How Safety Ties to Employee Satisfaction—and the Bottom Line

Keeping your employees safe and healthy also keeps them satisfied and engaged with their jobs, according to Gallup research. Of the 192 organizations studied, those in the top 25 percent for employee engagement had far fewer safety incidents than did the companies in the bottom 25 percent.

Considering workplace injuries and illnesses cost employers $170 billion a year, the safety-engagement correlation has real bottom-line meaning. (And that doesn’t even factor in the $60 billion a year in lost productivity due to occupational injuries.)

Employers that create systems to manage health and safety can cut their injury-related costs by 20-40 percent, which easily can mean the difference between profitability and insolvency. Injuries add to workers’ compensation expenses, and long-term absences mean employers are paying in both time and money to fill job gaps and train substitutes, not to mention the toll on morale exacted when employees see a colleague injured at work.

Healthy and safety programs have been shown to increase productivity and decrease bad product and poor customer service. Here are three ways to make safety a part of your company’s culture:

1. Hire the right people

Conduct thorough background checks and drug screening, compliant with your state’s labor laws. Always check references and ask specifically about an employee’s history with safety incidents.

* Technology such as Paycor’s Applicant Tracking System empowers you to hire more effectively and efficiently.

2. Start early

Training on safety policies and procedures should begin as soon as you hire and onboard a new employee. Do not let an employee begin work without being trained, being tested on that training and signing documentation that indicates he or she knows and understands your guidelines.

* A web-based HR Information System allows for employers to schedule and track training of all kinds.

3. Have an emergency plan

Your employees should know exactly what to do during a fire, natural disaster or other emergency. If you have more than 10 employees, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that you have written emergency procedures.

* An online resource such as HR Support Center provides sample documents and guidance for creating a variety of organizational policies and procedures. And the HR On Demand Ask a Pro service offers instant access to an HR expert, at a fraction of the cost of consulting with an attorney.

Want to learn more about how to create a safer work environment and improve your employees’ engagement? Reach out to a Paycor representative today.

Sources: Gallup, Occupational Safety and Health Administration Enforcement Data