HR Acuity acquires Speakfully to tackle workplace misconduct

Workplace misconduct is on the rise. 2021 research shows that 76% of employees have experienced or witnessed bullying, discrimination or bribery at work.

Clearly, all the workplace misconduct has clearly not been solved with remote working. All the bad behavior that previously happened in the office, now just happens on video calls and communication platforms.

But COVID-19-induced remote working, and particularly its acceleration of the use of digital tools, actually makes it easier for employees to feel empowered to safely and securely report misconduct.

Using tools like Speakfully enables employees to not only report issues (anonymously if they prefer), but also have full visibility over the progress and resolution of the complaint – this way workers know their employer is taking workplace misconduct seriously.

Now HR Acuity has decided to acquire Speakfully and integrate its workplace reporting tech into its platform for employee relation case management. Financial and operational terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

We are excited to announce that we have acquired Speakfully, an anonymous workplace reporting platform for employees to voice workplace concerns. Together, we can provide an end-to-end #ER and investigation solution from allegation to aftercare. https://t.co/LJYCXDxrFM

— HR Acuity (@hracuity) November 14, 2022

The Speakfully acquisition comes within a year of HR Acuity receiving a $47 million in funding from K1 Investment Management, as well as the launch of a new product called managER aimed at people leaders.

The future of employee relations

Talking about the deal, HR Acuity CEO Deb Muller shared: “Creating a transparent and trusted relationship between employees and their employer has never been more critical.

“Speakfully is the best solution I have seen when it comes to ensuring an employee’s voice is heard when something goes wrong.

“This is a first and necessary step companies must take if they want the insights that will enable them to take proactive steps toward creating better, more inclusive workplaces.

“I am excited to be welcoming the Speakfully team and its clients to the HR Acuity family! This acquisition elevates our offering by enabling organizations with a full, end-to-end employee relations and investigation solution from allegation to aftercare.”

Speakfully CEO and founder Jana Morrin added: “We are thrilled to be a part of the HR Acuity team as it is a natural extension of our mission to provide as many employees as possible a safe and private way to report workplace concerns.

“This has been our goal from day one and now, as part of HR Acuity, we can do this at scale.”

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