Research commissioned by whistleblowing charity Protect has found a generational divide in attitude towards calling out workplace wrongdoing between today’s youngest staff and their older counterparts.
The YouGov study found that staff aged 18-24 were less likely than all other colleague age groups to notify their employer of issues they witness at work.
Asked what they would do if they saw someone’s health and safety being endangered at work, only 56% of 18-24-year-old respondents to the survey said they would notify bosses.
The figure compares with 70% for 25-34 year-olds; 77% for 35-44 year-olds; and 86% for those aged 55 and above.
Those in the youngest age group were the least likely to report any of the 10 categories of wrongdoing covered by the survey.
The other nine categories asked about in the survey were: someone stealing or defrauding money from your employer, customer or service user; if I believe someone is covering up wrongdoing; the company breaking the law (for example does not have the right insurance); actions that risk or actually damage the environment; breach of company policy; discriminatory behaviour; sexual harassment; racial harassment; and bullying.
The findings – which are based on responses from 2,121 UK adults provided this month – show sexual harassment is the type of incident younger employees would be most likely to blow the whistle over.
Sixty-seven percent of 18-24-year-old respondents said they would alert bosses to such behaviour. Even then, the proportion of employees prepared to act is lower for this age group than all others, for which it ranges between 76% and 78%.
Elsewhere, the survey found that although 18-24-year-old respondents were least likely to call out any wrongdoing they witness, they were the most likely to take to social media or contact the press with concerns.
Five percent of respondents in this same age group said they would post on social media if they witnessed wrongdoing or malpractice in the workplace that affected others. Less than 1% of those aged 55 and over said they would do the same.
Similarly, 13% of the youngest staff surveyed said they would be willing to approach journalists to blow the whistle over workplace issues. Just 1% of workers in the 55+ category said they would take the same approach.
The 18-24-year-olds were also most likely to say they would leave and find a new job: 8% said they would take this action, compared to between 3% and 6% in the other age categories.
Protect legal director Sybille Raphael said the survey, which was commissioned to mark World Whistleblowers’ Day, showed that despite their reputation for being vocal, younger members are less clear about what issues to raise with their bosses, and how to do it, than other age groups.
“We’re starting to see a shift in what different generations value in work, and what they consider important for their employers and for themselves personally,” she said.
“Our research sees younger people more likely to call out issues relating to sexual harassment than fraud or corporate cover-ups.
“The newest recruits in a workplace, the freshest pairs of eyes, are usually more likely to spot issues than those who have become accustomed to embedded behaviours. It is therefore especially important that employers communicate clearly on whistleblowing when on-boarding new staff and regularly review their whistleblowing arrangements to build trust and confidence.”
Raphael said the YouGov research formed the basis for a new briefing for employers examining the differences in attitudes and experiences to whistleblowing across the generations.