior management said they know how to formally raise an issue or complaint at work, this number fell to 81% for juniors.”
As organisations prepare for the rollout of the Employment Rights Act later this year, these findings raise important questions for HR and People leaders. From October 2026, employers will be expected to demonstrate they have taken “all reasonable steps” to protect employees from sexual harassment, placing greater scrutiny on workplace culture, reporting pathways, and organisational response.
The article also explores how trust is shaped not simply by encouraging employees to speak up, but by what happens after a report is made. Employees are far more likely to raise concerns when they believe meaningful action will follow.
Read the full article in The HR Director for additional commentary from Gemma McCall (Culture Shift CEO) and deeper insight into what these findings mean for workplace culture in 2026.
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