Feeling safe at work can take many forms. A recent survey examined why employees might avoid work due to safety concerns.

The survey of 1,000 employees, conducted by Envoy, found that 74% reported choosing to avoid work entirely because of a threat—whether due to weather, civil unrest, security concerns, or infrastructure failures.

Key findings include:

• 56% have felt unsafe at work — meaning more than half the working population has experienced a genuine safety concern while on the job.
• 53% have had a commute where they felt unsafe — the walk or drive to the office has become a risk vector.
• 75% say disruptive events have affected their ability to do their job — from weather delays to forced closures to security incidents.

When asked what types of hazardous conditions prompted them to avoid work, respondents cited:

• Severe weather — 54%
• Travel risk or safety advisory — 20%
• Transit or transportation disruption — 19%
• Environmental hazards — 17%
• Infrastructure failure — 16%
• Local events or public gatherings — 15%
• Crime or violence near workplace — 14%
• Civil unrest or protest activity — 9%

The research reveals a striking generational pattern. Gen Z is significantly more likely to avoid work and report feeling unsafe:

• 82% of Gen Z have avoided work due to hazardous conditions, compared to 81% of Millennials, 69% of Gen X, and 62% of Baby Boomers.
• 68% of Gen Z have felt unsafe at work, compared to 59% of Millennials, 52% of Gen X, and 41% of Boomers.
• 78% of Gen Z have left work early for any reason, compared to 72% of Millennials, 67% of Gen X, and 59% of Boomers.

When a disruptive event occurs, workers learn about it through five main channels:

• 54% hear about it through news outlets or social media.
• 40% learn from official employer/HR communication.
• 39% find out through word of mouth.
• 38% receive government or public emergency alerts.
• 35% discover it on their own—by stepping outside into the weather or seeing something as they approach the office.

When asked what they wish their employer did differently to keep them safe, 23% emphasized the need for faster, clearer communication—not after a crisis has begun, but before.

Another 18% called for more decisive closure decisions; workers are exhausted by last-minute announcements that leave them scrambling to arrange childcare or adjust commutes.

More than one in six respondents stressed the need for remote work flexibility when conditions make commuting unsafe or impossible, a solution that's become normalized in many organizations yet remains unavailable when workers need it most.

Finally, 15% emphasized that financial responsibility must accompany safety decisions. When employers send workers home or force closures, workers expect compensation to follow, not as a favor, but as an acknowledgment that the organization bears responsibility for the disruption.

When asked how disruptive events have affected their ability to do their job :

• 32% experienced workplace shutdowns or operational pauses.
• 30% arrived late or had to leave early.
• 27% were sent home or told to work remotely as a precaution.
• 26% were unable to make it to work entirely.
• 23% had to rearrange personal plans or responsibilities.
• 15% were too distracted or stressed to focus effectively.
• 13% had to make last-minute childcare arrangements.