If you manage risk, compliance, or workplace culture, global benchmarking data on anonymous reporting platforms has never been more relevant — or more revealing.
Fraud is on the rise — and employees are the ones catching it
The data comes from Mitratech’s 2026 State of Ethics Hotlines Report [PDF]. Reports related to theft, fraud, and misuse of assets increased 23% year over year, with accounting irregularities making up more than half of that category’s reports. That’s a significant jump — and it reinforces something the data has consistently shown for years: around 43% of occupational fraud is detected through employee tip-offs, outperforming internal and external audits combined.
The implication is clear. When organisations misrepresent financials or cut corners, employees notice. And increasingly, they’re willing to report it. But here’s the variable most organisations underestimate — they’ll only report if they trust the system they’re reporting into. A hotline that employees don’t know about, don’t trust, or fear using is no hotline at all.
Workplace conduct is now the dominant reporting category
Workplace conduct accounted for just over half of all reports in 2025. Within that category, hostile work environment concerns jumped from 2% to 18% year over year — a dramatic shift suggesting employees are no longer reporting only specific incidents, but a broader range of workplace experiences. Tolerance for misconduct is falling. Expectations of psychological safety are rising.
That expectation gap is where reputational and legal exposure tends to accumulate.
What’s particularly interesting is that 41% of workplace conduct reports were general HR inquiries — employees using the hotline not to report wrongdoing, but to seek guidance before issues escalate. This is a signal of a healthy, proactive reporting culture. It’s also a practical reminder that a well-designed reporting system does more than capture complaints. It functions as an early warning system, surfacing tension before it becomes a liability.
Organisations that treat reporting purely as a complaint mechanism are leaving intelligence on the table.
Digital is now the default for anonymous reporting platforms
Web-based reporting accounted for approximately 42% of all global submissions in 2025, with phone a close second at 39%. The shift toward digital reflects broader trends in self-service — but also something more important: growing employee confidence in the security and anonymity of reporting channels.
That confidence isn’t automatic. It’s earned through how reports are acknowledged, investigated, and acted on. Organisations that prioritise responsiveness and consistency build cultures where people speak up earlier, before risk compounds.
Those still relying solely on a phone line or an open-door policy are not meeting the expectations of the modern workforce.
EthicsPro® is built for exactly this environment — a secure, multi-channel reporting platform that gives employees the flexibility to report via web, phone, text, or mail, 24 hours a day.
What this means for your organisation
The global data tells a consistent story. Reporting cultures are maturing. Employee expectations are rising. Fraud is increasing. And the organisations best positioned to manage these pressures are those that treat their reporting infrastructure as a strategic asset — not a box to tick.
Accessible, anonymous, multi-channel reporting isn’t a nice-to-have. In 2026, it’s the baseline.
Report It Now™ has been helping organisations build reporting systems their people actually trust since 2007. If you’re ready to move beyond the checkbox, let’s talk.
Visit www.reportitnow-global.com or get in touch with the team today.
Data referenced from Mitratech’s 2026 State of Ethics Hotlines Report [PDF], based on analysis of 49,189 hotline reports submitted globally in 2025.