Written by David Warren, WorkInConfidence
Leaders often tell their staff: “Please speak up. You will be heard. You will not be punished.”
But employees don’t only hear these messages from their bosses. They also absorb signals from the world around them — news headlines, scandals, and the experience of colleagues. And those messages are often far darker.
And because of this, even when leaders genuinely want to listen, staff may still hesitate to raise concerns, suggest ideas, or flag problems.
What Leaders Say | What People See and Hear |
|---|---|
| “You can raise anything.” | Post Office Horizon scandal: hundreds wrongly convicted, careers destroyed, at least 13 suicides linked. |
| “There will be no detriment.” | NHS Staff Survey 2024: almost 38% of staff said they did not feel safe to speak up, and 50% were not confident their organisation would act on concerns. |
| “We will act on concerns.” | Equality watchdog: Around half of UK employees who experienced harassment never reported it — convinced nothing would change. |
| “We value respect.” | CIPD Good Work Index: 25% of UK workers experienced workplace conflict in the past year, strongly linked with exhaustion and intent to quit. |
What leaders promise inside work often clashes with what employees actually see and hear from the outside:
This gap explains why even well-intentioned leaders struggle to break through the noise of cautionary tales.
The Bombardment of Negative Stories
Every week, news and workplace experiences reinforce the idea that speaking up is risky:
- Whistleblowers losing careers.
- Victims ignored until a scandal erupts.
- Investigations that drag on for years, leaving lives in limbo.
Employees reasonably ask: “Why would it be different here?”
The result: silence. Across sectors, many employees still hesitate to raise concerns. This silence hides risks, erodes trust, and costs organisations dearly.
The Positive Reality: Good Speak-Up Works
Silence is not inevitable. When organisations have robust, trusted speak-up systems, the pattern reverses:
- Staff engagement scores typically rise when people feel safe to identify themselves.
- Anonymous reporting routes encourage those who might otherwise stay silent.
- Independent case management ensures concerns are logged, acted on, and tracked — creating confidence that action will follow.
- Transparent, visible “you said / we did” records show that staff voices matter.
When employees experience safety and action, the negative stories from outside lose their influence.
Narrowing the Gap
The challenge is stark: employees are bombarded with cautionary tales of speaking up. The opportunity is equally stark: demonstrate visibly, consistently, that your organisation is different.
This requires combining strong leadership messages with credible, independent systems:
- Anonymous reporting channels.
- Case tracking and transparent reporting.
- Zero tolerance of detriment.
When done right, speak-up becomes more than a compliance requirement: it’s a competitive advantage. Organisations that listen early move faster, avoid crises, and build stronger cultures.
How WorkInConfidence Helps
WorkInConfidence supports organisations in creating environments where employees feel safe to raise concerns:
- Secure, anonymous speak-up channels.
- Case management that ensures issues are tracked and resolved.
- Engagement and survey tools to measure confidence and culture.
While the world outside may bombard staff with negative stories, you can give them one clear, positive experience inside: their voice is heard, safe, and makes a difference.
When employees can see that what their employers say is what they also see, they become more engaged. They will become confident that if they see things happening that do not fit with the true culture of the organisation, they can speak up without fear, and that their concerns will be heard.
If you want to discuss any of the above topics or see a demo of the WorkInConfidence platform, please contact us:
Email: help@workinconfidence.com I Tel: 0845 3831014
A safe and secure two-way anonymous channel for your people to raise concerns via phone, tablet, or PC, ensuring you are aware of any workplace issues and can respond quickly and accordingly
Easily set up, run and interpret surveys on engagement, respect, wellness or other topics to ensure you always understand your people, their needs and motivations.
A secure phone line with a dedicated Speak Up Guardian for your employees to raise concerns with. We also provide training in Freedom to Speak Up, Speaking up and safeguarding processes.