New research by the UK’s whistleblowing charity Protect shows that Gen-Z (those aged 18–24-year-olds) are less likely to blow the whistle to their employer compared to older generations.
Across every area of potential wrongdoing – from health and safety to fraud and bullying – Gen Z were less likely to raise a concern with their employer compared to every other generation.
A YouGov survey commissioned by Protect to mark World Whistleblowers’ Day (June 23rd) asked people what they would be likely to raise if they witnessed an incident in the workplace.
- Someone’s health or safety being put in danger came out as the biggest issue (77%), with 86% of those age 55 and over saying they would raise a concern, compared with only 56% of Gen Zs.
- The youngest workers (18–24-year-olds) put addressing sexual harassment as their top issue with two thirds of Gen Zs (67%) saying they would raise it if they witnessed it at work. This compares with three quarters (76%) of Millennials (25-34 year olds).
- This trend was replicated across all areas of concern type with younger people (18–24-year-olds) saying they were less likely to raise issues when compared to their older colleagues.
Gen Z put sexual and racial harassment as their top issues, confirming general assumptions that younger workers are less willing to tolerate such behaviour in a workplace.
When asked whether people would ever post on social media about workplace issues only a small minority of Gen X and Boomers said they would consider this, compared to Gen Z and younger Millennials. 18-24 year olds were five times more likely to post on social media about some serious work issues than those aged 55 and over (5% compared to less than 1%). Similarly, there was a stark difference between the generations when it came to blowing the whistle via the media where 13% of 18–24-year-olds said they were willing to approach journalists, compared to 1% for those aged 55+.
Sybille Raphael, Legal Director at Protect, said: “Despite the perceptions that Gen Z are more vocal than other generations about bad behaviour in the workplace, our research shows that they are less likely to blow the whistle to their employer than their older colleagues. They are less clear about what to raise and how to raise to their employer and more willing to use social media or traditional media.
“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. 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.”
To find out more about Protect, click here.
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