Psychology Safety Policies Missing at Companies

Psychological safety is a concept so important to employee health that it's included in ISO 45003 and increasingly employees are rating it as a necessary factor in terms of engagement.

A recent survey, The Status of Psychological Safety in the Workplace, from Veriforce, found a disconnect between understanding the importance of psychological safety (68%) and the need to have a specific policy. Just 16% say their organization currently has a written psychological safety policy, and just 36% say the term is formally defined and communicated internally.

More than half (52%) report that their company lacks formal training or workshops on psychological safety. The research also found that formal training has a measurable impact on employees’ comfort levels to speak up. Those at companies with formal training on psychological safety reported an average comfort score of 4.0 out of 5, compared to 3.2 in companies without. 

Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) say their leadership does not actively promote or model psychologically safe behaviors. Leadership support emerged as another critical factor. The data revealed a strong correlation (r = 0.68) between employees’ perceptions of leadership's commitment to psychological safety and their comfort in raising concerns. This emphasizes leaders’ central role in shaping a transparent safety culture.

“High-risk industries, where voicing concerns can prevent harm, need to move beyond awareness and embed the right leadership behaviors, policies, and training to dismantle cultures of silence,” said James Junkin, Strategic Advisory Board Chair at Veriforce, in a statement.

Common barriers identified

Respondents also cited several barriers to establishing or improving psychological safety, including:

• Fear of retribution or negative consequences (40%)
• Lack of management buy-in or inconsistent leadership behaviors (30%)
• Production pressure outweighing safety priorities (25%)
• Poor communication channels or a lack of clear feedback (20%)

Metrics on Training and Support Favor Policies

The research also found that formal training has a measurable impact on employees’ comfort levels to speak up. Those at companies with formal training on psychological safety reported an average comfort score of 4.0 out of 5, compared to 3.2 in companies without.

Leadership support emerged as another critical factor. The data revealed a strong correlation (r = 0.68) between employees’ perceptions of leadership's commitment to psychological safety and their comfort in raising concerns. This emphasizes leaders’ central role in shaping a transparent safety culture.

Addressing these barriers requires non-punitive reporting systems, confidential feedback channels, and rethinking incentives that prioritize productivity over well-being.

For safety professionals, procurement leads, and contractors, particularly in high-risk sectors, this report indicates an urgent need to give psychological safety the same priority as physical safety.

"Psychological safety isn’t just a cultural issue, but a practical one,” added Junkin. “If people don’t feel safe raising concerns or challenging decisions, companies won’t get the full picture on critical risks facing their organizations. Those taking this issue seriously and investing in psychological safety are building safer, more resilient operations. It’s not about adding another layer of compliance but about enabling the kind of communication that keeps people safe and organizations resilient.”