Survey finds US staff fear speaking up on misconduct
TalentLMS has published survey findings that point to a gap between how protected employees say they feel at work and how they describe organisational responses to misconduct, with reported concerns about fear of speaking up and uneven accountability.
The survey covered 1,000 employees in the US. It found 71% of respondents said they felt protected at work. Other responses described common experiences of workplace misconduct and reluctance to report incidents.
According to the survey, 36% of employees said they had witnessed incivility or disrespect at work, while 33% said they had experienced it. The research found 29% had witnessed professional or social exclusion and 24% said they had experienced it. It also found 25% had witnessed retaliation for speaking up and 21% said they had experienced retaliation.
Retention risk
The report linked perceptions of protection with employee retention risk. It found 77% of respondents said they would consider leaving their job if they did not feel protected at work.
The survey also pointed to what respondents described as uneven consequences for misconduct. It found 62% of employees agreed that misconduct is more likely to be overlooked when the person involved is a top performer or a leader.
It also found 45% of respondents said they had seen people promoted even after mistreating others. Another 47% said managers discourage employees from escalating harassment or discrimination complaints. The survey found 42% of respondents worry that speaking up will label them as "difficult."
Silence and reporting
The report described under-reporting of misconduct. It found 25% of employees said they did not report incidents they witnessed or experienced.
Among those who did not report, 56% cited believing reporting would not make a difference. A further 36% cited fear of retaliation as the reason they stayed silent.
The findings highlight how reporting channels and managerial practices shape whether employees raise concerns. They also indicate that organisational culture influences whether staff expect action after a complaint.
Training perceptions
The survey results also covered workplace training. It found 60% of employees said compliance training has improved behaviour in their workplace.
At the same time, respondents reported gaps in relevance and coverage. The report found 45% said compliance training is disconnected from real situations employees face at work.
Another 36% said better compliance training, focused on realistic scenarios and practical skills, would reduce misconduct at work.
The survey also found uneven access to training. One in five employees said they received no compliance training in the past year. Only 33% said they received DEI training.
The survey reported a link between changes in DEI initiatives and perceptions of safety. It found 31% of respondents said they feel less protected as their company has pulled back from DEI initiatives.
Epignosis owns TalentLMS. Theoni Velkou is Compliance Manager & Data Protection Officer at Epignosis.
"Training influences how employees respond to situations they face at work," said Theoni Velkou, Compliance Manager & Data Protection Officer, Epignosis. "When compliance training reflects real workplace scenarios, it helps people recognize misconduct, understand what steps they can take, and feel more comfortable speaking up. That kind of practical training builds stronger trust across the organization."
TalentLMS sells an employee training platform. The company said it supports US organisations with a US HR Compliance Bundle. It offers the bundle in partnership with EasyLlama.
The survey results indicate that many employees expect consistent consequences for misconduct and practical reporting processes. They also suggest that employers face retention pressure when staff doubt that the workplace will protect them after they raise concerns.
TalentLMS said it will continue to focus on compliance training and related content for organisations that run internal HR and conduct programmes.