Business Costs & Productivity Impact

INCIDENTS IMPACT RETENTION, PRODUCTIVITY & WELLBEING

1 in 4 professional services employees reported that safety worries affected their work performance and wellbeing. This figure increases to 42% when an incident occurs in the company.

Those who experienced a personal safety incident are likely to change jobs or consider leaving their role as a result. For businesses, losing skilled workers means they are left with increased recruitment costs and significant time is taken up training new team members.

Others experiencing a personal safety incident took time off work with 1 in 5 suffering from anxiety, leading to decreased productivity and increased sick pay expenses for employers.

These statistics illustrate the importance of addressing personal safety concerns in the workplace as the negative outcomes affect both employees and employers.

Of those who experienced a personal safety incident:

44% are likely to switch jobs

14% took time off work

By implementing measures to improve personal safety, businesses can enhance employee wellbeing, productivity, and retention, ultimately benefitting the bottom line.

NEARLY HALF OF EMPLOYEES AVOID DUTIES DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS

Personal safety concerns can significantly influence work patterns and behaviours that, in turn, have a considerable impact on business performance.

The main behaviour change to note is employees feeling discouraged from working late which is the case for 46% of employees.

This is particularly concerning for employers in this industry which has an embedded culture of working additional hours in the office.

These concerns can have significant consequences, including employees being unwilling to work extra hours to meet deadlines or experiencing negative effects on their wellbeing, productivity, and job satisfaction

When employees feel uncomfortable performing certain job duties, they may become less engaged and less willing to go above and beyond in their work.

SAFETY CONCERNS IMPACT RETENTION

In our research, it was found that 10% of respondents reported changing their role to reduce their level of business travel and 24% of people would leave a role due to other personal safety concerns.

48% of all professional service sector workers put off or avoid performing their duties due to personal safety concerns. This includes working late, dealing with the public, travelling for business, or coming into the office.

These changes in behaviour can have a detrimental effect on employee satisfaction and wellbeing, and can potentially result in the loss of valuable talent for organisations.

Employers must address personal safety concerns in order to maintain productivity and retain talented employees. By creating a safe and supportive working environment, employers can help to alleviate the personal safety concerns of their employees and ensure that they feel comfortable and confident in carrying out their work duties.

Behaviours avoided due to personal safety concerns:

THE BUSINESS COST OF PERSONAL SAFETY CONCERNS

Personal safety incidents can have far-reaching consequences for businesses. It's not just the immediate impact on wellbeing and productivity that's a concern - there are also significant implications for business practices.

1 in 4 reported that concerns affected their productivity & wellbeing

71% of employers had to implement new, costly changes as a result of an incident

24% of people would leave a role due to safety concerns - this increases to 44% if an incident occurs at the company

With 44% of businesses reporting an incident in the last year, these worrying statistics make it clear that prioritising employee safety should be a top priority to reduce the impact of such incidents. Companies that take this seriously are not only more likely to retain their top talent but also maintain high levels of productivity and reduce unnecessary costs.