Worker safety | More than half of whistleblowing reports come from HR

HR reports make up more than half of whistleblowing reports, according to new data from Safecall’s Benchmark report.

55% of all reports stem from human resources, heavily outweighing reports of dishonest behaviour, health and safety and general complaints. Though they make up the majority of submissions, HR reports have declined slightly in the past year, falling by 3%.

Of the HR cases submitted to Safecall, two thirds (66%) were for unfair treatment - a number which has declined by 10% since 2020. However, amongst the HR cases, reports of bullying and discrimination are on the rise. Since 2020, bullying has risen by 5% to make up 17% of HR reports, and discrimination cases have almost tripled, rising from 3% to 8%.

This means that, for reports relating to the UK’s protected characteristics (discrimination, harassment and racism), discrimination now accounts for more than half. In 2024, harassment accounted for 6% of HR reports, compared to racism at 2%. 2024 marks the first year that reports of discrimination have overtaken reports of harassment since 2021.