Q. "How should employees go about reporting misconduct?"
Answer:
The actual channels an employee needs to go through vary from organization to organization, but here are some basics that need to be in place no matter what:
Have a clear policy in place on what types of behavior will and will not be tolerated.
Have a clear written procedure for how to report an incident. Policy is worthless if an employee does not know how to execute it.
Make sure employees are aware that misconduct is taken seriously and consequences are followed through on. Your organization can be held liable if you did not take the proper steps to prevent or address misconduct.
Build trust into your relationships and culture so employees feel comfortable bringing complaints to light.