The National Business Research Institute recently reported, a lack of communication can be a major point of dissatisfaction among employees in regard to their employers. But even if organizations keep clear, open lines of communication, workers may still be hesitant to speak up when a problem arises. A new study by Software advise provides some key findings on reporting manager misconduct. When a manager breaks the rules, employees are often afraid to speak up.
Key Findings:
- Sixty-eight percent (68%) of respondents expressed some level of discomfort with filing a formal complaint against their boss. A big reason for this lack of comfort—and what distinguishes this situation from filing a complaint against a co-worker—is the possibility of retaliation.
- The highest percentage of respondents (35 percent) either didn’t know what the proper channel was for filing a formal complaint against their boss, or didn’t have one. A primary reason why these employees could be unaware of the proper channel is because they’ve simply never thought about reporting wrongdoings. In fact, it’s estimated that 60 to 80 percent of all misconduct observed by employees is never reported.
- Employees would feel equally comfortable filing a formal complaint against their boss in a meeting with HR as in a meeting with the boss’ manager (32 percent each). Employees may also feel like their complaint isbeing taken more seriously if time is dedicated to an in-person meeting. This could be beneficial to the employer as well, as employees are more likely to follow a moderator’s suggested resolution if they are treated with respect and fairness.
Most Employees Not Entirely Comfortable Reporting Manager Misconduct
Comfort Level With Filing Complaint Against Boss, by Age
Many Employees Don’t Have or Aren’t Aware of Formal Complaint System
Most-Used Channels for Filing Complaint Against Boss
Meetings with HR, Boss’ Manager Are Most-Preferred Channels
Preferred Channels for Filing Complaint Against Boss
Comfort with Filing formal Complaint is Important to Job
Importance of Comfort With Filing Complaints to Job Satisfaction
Reference: Westfall, B. (December 1, 2014) Market Research Associate, Software Advice Employee Preferences for Reporting Manager Misconduct IndustryView | 2014. http://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/industryview/manager-misconduct-report-2014/; http://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/web-based-hr-software-comparison/
