91% of UK employees are concerned about retaliation against whistleblowers at work

London, 4th September 2023: Despite half (51%) of employers feeling extremely confident in their handling of workplace misconduct, only 27% of employees share that same confidence. In fact, 91% of UK employees are concerned about retaliation against whistleblowers, highlighting the need for employers to offer safe and effective whistleblowing policies.

That's according to the latest research from Personio, Europe's leading HR software company for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which surveyed 150 employers and 350 employees from UK companies.

With a review of UK whistleblowing laws currently underway and legislation coming into force this year across European countries, it’s important for organisations to prepare to implement safe and anonymous whistleblowing channels. In the UK, three quarters (75%) of employers surveyed say they have a whistleblowing policy in place. However, just over 1 in 4 (27%) of employees admit to having no idea on whether their organisation has an existing whistleblowing policy.

Today, 45% of employees surveyed in the UK have to report misconduct in-person to their HR manager while 34% report misconduct anonymously via electronic means. However, in the future only 34% of employees surveyed would like to continue to report misconduct in person, while 45% of employees surveyed would like to report whistleblowing anonymously via electronic means.

Personio recently launched Personio Whistleblowing, part of their all-in-one HR software solution, which allows employees (and external parties) to easily, securely and anonymously report wrongdoing.

Personio Whistleblowing ensures confidentiality and reliable two-way communication without revealing the identity of the whistleblower. This gives whistleblowers full control over what they report. At the same time, the case manager has a central point of contact that allows cases to be handled quickly and effectively and can help companies remain legally compliant. 

Maria Angelidou-Smith, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Personio, said:  “We all know that employees are a company's most valuable asset. By offering a channel for safe and anonymous whistle blowing, employees will feel empowered to speak up against wrongdoing.  As awareness and urgency for official whistleblowing guidelines move at pace in the UK, organisations now have an opportunity to get ahead. Providing effective whistleblowing policies as part of the overall employee experience will help to foster and build a more transparent, safe and positive company culture.”

About the research:

This survey was conducted on behalf of Personio by Appinio between June 22 and June 27, 2023. Respondents included 150 companies with up to 2,000 employees and 350 employees from UK companies.

Press enquiries:

Personio SE & Co. KG  Matthew Tubbs Communications Lead E-Mail: press@personio.de

UK & Ireland - Firstlight Group  Ellie Rust / Alex McKie Tel: + 44 (0)7860650103 / +44 (0)7943457798 E-Mail: personioteam@firstlightgroup.io

About Personio:

Personio is the People Operating System for small and medium-sized companies with 10 to 2,000 employees. Based in Munich, London, Madrid, Dublin, Berlin, Barcelona and Amsterdam, Personio’s mission is to make HR processes as efficient and effective as possible so HR can focus on what matters most: people. Personio does that by offering an all-in-one HR software that includes human resources management, recruiting, talent management and payroll. With People Workflow Automation, Personio helps more than 10,000 customers across Europe to remove delays and realize opportunities.

For further information, visit www.personio.com