How many of your employees would feel confident stepping in if they witnessed unfair treatment, bullying, or harassment? According to new research, the answer for many organisations is: not many.
A recent survey by whistleblowing service provider Safecall found that over a third (41%) of UK employees had witnessed unfair treatment at work, yet only 23% of those had reported it. Similarly, 35% had observed bullying, but less than a quarter (24%) had taken action to flag it.
These numbers paint a clear picture: while inappropriate behaviour is all too often observed and noticed, it’s rarely challenged.
Why people hesitate to act
The reasons are complex, but they’re rarely about apathy. More often, employees hesitate because they’re unsure what to do, fear potential backlash, or doubt that speaking up will lead to meaningful change. In those moments, uncertainty wins out over intention.
This hesitation has real consequences. It allows poor behaviour to go unchecked, undermines trust, and erodes any particular culture an organisation is trying to build. Over time, it can also discourage those affected from coming forward at all, creating a cycle of silence that benefits no one.
Creating the conditions for action
Inclusive and respectful working environments are built through shared effort – and while the ultimate responsibility for creating and maintaining that culture sits with organisational leaders, training can play a critical role in empowering people to contribute. As with any area requiring increased awareness, staff to feel more assured and everyone to work from the same set of principles – the Learning & Development team is powerfully poised to help.
Just as managers can be trained to handle performance conversations or teams can be helped to collaborate more effectively, employees can be equipped with the awareness, tools and confidence to step up when they see something that they know isn’t right.
That’s where Active Bystander training comes in.
Building confidence through learning
An Active Bystander is someone who recognises when behaviour crosses the line and chooses to take action in response. That could mean intervening in the moment, checking in with a colleague afterwards, or reporting the incident through proper channels.
These skills can surface naturally in some people and there may be Active Bystanders in your organisation already, who have emerged organically, but the right learning approach can create them and guarantee their presence throughout your workforce.
Importantly, engaging training in this area doesn’t just explain what “good” looks like – it demonstrates that the organisation wants employees to act, and that they’ll be supported when they do.
This is the thinking behind our “Being an Active Bystander & Ally” workshop. Designed and delivered successfully across a range of sectors, the session helps staff build awareness, confidence and practical strategies for addressing inappropriate behaviour. It gives participants time to explore real-life scenarios, understand the impact of their choices, and practice safe and effective ways to take action.
Turning good intentions into action & culture
It’s likely that most of your staff will have good intentions when it comes to acting against misconduct and problematic behaviour – no-one wants to work in an environment where they are an everyday occurrence. This is why the development of Active Bystanders is useful from multiple perspectives – it actively prevents misconduct, shapes a culture where everyone feels valued and respected, and it reinforces the shared responsibility for maintaining standards of behaviour.
If your organisation wants to strengthen that culture and equip employees to “do the right thing,” our Being an Active Bystander & Ally workshop can help.
Get in touch today to receive a course outline and find out more about how our flexible, engaging and impactful learning can make a difference.