The 2024 State of Employee Safety Report

Discover the true priorities of your employees regarding workplace safety and what that means for your business.
97% of employees say their physical safety at work is important to them.

DO AMERICAN WORKERS FEEL SAFE?

We surveyed 2,000 full-time U.S. employees across a wide range of industries to understand how they feel about their physical safety and mental well-being at work. This year, we also compared the responses of managers and non-managers to discover how safety concerns change with seniority. Here’s what we learned.

Workers believe their employers prioritize productivity, profits, and reputation over employee safety.

How important is each of the following to you? To your employer?
Feeling physically safe

79%

IMPORTANT TO YOU

61%

TO YOUR EMPLOYER

70%

IMPORTANT TO YOU

71%

TO YOUR EMPLOYER

55%

IMPORTANT TO YOU

77%

TO YOUR EMPLOYER

40%

IMPORTANT TO YOU

72%

TO YOUR EMPLOYER

Which of the following emergency scenarios have you experienced while working?

Severe weather
60%
Technology disruption
43%
Major transportation & infrastructure disruption
39%
Crime
27%
Mental health incident
23%
Workplace violence
22%
Property damage or loss
22%
Protests and demonstrations
18%
Natural disasters
18%

Employees face more emergencies at work than ever.

86% of employees have experienced an emergency at work, and 34% don’t feel prepared to navigate these incidents.

Maintaining a safe working environment is challenging when workplace hazards and on-site threats are rising. Use the actionable data in this report to prepare your employees to navigate a wide range of emergencies and critical events.

Managers are poised to champion workplace safety with the right support.

Managers have an opportunity to improve employee safety, but most managers are not set up with the right resources and training to do so.

Discover ways to support your managers and improve your safety procedures.

48%

of managers say their employer has made more effort to ensure safety in the past year.

54%

of managers know who to contact if they experienced an emergency at work.

67%

of managers say they are limited in keeping their employees safe.

More employees feel like safety efforts are stagnating.

Employee concerns about emergencies are rising. Over the last three years, more employees feel that their employers’ safety efforts are slowing down.

How do employees perceive their employer’s level of safety effort in the past year?
2022

55%

MORE OF AN EFFORT

45%

SAME OR LESS EFFORT

42%

MORE OF AN EFFORT

58%

SAME OR LESS EFFORT

40%

MORE OF AN EFFORT

60%

SAME OR LESS EFFORT

Employees want better communication from their employers.

The most requested and impactful ways a business can make its employees feel safer and more prepared include:

• Transparent communication

• Additional information on safety/healthcare resources

• Safety training programs

Which safety actions do you want your employer to do more of?

Keep employees informed of efforts to prioritize mental health
44%
Provide regular updates on efforts to maintain a safe workplace
42%
Provide updates on changes to safety protocols and procedures
42%
Train employees to respond to safety incidents and emergencies
41%
Conduct emergency drills and exercises to prepare employees
40%
Give regular safety talks to supplement comprehensive training
40%
Test communication channels ahead of incidents and emergencies 
40%

Key Takeaways

Download the report for critical insights about how U.S. workers feel about safety policies and initiatives in their workplaces.
  • 87% of employees are concerned about experiencing an emergency at work.
  • 60% of respondents report their employers are making the same or less safety effort in the past year.
  • 48% of managers say many safety decisions are outside of their control.
  • 48% of employees would grade their employers’ focus on mental health a “C” or worse.
  • 71% of employees whose organization has put less effort into safety in the past year report losing trust in their employer.
  • 76% of employees think their employer’s safety communication needs improvement.

Navigate the Shifting Landscape of Employee Safety

Get the data you need to make more informed decisions about how to protect your people.

FAQ

The Future of Work Depends on the Safety of Employees.

Get the data you need to make more informed decisions about how you protect your people.
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