Myth Buster: Just Culture is Only for Frontline Staff

When people hear Just Culture, they often think about pilots, engineers, and ground crew. The idea is that they can report mistakes without fear of punishment. That is true, but it’s only half the story.

Just Culture means accountability for all — managers and staff alike

The myth: Managers are outside Just Culture.

The truth: Managers are accountable too, breaking Just Culture is a violation.

If managers break Just Culture, for example by punishing staff for honest reporting, the consequences are serious:

• Trust collapses, and reporting dries up.

• The organisation’s safety culture goes backwards, sometimes by decades.

• Regulators consider it a violation, just as serious as operational non-compliance.

Of course, managers are not perfect either. If they make a human mistake in their work, they too are protected under Just Culture. But breaking the Just Culture promise is different, it is a violation. It undermines safety, trust, and compliance all at once.

Just Culture is not a one-way promise from management to staff. It is a mutual agreement: staff commit to honest and responsible reporting, and management commits to fairness and accountability.

For more on this topic, see:

• Myth Buster: Just Culture means no one is ever held accountable (4 June)

• Reporting Culture — Are You Measuring It Right? (2 July)

• The Real Purpose of a Just Culture Policy (24 September)