Software Advice surveyed nearly 400 employees to find out what methods for filing a formal complaint against their boss would make them most comfortable.

1. Software Advice IndustryView:
Manager Misconduct Complaint Report
Trends and best practices from the industry

2. Abstract
Having clear lines of communication is important in a business, but that can
become tricky when an employee needs to report a superior for misconduct. We
interviewed nearly 400 full-time employees to learn a couple of things:
• Are employees uncomfortable with reporting their boss?
• What methods are businesses using for employees to file such a formal
complaint?
• What methods for filing a formal complaint against their boss would make
employees most comfortable?

3. Comfort Level With Filing Complaint Against Boss
17% Not at all comfortable
14% Minimally comfortable
37% Moderately comfortable
32% Very comfortable
Only 32 percent of respondents said they would feel “very comfortable” with filing
a complaint against their boss.

4. Comfort Level With Filing Complaint Against Boss, by Age
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very
comfortable
Not at all
comfortable
Minimally
comfortable
Moderately
comfortable
Those were were 65 or older were most likely to say they were “not at all” or
“minimally comfortable” with filing a formal complaint against their boss.

5. EEOC Charges, by Type (2007-2013)
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Race Retaliation Sex Age
Disability National origin Religion Color
Employees are uncomfortable with reporting their boss due to the possibility of
retaliation, the most often filed charge to the EEOC in 2013.

6. Most-Used Channels for Filing Complaint Against Boss
Don't know/don't have one
In person, HR
In person, boss' manager
Email, HR
Email, boss' manager
Employee relations software
Other
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Percent of sample
Thirty-five percent of respondents said that they didn’t know what the proper
channel was to file a formal complaint, or that they didn’t have one.

7. Preferred Channels for Filing Complaint Against Boss
In person, boss' manager
In person, HR
Email, HR
Employee relations software
Email, boss' manager
Other
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Percent of sample
In person meetings with HR or the boss’ manager (32 percent each) were the most
preferred channels for filing a formal complaint against a superior.

8. Importance of Comfort with Filing Complaints to Job Satisfaction
45% Very important
30% Moderately important
14% Minimally important
11% Not at all important
Seventy-five percent of respondents said that being comfortable with filing a
formal complaint was “very” or “moderately” important to their job satisfaction.

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