Our Take
Harassment prevention hasn't failed because companies lack policy—it has failed because employees don't trust the channels or believe consequences will follow.
Why it matters
Leaders are watching retention and legal exposure rise while thinking the problem is solved. The data shows silence is not safety; suppressed reporting is a silent organizational risk that erodes visibility into misconduct and allows harmful behavior to persist.
Do this week
HR heads: audit your reporting channels this week—add at least one anonymous option and publish a one-page guide on what happens after a report is filed so employees understand the next steps before they decide to stay silent.
Nine years later, the gap widened
Traliant's 2026 State of Harassment report reveals a striking paradox: companies claim harassment prevention is a top priority, yet many employees—particularly younger ones—do not feel protected. Among employees who do not feel safe, 71% cite fear of retaliation as their primary concern (per Traliant's data). One in three employees would only report harassment if they could remain anonymous.
Public momentum around the issue has stalled. Google Trends data shows interest in #MeToo peaked between 2017 and 2019 before declining sharply and remaining relatively stagnant. Meanwhile, workforce data tells a darker story: 455,000 women left the U.S. workforce at the beginning of 2025, while 100,000 men entered it. Women of color face a 7.5% unemployment rate—more than double the rate of white employees (reported figures from broader workforce tracking).
The report also shows that more than a third of employees who reported misconduct were dissatisfied with how their employer handled the situation. This is not a failure of initial reports; it is a failure of what comes after.
Silence is the real risk
Fewer reports do not signal a healthier culture. They signal fear, mistrust, or lack of confidence in reporting channels. Suppressed reporting creates a silent organizational risk that reduces visibility into workplace issues and allows harmful behaviors to persist unchecked.
The consequences are measurable: turnover rises, productivity declines, cultural cohesion weakens, and organizations become more vulnerable to legal and reputational exposure. When employees observe inconsistent investigations or uneven consequences, confidence in organizational values erodes quickly. Leaders who assume quiet workplaces are safe workplaces are building on false ground.
The problem is not that companies lack harassment policies. The problem is that employees do not trust the people or systems responsible for enforcing them.
Three structural fixes
Replace compliance theater with scenario-based content
Many organizations still rely on generic, checkbox-style training modules that fail to reflect modern workplaces. As Gen Z becomes a larger share of the workforce, expectations around learning have shifted. Employees increasingly respond to short-form, scenario-based content that reflects real workplace interactions. Video-driven and microlearning formats help transform training from a compliance exercise into practical skill-building.
Offer multiple confidential channels
There is no single reporting pathway that works for everyone. Organizations must offer multiple options: direct report to HR, manager escalation, online submission systems, and anonymous third-party hotlines. Each channel should have clear communication about what happens after a report is filed. This transparency is what builds confidence.
Make consequences visible
Employees closely observe how leaders respond to allegations. When investigations lack transparency or consequences appear uneven, trust collapses. Leaders must demonstrate commitment through consistent action and reasonable openness about how allegations were resolved (within legal bounds). Silence after a report looks like complicity.