A new app wants employees to go on the record when reporting office misconduct.
Vault Platform, which is launching in the U.S. in March, provides employees with a way to document and report sexual harassment in the workplace by using their smartphone. The app uses blockchain technology to provide a safe space or a “vault” allowing workers to write reports of harassment and store any evidence, says Neta Meidav, CEO of Vault Platform. The vault itself is private, she says, but at any time workers can use the app to send that information directly to HR.
“Think about this like a digital diary or journal that you may have,” Meidav says. “If you’ve experienced sexual harassment you can create a safe record of what happened to you and lock it in. That’s your private vault.”
If workers decide to report harassment directly to their HR department they have two options, they can elect to individually report or they can choose to go together, Meidav says. By using go together, the platform will search for other complaints about the same individual. If others exist, then the reports will all be sent to HR together. If not, then it will be held until another employee reports that person.
“The technology will identify if there has been past or present complaints about this person as well,” she says. “Your claim will go to HR with other people who have reported in the past.”
Vault Platform, which is currently engaged in a pilot program, is
But unlike some of its competitors Vault Platform does not allow employees to report harassment anonymously, Meidav says. If an employee wants to report an incident of harassment on the app, they must use their real identity, she adds.
“We are moving from anonymity to accountability,” Meidav says.
There are advantages and drawbacks to anonymous reporting, HR professionals say. Jacquelyn Thorp, an HR coach and CEO of sexual harassment training and HR consulting firm
“You don't always get the information you need to investigate, and there is no one to follow up with,” Thorp told SHRM. But there is a place for anonymous reporting, which can empower employees to report harassment if they feel they have “nowhere to turn,” she adds.
But Vault Platform isn’t just a reporting tool, Meidav says. The app also has data analytics that give HR a better sense of the company’s broader culture and biggest pain points. Vault Platform will send HR executives reports that break down the most common problems employees are facing which could include, for example, bullying, discrimination or harassment. Employers can look as deeply as a specific region or department, so they can tailor their training to the topics and areas that need it the most.
“Effectively what we’re getting at is this will become a new employer benchmark which will show you how you are performing in culture and diversity,” she says.
Vault Platform would not specify what employers were engaged in the pilot program, but Meidav says the list includes companies in the tech and media industry, universities and charities. They are also in early conversations with a big four accounting firm. The price of the platform, she adds, varies by company size.
In the digital age, Meidav says, employers can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to workplace misconduct. It’s in employer’s best interest to stop any harassment that may be occurring in the office, she says, especially when the risks are so great. If employees don’t feel heard at work, they may take to social media or elsewhere to relay their experiences, she says.
“A company that wants to consider themselves diverse and equal can’t afford this anymore,” she says. “This is actually one area of HR that technology has done very little to transform, which is why we’re building this tool.”
