### **Survey and Report: Witnessing Workplace Harassment and Discrimination**

Overcoming the ‘social contagion’ of toxic work culture. Original research on the witness experience, barriers to reporting, and how to help witnesses speak up when things go wrong. A report by the Spot research team, published Summer 2019

###### ‍Executive Summary

This study examines the experience of witnessing workplace harassment and discrimination, the barriers to reporting such behavior to human resources, and how organizations can improve reporting procedures.

The research involved a collaboration between Spot (talktospot.com), researchers from three UK universities, and various NGOs and nonprofits that provide support for individuals with protected characteristics.

#### Brief Context

Although there has been much awareness generated about the underreporting of workplace harassment and discrimination over the past decade, research has almost exclusively focused on victims. Similarly, public awareness has grown tremendously about harassment and discrimination, thanks in part to campaigns such as MeToo and TimesUp. However, the role of witnesses has remained largely unstudied and absent from public debate.

Research on witnesses is important for two main reasons. First, it’s not just targets of harassment and discrimination who can suffer negative consequences; witnesses, too, can be affected negatively by seeing or knowing about such behavior in their workplaces. This can create a toxic culture for everyone who works in the organization. Second, witnesses have the potential to be helpful allies, and to alleviate some of the burden of reporting from people who experience harassment and discrimination.

This study was conducted because understanding the witness experience can help organizations create more effective processes to tackle harassment and discrimination at work, improve communication between employees and human resources, and build healthier workplaces.

#### Research Method

Dr. Julia Shaw, Dr. Camilla Elphick, and Dr. Rashid Minhas conducted this research as part of their work with Spot (talktospot.com). Ethical approval for conducting the study was granted by the Open University.

Participants were recruited for an interactive online survey through the research tool Positly, and through partnering with NGOs and nonprofits who provide support for individuals with protected characteristics:

1. iHollaback(https://www.ihollaback.org)
2. Pregnant then Screwed (http://pregnantthenscrewed.com)
3. AllTogetherNow (https://alltogethernow.org.au)
4. Diversity Watch (http://diversitywatch.uk)
5. Women in the City (http://www.citywomen.co.uk)

The survey was conducted four times between February 2019 and May 2019, each time with new participants. This included a version where all the questions were flipped and survey selections were randomized. This process makes the findings more reliable.

The final combined dataset from all four versions of the survey included 1096 participants, predominantly from the US, but also some from the UK and Australia, of which 889 participants completed the entire survey.

The specific aims of the present research were i) to assess how many witnesses report the workplace harassment and discrimination they witness to their organization’s leadership or HR, ii) to identify the barriers to reporting, and iii) to ask witnesses directly what they think organizations could do to improve the process.

## Finding 1: Witnessing harassment and discrimination at work is a pressing issue.

> 79% of participants witnessed an incident of harassment or discrimination within the past five years.
> 
> This includes 42% who reported witnessing an incident within the past year.

The MeToo movement and related campaigns have raised awareness, but these results show that better mechanisms to effectively tackle the continued reality of workplace harassment and discrimination are still needed.

## Finding 2: Most tell others when they witness workplace harassment, but they don’t tell HR.

Most people who witnessed workplace harassment or discrimination told someone else about it, particularly family, friends, and colleagues.

> Most witnesses (67%) told someone outside of work about the incident, particularly family and friends.
> 
> About half of witnesses (46%) told other people at work about the incident.
> 
> Despite feeling that the incident was worth telling others about, most witnesses didn’t tell someone who could take action to deal with or prevent this kind of behavior.
> 
> Most witnesses (77%) say that they never reported the incident to someone in HR.

This is likely to have a social contagion effect—people who are unhappy about the incident tell others, who then also become unhappy upon hearing about the harassment and discrimination that is happening at their company. It infects the company culture and has the potential to continue spreading unless something is done to rectify the situation.

## Finding 3: Witnesses who tell others about the incident don’t seek permission from the person who was the target of the harassment or discrimination.

Of witnesses who told others at work or told HR, 78% did not seek permission from the person who was being harassed or discriminated against.

When witnesses tell others at work, but don’t seek permission from the person who has been harassed or discriminated against, it creates three potential problems:

> Anonymity is jeopardized. This is particularly harmful to investigations.
>
> Trust may be further broken down. This can create major tensions in everyday work.
>
> Workplace culture can be damaged. This can lead to a culture of gossiping, secrecy, isolation, and helplessness among employees.

In order to be effective allies and protect the integrity of the reporting process, it is advised that witnesses always try to get permission before reporting the incident or sharing it with others.

## Finding 4: Witnesses are worried about the consequences of reporting, and some mirror reasons given by those who are directly harassed or discriminated against.

The top five reasons given by witnesses for not reporting to HR were:

> being worried about the consequences (34%)
>
> not wanting to interfere (29%)
>
> not knowing that witnesses could report (22%)
>
> not wanting to be a snitch (18%)
>
> not knowing how to report (16%)

Many participants chose more than one option, showing that there are often multiple reasons for witnesses not speaking up. Mirroring barriers to reporting faced by direct targets of harassment and discrimination, 14% of witnesses were worried that their statements would not be believed. This is in addition to citing the same main reason targets cite for not reporting: fear of consequences and retaliation.

Those who witnessed the situation firsthand were significantly more likely to be worried about the consequences of reporting, with 50% of those who were there citing it as a barrier, while only 21% of those who heard about the incident cited it as a barrier. Level of involvement in the situation, and perceptions of responsibility and blame, may therefore be related to how likely a witness is to report the event.

## Finding 5: Witnesses want better reporting options that allow for anonymity, and are online and automated.

When asked about the reasons for not reporting to HR, many witnesses cited issues with the process itself.

> 16% of witnesses said they didn’t know how to report
>
> 9% said that the reporting process is too complicated
>
> 5% said that they don’t have time to report

A good reporting system should allow for easy and efficient reporting. This would break down one of the barriers to reporting. Additionally, the single best way that witnesses say employers could improve witness reporting is by providing a system that allows witness anonymity. Witnesses also said that employers would be more likely to hear from them if they (i) had choices about where to report, (ii) actively encouraged witness reporting, (iii) had an automated witness reporting system, and (iv) made it easier to find out how to report.

In line with this, over 80% of witnesses said that allowing online reporting through an automated system was “important.” The importance of this was also supported by results showing that witnesses who already had an online reporting tool available were significantly more likely (1.5x) to report the incident to HR.

## Conclusion

This research provides evidence that employees continue to witness harassment and discrimination at work, and that they face many barriers to reporting it to their employer. Witnesses also have direct recommendations as to how the reporting process can be improved.

Major recommendations based on these results include:

> Harness the knowledge of witnesses for understanding harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
>
> Communicate internally that witnesses can report harassment and discrimination to HR, and educate them on the process for doing so.
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> Educate employees on how to be a good ally and on the problems, such as compromising anonymity, associated with not asking for permission before telling colleagues about an incident.
>
> Provide an efficient, anonymous, online reporting option for reporting inappropriate workplace behavior.