Anonymous reporting in the workplace

The real issue with anonymous reporting lines

My personal experiences of anonymous reporting

Please note: don’t read if you are anxious or sensitive and may be triggered.

In the early 80’s, aged 21, I studied for a year in a girl’s university in the GCC region. I was a non-Muslim, non-Arab and not from the region. I stood out like a sore thumb as at that time there were no other non-Muslims in the university, I was the first of a kind! The disadvantage of being someone who is different from those around you (whatever country in the world/religion/background etc you are) is that you inadvertently expose yourself to those who are hostile to change or difference. Religion is what mostly set me apart during my year and on two occasions during that year someone anonymously reported me to the police for anti-Islamic activities/behaviour. I never got to see either complaint, I never got to challenge my accuser and I was left defending myself from the back foot.  

It was hugely intimidating being dragged into a meeting with someone you have never met, conducted in a language that is not your 1st language and overseen by someone who has control over your future and the outcome of this situation.  

The penalties in that country at that time (this was over 40 years ago) for Anti Muslim activities were severe. I don’t know what evidence was provided second time around, but I do know that first time around I was reported for brewing alcohol, i.e. buying cartons of apple juice and storing it in my room rather than the fridge in an attempt to brew alcohol. I lived in a women’s student hostel with no access to the outside world, so after sending out for apple juice, I then left it in my room as if I had left it in the shared fridge, it would have drunk by persons unknown. I preferred warm apple juice to no apple juice. Luckily on both occasions I was interviewed by someone who was clearly savvy both about how alcohol is actually brewed and who took into account my being locked into a hostel 24/7 other than when I was at the (single sex) university actually meant I could get up to no mischief even had I wanted to! To this day I have no idea as to how close I came to either incarceration, deportation or physical punishment such as flogging.  

What I do recall to this day was the sense of injustice, the humiliation, the weakness and sheer terror you feel when you are faced with something and someone who has chosen to accuse you anonymously.  

When thinking about our current anonymous reporting initiatives, some of my HR colleagues might say ‘ah but we have to follow the procedure’. That’s an easy cop out and I would argue we have as much a duty of care to the person accused as to the person raising the complaint. Just reassuring someone that we are following a procedure and it’s not personal will not reassure someone who gets stressed, loses sleep and who may even become depressed or suicidal. The day HR loses its empathy and understanding of human emotions is a sad day – each and every day we need to juggle, balance and compromise in order to do what is right and proper for the employees we are responsible for and it is never acceptable to just hide behind a policy or process.  

Then around 10 years ago, in a 360 review of my leadership, I had an anonymous employee complain about several things. But whoever it was, refused my invitation to come to me and let me know face to face what they wanted me to change or even give me an opportunity to properly understand their thinking and conclusions. I ultimately took the view that the complaint was simply malicious, someone having a pop because I had allowed them to give me anonymous feedback. A far less severe and serious situation than in the GCC but I can attest to the fact that it is just as intimidating and stressful when someone is pointing the finger at you behind your back, giving you no real right of response or ability to understand. These things damage us. I guess a few readers will have experienced this too.  

So when we push forward with these anonymous reporting mechanisms we need to do so with our eyes open about how some in our workplaces will take the opportunity to cause trouble, without having to justify themselves. That is an unhappy fact that can’t be ignored.  

The solution 

However, we are where we are, and anonymous reporting is being encouraged. So what we in the HR profession can do is find a way to make it work and make it fair for all.  

My suggestions are as follows: 

• Set up a triage systems for complaints and issues raised. Allocate severity ratings based on potential legal/risk threat to both individuals (accuser and accused) and the organisation – this will in part determine next steps.
• Ensure that all meeting invites, discussions, follow ups pay consideration to how complaints make people feel – we can’t ask managers to be emotionally intelligent if our own EQ is missing in action.
• Don’t let anonymity be the default option, but the option of last recourse – to achieve this consider some form of education/training for all staff so they understand this and appreciate why anonymity is an option but only to be used sparingly. Consider not allowing complaints about day to day matters ie not related to potential discrimination, fraud, or illegality of some kind, to be reported anonymously. Some organisations don’t allow complaints about performance management processes or annual reviews to be raised anonymously too.  
• Put in place workplace champions who can support with this and many other employee relations issues – signposting to the right place to raise the issue or make the complaint and giving reassurance about the professional and respectful handling of their complaints.
• Create a policy that sets out how you will support those going through disciplinary or other formal investigations. Show them that you have EQ and that you understand the potential impact on them and what support there is for that. This is no laughing matter, and I have personally experienced clients who have had employees under investigation commit suicide. It might not be much talked about, but it does happen and whilst we can’t in HR be responsible for everything, we can take some limited steps to show we are human and that we understand the impact on people.  
• Train and/or select the right people to handle anonymous complaints – a formulaic, brutal procedural approach is not sufficient albeit it may be time efficient. An ability to show humanity and empathy is key. Using an inexperienced member of the team because it’s convenient and mostly viewed as an admin job will probably not be appropriate.  

Nothing in HR is easy 

Across the four decades of my HR career our jobs and responsibilities have become increasingly complex requiring from us ever more knowledge and skills. Which of the following might be the area of focus for your own development across the next year or so? 

• Adaptability/flexibility 
• Losing the tendency to judge
• Managing conflict  
• Complex problem solving 
• Emotional intelligence and empathy 

Please do comment below if you would like to add suggestions as to how we can successfully and fairly manage this move towards anonymous reporting.  

How Jaluch can help

• Speak to us about anonymous reporting tools or triage support.
• Training in emotional intelligence (EQ)
• Managing conflict
• Training of workplace champions
• Sexual harassment eLearning and audit

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Disclaimer: The information contained within this article is for general guidance only and represents our understanding of employment and associated law and employee relations issues as at the date of publication. Jaluch Limited, or any of its directors or employees, cannot be held responsible for any action or inaction taken in reliance upon the contents. Specific advice should be sought on all individual matters.