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Workplace Safety More Important Than Ever for Employed Americans

Workplace Safety More Important Than Ever for Employed Americans

April 4, 2022
Only half (55%) of working Americans feel their employer has made more of an effort to ensure their safety than in previous years.

Not surprisingly,  90% of American workers believe their organization has a duty of care—a legal and moral obligation—to protect employees from unnecessary risk of harm when working or traveling on their behalf. 

This is according to a new study,  State of Employee Safety Report, from AlertMedia details employees’ current perceptions of safety in the workplace. The study also found that 82% of employees stated employers’ obligation to keep employees safe extends to those working remotely.

But employees are concerned with how well their companies are adhering to those expectations. Only half (55%) of working Americans feel their employer has made more of an effort to ensure their safety than in previous years.

“It’s clear that workplace safety has a powerful influence over organizations’ ability to attract and retain talent, and we hope employers use this data to inform their emergency preparedness plans, training efforts, and employee communication to demonstrate their commitment to safer working conditions for all,” said Alex Vaccaro, Chief Marketing Officer for AlertMedia, in a statement. “While health and safety have been top-of-mind for nearly every person, business, and community for the past two years, this research offers new evidence about what employees expect from their employers when working as well as how their perception of safety impacts numerous aspects of their lives.”

What Worries Employees?

The study found that while the majority of employed Americans remain concerned about navigating public health crises (78%) at work, nearly as many are worried about other emergencies and disruptive events, including cyberattacks (64%), severe weather (65%), crime (61%), significant outages (59%), and workplace violence (54%). Additionally, 83% of U.S. workers say they have encountered at least one emergency situation while working across their careers.

The report offers new perspective and insights on the following:

  • Workplace Safety Perceptions: The vast majority (89%) of working Americans say workplace safety is more important than ever before; however, only half (54%) believe their safety is extremely important to their employer. And while 81% agree that executive leadership personally cares about employees’ safety, 64% believe their employer’s approach to emergency communication needs work.
  • Safety Awareness & Training: While most (82%) of working Americans report that their employer offers safety training, only half (56%) report participating in training more than once per year. What’s more, employees who are not offered safety training are more than twice as likely to say they would not know what to do in the event of an emergency at work.
  • Employee Retention & Loyalty: Nearly all (97%) working Americans said feeling safe is an important factor in determining where to work. In fact, when asked how they would respond if their employer failed to communicate effectively about an emergency or other potentially dangerous event, 44% said they would feel unsafe and 58% said they would reconsider their employment or start looking for other job opportunities.
About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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