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One out of five survey respondents in the Institute of Business Ethics’ latest report said they were aware of sexual harassment in the workplace.
The Institute of Business Ethics’ latest report, “Ethics at Work: 2024 International Survey of Employees,” released this month, includes the responses of 12,000-plus employees from 16 countries who were surveyed on their perceptions around their organization’s ethical values.
There’s good news and there’s bad news. First, the good: According to the study, overall employee awareness of their organization’s ethics program has grown when compared with data from 2021. For example, employee awareness of access to advice or a helpline — a key part of “creating a supportive environment for ethics,” the report said — has increased from 46 percent to 53 percent. In addition, the study’s results indicated an increased awareness of written standards of business conduct, confidential mechanisms for speaking up, and ethical standards training.
And the bad: Even though some employees may have a better awareness of their organization’s efforts to create a supportive environment, that doesn’t mean they have trust in its competence in addressing and resolving misconduct. The study found that of employees who did not speak up, more than one-third (34 percent) said it was because they “feared that no corrective action would be taken” while the same percentage said they believe that doing so “might jeopardize their job.” Interestingly, in both cases, those percentages have not changed when compared with data from 2021.
And disappointingly, one out of five respondents said they were aware of sexual harassment in the workplace while 13 percent said they were aware of bribery or corruption.
What This Means for Events
The findings of the report have relevance for the business events industry. In previous conversations Convene had with Paula Brantner, founder of PB Work Solutions, a consultancy that specializes in advising organizations on harassment prevention in the workplace, Brantner emphasized the importance of working far in advance to create policies and standards to mitigate the potential for misconduct, especially sexual harassment, at meetings and events.
Paula Brantner
That starts with setting and communicating a code of conduct, something many event professionals already employ. But here’s where the report’s findings come into play for events: the perceived lack of a safe environment to come forward with concerns or complaints.
Brantner said organizers also should have a well-thought-out strategy on how to make attendees feel secure and protected if they want to report an incident. That step is where things typically fall apart due to fear of retribution, Brantner said, “so there’s a real disincentive to uncover what’s happening.”
Brantner works with her clients to come up a customized plan that works for their organization’s specific needs. One of the successful strategies she’s employed is setting up allyship programs to increase awareness and a supportive, safe atmosphere. (See “Making Allyship Part of the Program,” link below for more.) She emphasizes that communicating conduct policies from the very start, specifically at registration, and making those policies highly visible and accessible throughout the entire event journey is key — as is offering and communicating about an anonymous reporting system that can be easily accessed via the event app or online. Advertising these resources frequently — online and in-person — can act as gentle reminders.
“You just try to think of all the different ways that people might learn about the information,” Brantner said during a recent Convene podcast. One suggestion: putting up signage next to the registration desk that reinforces that all attendees are subject to the code of conduct along with a QR code that links to the code and a reporting form. “We sometimes have those signs at events with alcohol,” she said. “We try to strategically figure out where people might need to see them.”
For more on best practices as well as what responsibilities event professionals bear when it comes to misconduct at off-site or non-sanctioned events, check out the June 7 podcast interview with Brantner, ‘Dealing with some of these incidents quickly can change the trajectory of someone’s life.’