The New Generation's View of Personal Safety

THE NEW GENERATION ARE MORE CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY

Employees under 35 in professional services have more safety concerns than their older colleagues in all areas, but particularly related to commuting. Here, 79% of those under 35 reported concerns, compared to 73% of those 35-44 and 56% of those over 45.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff, employers must take proactive measures to protect employees, regardless of age or level of experience.

Safety concerns experienced by age group

As a result of increased concern, younger staff are also more likely to engage in avoidance behaviour, such as avoiding working late, which is true for 47% of under 35's. This could have significant implications for organisations that rely on staff completing long working hours and may need to find alternative ways to incentivise this behaviour.

OVER HALF OF YOUNG WORKERS WOULD CONSIDER CHANGING JOBS DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS

49% report that safety concerns impact their productivity & wellbeing

55% stated that work-related health, safety, or wellbeing issues might prompt them to change jobs

63% would likely take a personal safety app if offered by their employer

Younger staff are most likely to report an impact on productivity and wellbeing due to safety concerns, with 49% reporting this impact is moderate or significant. This could be due to a variety of factors, such as feeling more stressed, less focused and taking part in more avoidance behaviours due to their worries.

As reported by Forbes and Talent LMS among others, the new generation of workers have a higher focus on wellbeing as a vital part of their job selection criteria. In our research, over half reported that health, safety, or wellbeing issues might prompt them to consider changing jobs in the future. This suggests that employers need to take safety seriously if they want to attract and retain younger talent.

Younger employees are most accepting of a personal safety app as a solution, with 63% being likely to take one if offered as a benefit by their employer. This indicates that offering such benefits could play a key role in attracting and retaining younger employees, which is particularly important for companies in competitive industries where the ability to attract and retain top talent is critical to success.