It can make a difference in this early intervention, in terms of someone saying, “What are some things that we can do before I file a formal complaint?” It may mean somebody going and talking to the boss and saying that they've got an issue with this person, that they're doing all these inappropriate things and that maybe they should say something in your workplace that they're not going to condone these behaviours before it escalates to a point where someone feels they have no choice but to file a formal complaint.
On April 16th, 2013. See this statement in context.