The Cost of Silence: A 2026 Workplace Communication Study

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As part of this study, we have created a survey that asks about the conversations that get delayed, the reasons people hesitate to speak or act, where the communication processes break down, and what unresolved problems ultimately cost workplaces.

It only takes approximately 5-7 minutes to complete. Please do not share names or identifying information about specific individuals or organizations. Individual responses will not be identified in public findings.

We appreciate you taking the time to complete the information.

Section 1: Your Perspective

* 1. What best describes your current role? Please select one.

Executive or senior leader

Human Resources / People Operations

Manager or supervisor

Employee or individual contributor

Consultant, coach, mentor, or organizational development professional

Other

* 2. What type of organization or industry are you most familiar with? Please select one.

Healthcare

Education

Government or public service

Nonprofit or community organization

Professional services

Manufacturing

Retail or hospitality

Technology

Small business

Other

* 3. Approximately how many people work in the organization you are primarily thinking about as you answer these questions?

Fewer than 25

25-99

100-499

500-999

1000 or more

I am responding based on experience across multiple organizations

* 4. When answering these questions, which perspective are you primarily drawing from?

My current workplace

A previous workplace

Multiple organizations where I have worked

My experience supporting employees, leaders or organizations

Other

Section 2: When a problem first appears

* 5. In your experience, how often are important workplace concerns or difficult conversations delayed longer than they should be?

Almost never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Unsure

* 6. Which conversations are most likely to be delayed or avoided? Select up to three.

Giving difficult or corrective feedback

Addressing poor performance

Discussing workload, burnout, or capacity

Holding someone accountable

Raising concerns about workplace culture

Discussing the impact of change or organizational decisions

Addressing behavior that is affecting the team

Repairing trust after conflict or harm

Other

* 7. Why do you think people stay silent or delay taking action? Select up to three.

Fear of conflict or making the situation worse

Fear of retaliation or negative consequences

Concern about damaging a relationship

Lack of trust that speaking up will make a difference

Uncertainty about what to say or how to say it

Lack of confidence or communication skills

Power differences

Previous negative experiences with speaking up

Workplace culture or unwritten norms

Emotional exhaustion or lack of capacity

The issue does not seem serious enough yet

Uncertainty about whose responsibility it is to address the issue

Other

Section 3: Where the process breaks down

* 8. At what point do workplace communication problems most often break down?

People do not recognize the problem early enough

People recognize the problem but do not speak up

Someone speaks up, but the concern is not addressed

The issue is acknowledged, but action is delayed

A conversation happens, but it makes the situation worse

The immediate problem is addressed, but trust is not repaired

The same issue keeps returning

There is no consistent problem

Unsure

Other

* 9. Who is usually expected to address workplace communication problems or conflict first?

The individuals directly involved

A manager or supervisor

Human Resources

Senior leadership

Employee Relations

An internal mediator, ombuds, or conflict resolution professional

It depends on the situation

It is often unclear

Other

* 10. Who most often ends up dealing with the problem after it has escalated? Check all that apply.

The individuals directly involved

Managers or supervisors

Human Resources

Senior leadership

Employee Relations

Legal or compliance teams

An internal mediator, ombuds, or conflict resolution professional

An outside consultant or mediator

No one consistently addresses it

Other

Section 4: What happens during the delay

* 11. When workplace concerns or conflict are not addressed early, what most often happens? Select up to three.

The issue escalates

Trust erodes

People disengage or withdraw

Gossip or side conversations increase

People begin avoiding one another

Teams become divided

Collaboration becomes more difficult

Productivity suffers

The issue becomes a formal complaint

Employees consider leaving or leave

The same problem continues to resurface

Other

* 12. When a workplace communication or conflict problem becomes serious enough to require formal attention, how long has it typically been developing?

Less than a week

Several weeks

One to three months

Three to six months

More than six months

It varies widely

Unsure

* 13. By the time the problem receives formal attention, how difficult is it usually to resolve?

Not difficult

Slightly difficult

Moderately difficult

Very difficult

Extremely difficult

Unsure

Section 5: The cost of silence

* 14. Where do you see the greatest organizational cost when important conversations do not happen early enough? Select up to three.

Lost staff time

Reduced productivity

Employee stress or burnout

Turnover

Absenteeism

Damaged trust

Lower morale

Team dysfunction

Lost leadership or management time

Damage to leadership credibility

Formal complaints or investigations

Legal or compliance involvement

Negative customer, client, patient, student, or community experiences

Direct financial cost

Other

* 15. Which statement best reflects your experience?

Most workplace problems are easier to address when they are caught early

Some problems are easier to address early, but timing does not always make a significant difference

Most workplace problems are addressed at about the right time

Problems often need to become serious before organizations take action

Unsure

Section 6: What workplaces need

* 16. Where do you believe the biggest gap exists?

Recognizing early warning signs

Helping people speak up safely

Knowing how to begin difficult conversations

Giving feedback effectively

Addressing conflict before it escalates

Managing emotional reactivity during difficult conversations

Holding people accountable without increasing defensiveness

Knowing when and how to involve HR or leadership

Having a clear process for responding to workplace conflict

Repairing trust after conflict or harm

Other

* 17. How confident are you that the workplaces you know have effective systems for addressing communication concerns and conflict before they escalate?

Very confident

Somewhat confident

Neither confident nor unconfident

Not very confident

Not at all confident

Unsure

* 18. Compared with three years ago, how difficult is it to navigate workplace communication and conflict today?

Much less difficult

Somewhat less difficult

About the same

Somewhat more difficult

Much more difficult

Unsure

18a.Optional follow-up: What do you think has changed?

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Section 7: In your own words

* 19. Finish this sentence: "I wish workplaces were better at..."

0/500

20. Optional: Without sharing identifying information, can you think of a time when a workplace problem became more difficult because an important conversation happened too late, or not at all? What happened?

0/500

Stay Connected

Would you like to receive a summary of the findings from The Cost of Silence: A 2026 Workplace Communication Study?

Yes

Would you be open to a brief follow-up conversation about your perspective?

Yes

Maybe

Not at this time

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