How Safe Do People Feel at Work?
One of the key findings from our survey was that 43% of respondents reported feeling unsafe at work at some point over the last five years.
The main concerns were having to work early or late, or dealing with members of the public.
Other concerns listed in the survey included:
Visiting unfamiliar locations*
Working at height
Commuting
Travelling or driving for work
Starting early or working late
*e.g. customers’ homes, client premises, unknown areas
“The office after 5pm just feels scary.”
Employees who start work before colleagues arrive, finish after others have left, or cover night shifts are, in effect, lone working during those times.
Even if their role is usually within a busy workplace, the absence of colleagues, less security and reduced public presence creates unique safety implications that are often underestimated.
Our research found that employees in these situations reported feeling particularly vulnerable, with early starters and late finishers frequently citing concerns about:
Travelling to and from the workplace when streets or car parks are quiet and poorly lit.
Being the only person in the building and the worry of "what if something happens and no one is there to help?"
Exposure to external risks, such as intruders or opportunistic crime, when entrances are less secure or monitored.
These risks are amplified by the lack of immediate support. Medical emergencies and accidents may go unnoticed with no colleagues present to step in or raise the alarm, delaying response and assistance.
Employees are also more vulnerable to violence, intimidation and harassment, and if a situation does arise, there may be no one around to de-escalate the incident or provide support.
As another respondent explained:
“I often work on my own in our temporary office until 5pm as this is when my shift ends.
Other people finish at 4.30pm I often worry about something happening to me and no one being around to help.”
Other respondents shared experiences that highlight these risks:
“I had to lock up a venue and there's a lot of drug dealing/anti-social behaviour around in the location, I hated having to lock up in the dark.”
“Walking to the bus stop late at night made me feel unsafe knowing that there is frequent criminal activity in the area.”
“Lone working at night in hospital laboratory where the security doors aren’t always working properly makes me feel unsafe because anyone could walk in.”
From a compliance perspective, these scenarios fall directly under an employer’s duty of care to ensure a safe working environment. Health and safety regulators classify early starts, late finishes and night shifts as forms of lone working, which means they must be risk assessed and managed appropriately to meet legal safety obligations.
A significant proportion of lone workers carry out roles that require direct engagement with the public - whether in retail, healthcare, housing, community services, enforcement, or field-based roles.
While interaction with the public is often routine, doing so without colleagues present introduces elevated safety risks and can strongly influence employees’ sense of safety.
Employees that we surveyed recalled a range of incidents where they felt vulnerable when dealing with the public alone, particularly in situations where they were required to enter private or unfamiliar environments or enforce rules. These stories highlight just how unpredictable, and sometimes volatile, these encounters can be:
I work security in a country park and was once surrounded by a group of youths on quad bikes. I expected to get beaten up but luckily, they decided to leave me alone.
I am a home carer, and I was physically attacked by a services user in their own home.
Delivering shopping in a rough area in the evening. I just tried to get the job done as quickly as possible to remove myself from the situation.
A customer threatened to wait for me and kill me after my shift.
These first-hand experiences underline the reality of what many lone workers face - situations that can quickly escalate and leave them feeling unsafe or unsupported. In our survey, many concerns were raised around:
Aggression or hostility from members of the public that could escalate to verbal abuse or physical assault
Exposure to unpredictable behaviour due to the influence of drugs or alcohol, or the mental state of clients
Lack of witnesses or immediate support if incidents escalate
Public-facing lone workers face a combination of physical, emotional, and psychological risks due to the unpredictable nature of working with people. Repeated exposure to these potential risks can contribute to stress, anxiety and reduced confidence.
Employers have a legal and moral duty to recognise these scenarios as lone working situations requiring assessment and proactive management. This includes ensuring that employees are not left feeling unsafe or unsupported when engaging with the public.
Since the pandemic, the traditional Monday to Friday commute has all but disappeared with many workers adopting a hybrid model approach.
This change in commuting habits has introduced new challenges around personal safety, a concern heavily raised in our survey.
Many shared experiences of feeling uncomfortable while travelling to and from work. One in particular stood out:
Stories like this highlight that even when no direct harm occurs, employees still often feel the need to take extra precautions to reassure themselves. In our research 27% of our respondents said they actively changed their behaviour to avoid unsafe situations with some creating their own systems to help negate risk, such as checking-in with colleagues and scouting out safe exit routes.
In these situations, employees are actively trying to protect themselves and maintain peace of mind. However, these self-made systems are not foolproof - if someone forgets, or a call is missed, the system quickly breaks down.
That reassurance shouldn’t be left to chance. With the right tools in place, peace of mind can be delivered in a far more robust and reliable way.
27% actively changed their behaviour to avoid unsafe situations
