Nearly half of UK workers have experienced or witnessed inappropriate workplace behaviour

Nearly half (48%) of UK workers have experienced or witnessed inappropriate behaviour at work, according to new national research. Commissioned by workplace training provider iHasco, the survey of 1,000 UK employees found a significant disconnect between workers’ ability to recognise inappropriate behaviour and their confidence in reporting it.

The Workplace Respect Gap report revealed that while 95% of workers feel confident they could identify sexual harassment, two-thirds (66%) lack full confidence that employees who report inappropriate behaviour are adequately protected. The findings come ahead of further changes to UK employment law. From 30th October 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 will extend employers’ responsibilities by requiring them to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.

Almost one in five workers (18%) had experienced or witnessed inappropriate behaviour but chose not to report it. Among those who stayed silent, avoiding conflict was the most common reason, cited by 25%. Uncertainty surrounding reporting procedures may also prevent employees from speaking up, with two in five workers (40%) not fully understanding their employer’s process.

The reporting gap was particularly evident in healthcare, where 24% had experienced or witnessed inappropriate behaviour but did not report it, the highest proportion among the industries analysed.

Commenting on these findings, Nathan Pitman at iHasco says: “Employers should look at their reporting process from an employee’s point of view. If somebody experiences or witnesses inappropriate behaviour, they shouldn’t have to search through lengthy documents to try and work out what they should do next.

“A good policy should make the next steps simple. Employees should be able to quickly understand how to raise their concerns and where to find the information they need. The easier that process is to understand and access, the less uncertainty there is at a point when someone may already feel uncomfortable about speaking up.”

More than one-third (35%) of workers have frequently or occasionally seen inappropriate behaviour dismissed, excused or downplayed, another factor that could discourage employees from reporting it. The research also uncovered a significant training gap, with 57% having received no sexual harassment awareness training within the last two years.