Why Safety Culture Has a Positive Impact on Employee Retention

By Tyler Doupe'

Attrition is expensive. Training a new employee to replace one who has moved on for greener pastures directly affects a business’s bottom line. Knowing this, companies invest plenty of time and effort into maintaining quality talent. Employers funnel resources into retaining their workforce by way of competitive wages, quality benefits packages, and flexible work schedules, but there’s an important piece of the retention puzzle that often goes overlooked: I’m talking about safety culture.

A Safer Workplace Fosters Employee Satisfaction

While it might not be quite as glamourous as stock options or financial support for professional development, a strong safety culture still has a direct and measurable impact on employee retention. The reasoning is quite simple: Employees who feel safe and valued in their workplace are happier, and happy employees tend to stick around much longer than their disgruntled counterparts.

A study published in March of 2020 involving 452 workers in the stone, sand, gravel, and mining (SSGM) industry found that job satisfaction was directly influenced by safety culture. The authors of the study concluded that, “…bolstering safety programs and increasing safety climate perceptions will help increase job satisfaction and reduce turnover intention among workers in the SSGM industry.”

It’s very likely that the same applies to all industries. When an employee reports to work knowing that their well-being is a top priority for their employer, that fosters trust and increases the likelihood that an employee will hang around for the long haul.

Companies With a Strong Safety Culture are More Likely to Attract (and Retain) Quality Talent

Not to mention, a stellar safety record will make your company more appealing to top-tier talent when it’s time to bring someone new into the fold. The best and brightest have more room to pick and choose where they decide to hang their (hard) hat. Demonstrating dedication to a safe workplace at the organizational level will give prospective employees one more reason to choose your organization over one of your competitors.

All in all, a persistent focus on safety culture helps businesses recruit and, more importantly, maintain quality talent. After all, safe employees are happy employees. 

For even more important information on workplace safety, take a look at OSHAcademy Course 121: Introduction to Safety Training.