Few moments test a leader more than when an employee confides in you, then pleads for silence.
It is a bit like being handed a lit match and told not to drop it, even as the flame creeps closer to your fingers.
Do you step in, or stand back?
Do you protect their privacy, or protect the wider team?
These are the moments that test a leader’s nerve and have you reaching for the gin rather than a short black.
I’m Esther, Director at Seed HR, with over twenty years of experience guiding businesses through the trickiest of people's challenges. From national retailers to small family firms, I’ve seen what works and what falls flat.
This blog is for business owners and leaders who want to do the right thing, keep their people safe, and still sleep at night.
Stay with me. By the end, you’ll have practical strategies to turn awkward conversations into stronger workplaces.
Positive Duty Explained- What Leaders Can’t Ignore
In Australia, the concept of positive duty is reshaping how workplaces think about safety and respect. Instead of waiting for problems to escalate, leaders are encouraged to take active steps to prevent harassment, discrimination and bullying before harm occurs.
This approach, introduced through the 2022 Respect@Work reforms and reinforced by Work Health and Safety (WHS) obligations, is not solely about meeting legal requirements. It encourages business owners to create workplaces where people feel safe, valued and able to do their best work.
When business owners give the same attention to psychological safety as they do to physical safety, the benefits extend across the whole business. A stronger culture, better performance and higher levels of employee retention are the natural results.
For small business owners, this does not mean complex investigations every time a concern is raised.
Proportionate action can be as simple as encouraging respectful behaviour in a team meeting, providing additional resources to an employee or checking in to ensure workloads are fair. The goal is to demonstrate that concerns are taken seriously and that leaders are committed to protecting both people and culture.
Yet even with these measures in place, many employees still hesitate to speak up. Why is this?
Effective prevention depends on understanding why employees may still choose to stay silent. Let’s now explore some common reasons employees hold back and what leaders can do to break down those barriers.
Identifying potential issues early prevents them from spreading and becoming entrenched.
Why Employees Hold Back
Even in workplaces where policies are clear and leaders are approachable, many employees hesitate to raise concerns.
Fear of retaliation is one of the strongest barriers.
People may worry that speaking up will damage their career, affect their hours, or even worsen the behaviour they are already experiencing.
Others stay quiet because they are concerned about confidentiality. They do not want colleagues to know what they have shared, and they fear becoming the subject of gossip or judgement.
Another common reason is the belief that nothing will change. If employees have seen past issues ignored, they are less likely to trust that raising a concern will make a difference. In small teams, people may also want to protect relationships or avoid being labelled as difficult, particularly if they value harmony or worry about creating tension.
Recognising these barriers gives leaders the opportunity to remove them and show that speaking up can make a difference.
Is this starting to sound familiar? You’re in the right place. We help businesses turn these challenges into opportunities for stronger, healthier teams. Sometimes bringing in someone independent is exactly what a culture needs. |
Leaders cannot assume silence is evidence of a healthy culture.
The absence of complaints can sometimes indicate a culture where employees do not feel safe to speak.
The next step for leaders is learning how to respond when employees confide in them but ask for no action, so that trust is maintained while obligations are still met.
Yes, there is a way to do this and it is often easier than many leaders expect. Let’s look at some solutions now.
Acting Without Breaking Trust
How to Respond When Employees Say ‘Don’t Do Anything
When an employee shares a concern but asks you not to act, it can be one of the most delicate situations a leader faces. Your next steps should be thoughtful and handled with care, because what you do in this moment will shape how much trust your people place in you going forward.
Begin with genuine acknowledgment. Thank them for trusting you and reassure them that speaking up was the right choice. This shows that you value their voice and that they will not face judgment for raising a concern.
From there, focus on proportionate action. Acting responsibly does not always mean launching a formal investigation. Often, it means taking quiet but deliberate steps that reduce risk and improve the environment without drawing attention to the individual. This could involve checking workloads across the team, reinforcing cultural expectations in a staff meeting, or addressing a hazard that has come to light. These actions send a clear message that concerns are taken seriously, even if the details remain confidential.
There are, however, times when leaders must take action, even if an employee has asked them not to. Employers have a legal duty of care to act whenever a matter involves serious misconduct, bullying, harassment, discrimination or any risk to health and safety. This also applies when behaviour breaches company policy or law, when there is a risk to others, or when a pattern of behaviour is emerging. In these situations, inaction can expose both the individual and the business to greater harm.
Power dynamics and vulnerability also matter. If the concern comes from someone in a less powerful position such as a junior employee, an older worker, or someone managing mental health challenges and the issue involves someone in authority, leaders have an ethical and legal obligation to protect them. In such cases, you can still protect confidentiality wherever possible, explain why action is necessary, and take proportionate steps to prevent further harm.
Support also plays a critical role. Offering counselling, an Employee Assistance Program, or external contacts gives employees confidential pathways to seek help. Equally important is keeping the conversation open. Be transparent about what you can and cannot do, and follow up to show that the door remains open.
Handled this way, sensitive conversations do more than contain risk. They become opportunities to strengthen trust, demonstrate leadership, and show the whole team that speaking up leads to meaningful change.
Building Workplaces Where People Feel Safe
Meaningful prevention occurs when employees know their wellbeing matters and that raising concerns will be met with support, not consequences.
One of the most effective ways to do this is by making mental health part of everyday safety conversations. Just as leaders talk about physical hazards, they can normalise discussions about workload pressures, stress and respectful behaviour.
Equally important is equipping managers with the skills to respond with compassion.
Training in trauma-informed leadership helps managers recognise early signs of distress, listen without judgment and take action that supports both the individual and the business. These skills help build stronger and more resilient teams.
Embedding systems that identify risks early is another practical step. Regular informal check-ins, confidential surveys and safe reporting pathways allow issues to surface before they spread. When employees see that feedback leads to visible change, trust in the process grows.
Businesses that move beyond minimum compliance and commit to building a culture of trust and belonging will most definitely reap the rewards. They attract and retain talent, reduce conflict and create workplaces where people genuinely want to contribute and succeed.
I’ve seen it, I’ve helped create it, and myself and the rest of the Seed HR Team are proud to work with clients who build workplaces that are safe, productive and genuinely positive. Not only on the surface, but embedded deep within their culture.
This is not a mythical place. It is real, and your workplace has the potential to achieve it too.
Workplaces thrive when people feel comfortable speaking up and know their concerns will be taken seriously.
When leaders respond with care, act proportionately and build trust, small issues are less likely to grow into major problems. At Seed HR, we partner with businesses to put these principles into practice. If you are ready to strengthen your culture and protect your people, connect with us today.