Traliant, an innovator in online compliance training solutions, today announced its second annual State of Workplace Harassment Report. The 2026 study, compiled from a survey of over 2,000 full-time employees in the US, assesses how harassment is experienced, perceived, and addressed in today’s organizations. Notably, one in three employees (33%) surveyed said they would only report harassment if they could do so anonymously.
The modern workplace has changed dramatically over the past decade, shaped by hybrid and remote work, increased mobility, and a new generation of workers. Yet despite these forward changes, harassment has remained an ever-present reality in the workplace, driving turnover, eroding trust and productivity, and exposing organizations to reputational and legal consequences.
In addition to reporting vulnerabilities, the 2026 report uncovered several areas where employers need to address critical gaps in workplace harassment prevention and training, including:
- 38% of employees have witnessed workplace harassment in the past five years, and 21% have experienced it firsthand, with Gen Z reporting higher exposure (46% witnessed; 33% experienced).
- This number is even higher for customer-facing industries; 50% of hotel, restaurant, and bar employees witnessed harassment, and 29% experienced it firsthand which is significantly higher than employees in office work (32% witnessed; 17% experienced)
- 22% of witnesses did not report harassment, and 38% of those who did were dissatisfied with their employer’s response.
- 71% of employees who feel unprotected cite fear of retaliation as the primary reason they do not feel safe.
- 14% of employees report receiving no workplace training in the past year.
“When reports of misconduct go unaddressed, organizations risk reinforcing cycles of fear and perpetuating cultures that tolerate harassment,” said Elissa Rossi, Vice President of Compliance Services at Traliant. “The survey findings make it clear that harassment remains a persistent challenge that employers need to address so employees can feel protected with the right knowledge and channels for responding to and reporting harassment.”
For complete survey findings and details, read the full report here.
Methodology
The independent market research firm Researchscape surveyed over 2,000 US-based employed adults (18 years and older) with 100 to 1,000+ employees. Conducted in December 2025, the survey encompassed the hospitality, healthcare, retail, and industrial/manufacturing industries, as well as office settings.
