Discrimination and harassment cases hit an all-time high in companies in 2024, according to the latest Employee Relations Benchmark Study from HR Acuity.
Its ninth annual benchmarking study showed that discrimination, harassment and retaliation (where an employee makes a protected disclosure and the employer acts against them) issues accounted for almost 15 per 1,000 employees in 2024, yet almost a third (32%) of companies do not require a structured investigation process to manage such disputes.
HR Acuity polled 284 organisations globally, covering 8.7 million employees, discovering that a high proportion had “data blind spots” that were undermining their decisions on employee relations matters.
It found that 68% of organisations did not track the number of issues per case, while almost half lacked data to substantiate workplace issues, meaning they had less visibility into workplace culture and trust levels.
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Seven in 10 organisations said they did not have access to such data by issue type, which meant they were less able to manage issues proactively and allocate resources effectively.
On average, HR teams were dealing with 1.4 distinct issues in each employee relations case.
Almost eight in 10 track how issues are reported – whether anonymously or by name – but only a third track the volume of each report.
A third of companies surveyed said they were exploring the use of AI to enhance employee relations processes, but 44% were not yet using it for this purpose. Those with structured investigation processes were twice as likely to use AI, HR Acuity found.
The company argues that gathering more data and intelligence on workplace situations, particularly higher risk ones, can save employers money and time in litigation down the line.
“Navigating today’s complex workplace dynamics with rising misconduct claims, mounting regulatory pressures and legal risks demands more than intuition. Data and insights are no longer optional,” said Deb Muller, founder and CEO.
“In this new era of employee relations, organisations must embrace AI-driven analytics and structured processes to protect their people, safeguard their reputations and empower their teams to thrive with confidence.”
The company found that issues reporting a significant increase included workplace accommodations or adjustments; performance issues; mental health issues and unprofessional conduct.
Sexual harassment allegations accounted for the biggest proportion of issues alongside workplace violence, at 54%, although both remained at about the same level as 2023.
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