From Mediation to Escalation: Buffer Spaces for Workplace Concern Reporting

Workplace concern reporting systems have traditionally been designed around formal channels such as HR portals, grievance procedures, and whistleblower mechanisms. However, employees often perceive these formal systems as opaque, untrustworthy, emotionally draining, and ultimately ineffective, particularly those from marginalized or vulnerable backgrounds. On the other hand, informal channels, such as peer conversations, employee resource groups (ERGs), and backchannel communications, offer alternative spaces for sharing and validating concerns. However, these informal channels also face limitations, including the lack of procedural follow-through and organizational authority, potential social risk, and limited responsiveness. Drawing on 22 interviews with employees and HR professionals, we introduce the concept of buffer spaces —intermediary spaces that overlap informal and formal systems. These spaces help employees emotionally process concerns, assess potential risks, and prepare for escalation, bridging the gap between informal sense-making and formal reporting. We also show the potential of how these spaces mediate the emotional and procedural burdens of existing reporting systems, while also serving as catalysts for organizational change. Our findings call for a reimagining of concern reporting as a dynamic continuum, where concerns develop and evolve through an overlapping space between informal and formal systems rather than as a binary choice between the two.