The Importance of Anonymous Reporting in the Workplace

Enhancing Workplace Safety Integrating: Compliant Solutions for Anonymous Harassment Reporting.

Workplace harassment can result in organizations losing valuable talent—damaging their employer reputation and risking the violation of anti-harassment laws. Employees need a safe way to report, track, and resolve issues around workplace harassment, while employers need to remain compliant through the process.

Since 70 percent of employees who experience or witness harassment in the workplace never report it, it’s up to leaders to find a viable solution that addresses employees’ workplace harassment concerns. Understanding the critical role of HR compliance solutions in facilitating this process is essential for every business owner.

So what can organizations do to protect their employees and mitigate compliance risk?

Enter anonymous reporting.

What is Anonymous Reporting?

Anonymous reporting is an HR tool that allows employees to submit an incident report confidentially and share real-time feedback on issues regarding workplace harassment. For many employees, coming forward about a harassment concern means having to email HR, call a hotline, or talk directly to their supervisor. With anonymous reporting however, employees have access to a safe space to express their concerns without self-identification or fear of retaliation.

The Need for Anonymous Reporting

To effectively manage workplace harassment reporting, it’s crucial for leaders to implement systems that allow confidential employee feedback. Anonymous reporting can empower employees to come forward earlier with issues they may have not previously reported for months, proactively helping the organization identify issues before they become bigger problems. In fact, 74 percent of employees say that they’d be more inclined to give feedback if it was truly anonymous.

Ultimately, anonymous reporting helps establish a culture of communication, trust, and psychological safety, since employees know they are protected and supported throughout the reporting process.

How Can Namely Help?

To help companies further support their workforces, Namely recently expanded its compliance offering, Compliance Plus, with an optional add on for anonymous reporting platform. This portal allows employees to submit reports anonymously 24/7.

Namely's solution, a key tool in employee incident management, ensures compliance with workplace regulations while offering a robust system for employee grievance handling.

The platform enables employees to select their confidentiality level, specify whether they are reporting on behalf of themselves or another individual, and share details of the parties involved in the incident, as well as any related materials. 

After requests are submitted, employers can follow up with the individuals through a two-way communication that keeps their identity hidden. From an anonymous framework, The platform manages and tracks the report from beginning to end, securing proper documentation for anti-harassment governance and consistent compliance with workplace regulations. 

The integrated solution streamlines incident reporting, compliance training, policy management, compliance requirements, and communication with live advisors. This prevents costly litigation and helps organizations avoid reputational harm.

In summary, our integrated solution not only streamlines HR policy management and workplace incident tracking but also reinforces your commitment to employee protection systems.

To learn more about Namely's anonymous reporting platform and the rest of Compliance Plus, click here.