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Author
Research by Protect, the UK’s whistleblowing charity, shows that Gen-Z (18–24-year-olds) were less likely to blow the whistle to their employer across every category of potential wrongdoing – from health and safety to sexual harassment and bullying – compared to all other generations.
However, when it came to posting on social media, 15% of Gen Z said they would post on social media about some (but not all) serious work issues they believed would be of public interest, whereas only 3% of those aged 55 and over would post to social media.
When asked which, if any, action they would take if they were to witness wrongdoing or malpractice in the workplace that affected others:
- 5% of 18 – 24-year-olds would post about it on social media, compared to 0% of those aged 55 and over.
- 13% of 18 – 24-year-olds would go to the press/media, compared to 1% of those aged 55 and over.
In terms of the subject matter of workplace concerns, health and safety concerns were the biggest issue (77%), with 86% of workers aged 55 and over saying they would raise such issues, compared to 56% of 18 – 24-year-olds. Gen Z put addressing sexual harassment as their top issue, with 67% saying they would raise it if witnessed at work.
The research forms the basis for a new briefing for employers, examining the differences in attitudes and experiences to whistleblowing across the generations. The findings show a divergence in different age groups in terms of the issues they consider most important and the way in which they would report problems.
Employers should consider reviewing their whistleblowing policies to ensure they are robust, include details of how to report a concern and also appropriately address external disclosures. See our previous article for further information. Employers should also be sure to run training sessions and generally work to raise awareness of their whistleblowing procedure to encourage internal reporting and foster a culture of openness and accountability.
To discuss any of the issues raised in this article, please contact Lynsey Blyth.