Commissioned by ISS, a workplace experience and facility management company, researchers recently surveyed 4,500 employees representing various industries in the U.S., United Kingdom, Demark, Germany and Switzerland, according to Safety+Health magazine. Respondents worked for organizations with more than 250 employees and had jobs that were below management level.
Fifty-one percent of respondents said they had felt unable to share their opinions freely in the workplace at least some of the time during the past 12 months. Forty-six percent said they did not feel respected or treated fairly by managers or co-workers at least some of the time during the same period.
The respondents also said employers could strengthen workers’ sense of belonging by providing more flexibility, supporting more freedom of opinion and offering more opportunities to socialize.
“The results confirm that creating a positive workplace culture where everybody feels safe is not a one-off activity,” said Corinna Refsgaard, group chief people and culture officer at ISS. “It requires constant consideration and should play a major role in every workplace decision, process and solution. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. However, it is important that actions are specific and measurable and—most importantly—embedded across the entire leadership team and organization.”
