Keeping the Workplace Safe from Threats: Maintain awareness with plans and accountability

To learn more, we invite you to download and read the research report and infographic today:

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE RESEARCH:

How Safe Are Today's Workplaces?

While no place is immune from workplace threats, about half of respondents feel their physical location/facility is safe. Of real concern are the nearly 50% who do not feel their workplace is safe or are unsure. Even those who feel safe should do the due diligence to make sure their organizations stay safe. It is a good idea for HR to survey employees to see how they feel about workplace threats since their view may be different from HR's; furthermore some basic analytics may show some groups more fearful than others. Managing workplace threats is both a matter of perception (feeling safe) and reality (being safe) and a good starting point is to measure current perceptions.

What Is the Role of Training?

HR can't be everywhere all the time, so it is helpful if managers and employees can spot the warning signs of workplace threats. Overall, a small majority (56%) of respondents say their organizations train managers and/or employees to identify these warning signs. This is an area where there are substantial differences by size. Almost three-quarters of large organizations and over half of mid-sized organizations train managers and/or employees to identify these warning signs. If HR can create a level of basic awareness about possible warning signs, it will probably have a better chance of learning about issues before they escalate into serious problems.

What Is the Role of Training?

HR can't be everywhere all the time, so it is helpful if managers and employees can spot the warning signs of workplace threats. Overall, a small majority (56%) of respondents say their organizations train managers and/or employees to identify these warning signs. This is an area where there are substantial differences by size. Almost three-quarters of large organizations and over half of mid-sized organizations train managers and/or employees to identify these warning signs. If HR can create a level of basic awareness about possible warning signs, it will probably have a better chance of learning about issues before they escalate into serious problems.

How Do Firms Plan for a Crisis?

Overall, only about half (48%) of respondents said their firms have a crisis plan, and even fewer (35%) have a crisis management group. However, whether or not an organization has a crisis management group and a crisis plan varies by size of the organization. Only 21% of small organizations have a crisis management group, whereas a majority of large organizations (57%) do. Even if the organization is not large enough to have a crisis management group, we believe that HR professionals should, with senior leadership's buy-in, develop a crisis plan that is appropriately detailed given the risks their organizations face. We also believe that if risks are high and complex, then it makes sense for HR to propose that a crisis management group be established.