Workplace misconduct is not a fringe issue. It is the experience of the majority. HR Acuity’s survey of 2,043 U.S. employees found that 55% experienced or witnessed misconduct in 2025, a 14 point jump from 41% in 2024. This near seven year high signals that the investments organizations made after #MeToo are being tested, and the results are alarming.
The types of misconduct vary. Favoritism and nepotism top the list at 37%. Bullying and intimidation follow at 36%. Policy and code of conduct violations account for 27%. Corruption, age discrimination, gender discrimination, and sexual harassment each appear at 22%. Retaliation sits at 21%.
Why This Happens
Misconduct does not emerge from nowhere. It grows in environments where accountability is inconsistent, power imbalances go unchecked, and past incidents fester without resolution. Employees notice when bad behavior carries no consequences. They learn what is tolerated. They adapt.
The HR Acuity data reveals that misconduct is most common where it is least reported. 67% of employees experienced or witnessed misconduct while in the office, yet in office employees report at the lowest rate of any work environment. Remote workers report at 86%, while in office workers report at 76%.
Hourly workers are the most underserved. Only 63% of hourly employees reported concerns about misconduct, and just 61% of those allegations were investigated. Among executives, those rates are 97% and 98% respectively. The gap between how misconduct is handled for executives and how it is handled for hourly workers is 36 percentage points.
Why This Will Continue Without Intervention
Fear of retaliation silences employees. 46% of employees cited fear of retaliation as a reason they did not report misconduct. Only 46% of employees whose reported allegations were investigated and resolved were monitored for retaliation following the investigation.
Awareness of reporting tools remains limited. Nearly all organizations offer anonymous reporting tools, yet only 56% of employees know the option exists. The data confirms that awareness changes behavior. Employees who know they can report anonymously are 1.8 times more likely to do so.
Misconduct cases are also becoming more complex. 38% of employees who experienced or witnessed misconduct encountered four or more distinct issue types, up 14 points from 2024. Increasing case complexity heightens both legal exposure and the operational burden on employee relations teams.
How Moody At Work Resolves This Issue
Moody At Work helps organizations see the misconduct that formal systems miss. Through continuous engagement tracking, companies identify patterns of behavior before they become embedded in culture. Anonymous feedback channels give employees voice without risking retaliation.
Recognition programs reinforce the behaviors that build healthy culture. Real time data enables leaders to measure what matters and act on what they learn.
The 55% who experienced or witnessed misconduct are not asking for perfection. They are asking for accountability. They are asking for systems that work. Moody At Work helps organizations build them.
Source: HR Acuity 2025 Workplace Harassment & Misconduct Statistics