We need to talk about the fear of recrimination in workplaces.

By Jim Moore, Managing Partner at Hamilton Nash.

The current Harrods news shows how easily a powerful boss, supported by an organisation that closes ranks, can make it impossible for people to speak up. This is just the latest in a string of similar cases where large organisations have struggled to deal with concerns raised against senior figures.

In my experience, it's a fairly common phenomenon. As an external workplace investigator, I've found that a fear of recrimination and a lack of trust in the HR processes are widely held, especially in cases involving senior exec harassment & misconduct. Sometimes, it's only access to an external investigator that encourages the individual to start talking.

I've even encountered concerns in HR departments where the HR folks themselves have been wary about speaking up. If they can't speak up, how can we expect other employees to do so?

Anonymous reporting only gets you so far, as it's exceptionally rare for an anonymous report to contain enough information for an actionable investigation. You then have to try and persuade the individual that they have a safe space in which they can come forward and provide more details (which isn't always easy). There are apps like SaferSpace that can help with this.

Ultimately, the organisation itself has to be *seen* to take action when concerns circulate. It's not enough to publish an anti-recrimination policy with assurances of confidentiality, etc.

Employee trust & confidence in a workplace culture is based on *observed action*, not just performative virtue signalling.

Jim is a UK Human Resources & Employee Relations expert and Workplace Investigator & Mediator. 

Follow Jim on X (formerly Twitter) @HamiltonNashHR