The number of sexual harassment reports rose last year, according to survey results released Wednesday, and it's leading companies to hire more human resources professionals, including lawyers.

Software company HR Acuity's third annual benchmark survey found 53% of the 158 respondent organizations saw an increase in sexual harassment claims last year. More than 40% reported they expect that trend to continue in the next 12 months.

There was also a rise in reports of unprofessional conduct, workplace bullying and discrimination. More than half of the respondents attributed the rising number of reports to organizational changes, #MeToo and an “increased awareness of perceived rights.”

“Bad behavior did not just start with #MeToo. So the increase, I do not believe it's attributable to more things happening but a direct attribution to employees feeling more comfortable … that they have more of a license to report things,” said Deb Muller, the chief executive officer of HR Acuity.

Nearly a third of HR staff are juggling more than 26 employee issues. Just under half of respondents who conduct investigations reported around seven are open at any given time. To meet rising workloads, 43% of respondent companies plan to up their HR staff, which could include lawyers.

Legal experience was listed as a valuable asset for HR hires by 70% of respondents. The two departments are already entwined, with 83% of HR respondents receiving “in-house legal support.” Three percent of HR respondents report to legal.

One respondent wrote that it is “very challenging finding individuals who offer the right mix” of HR and legal services.

“Legal [experience] is not surprisingly something that is very commonly sought out. Certainly someone with a legal background … has an understanding of the risks involved, though I would say it's quite different,” Muller said. “I think many people make the transition quite well but they play a different role.”

Legal teams also likely to be involved with internal investigations. Those investigations have become more formalized in the past year, according to HR Acuity's report. In 2017, only one-third of respondents had a “required process including forms and templates for conducting investigations,” compared to 41% this year.

Large companies were more likely to use required forms and templates than smaller firms. Another 45% of companies use suggested investigation templates and 14% have “no specific guidelines.”

Muller said those stats are “heartening” when compared to previous years, but it's “also disheartening” that most large, global enterprises don't have a standardized investigation process for allegations brought against employees.

“It's still not good enough,” she said.