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Workplaces that welcome complaints are better placed to detect and deal with issues before they escalate, so organisations shouldn't worry too much about whether their number is "healthy", a conflict specialist says.

Determining whether an employer is receiving an acceptable number of complaints isn't easy; the answer will depend on factors such as the size of the organisation, its industry, cultural norms, and the nature of the complaints, says Lindall West, MD of conflict support platform Ombpoint.

She advises against giving too much weight to the number of complaints coming in, and instead suggests employers pay attention to frequency and patterns.

"A steady stream of complaints, particularly if they revolve around similar issues, may indicate underlying systemic problems that need to be addressed," she says...