Franck Wang 
Making Your Employees Feel Safe in the Workplace: 5 Steps
Running a successful business is dependent on various different factors, and a happy and positive work environment is a big part of this. When your staff is content with their work-life, they’re more likely to perform at their best and do amazing things for the benefit of your company.
Making sure that your employees feel safe and comfortable at work is a major part of your role as an employer. Here are some important steps to take to create a positive company culture.
Show Respect
It’s important for employees to feel respected by figures of authority, and to feel as though they are valued and appreciated as more than working machines. Always treating your staff with respect is crucial, and ensuring that they are treating one another with mutual respect is just as important.
Keeping your eye open for any mistreatment of your employees by one another can help prevent serious issues like sexual harassment, discrimination, manipulation, and other uncomfortable conflicts that might make your staff feel unsafe.
Workplace
Recognise Them
Making your employees feel seen and appreciated is an important step in building a positive work environment for them. Discussing your staff’s performance should not only be in your schedule when someone has done something wrong – but also when they’ve done something right. Taking a moment to recognize and appreciate hard work and exceptional efforts will encourage continued good performance.
Focus on Inclusion
Any employee who feels excluded or discriminated against is not going to feel safe or valued in their job. A focus on diversity within your company will not only make your staff feel better and recognized but will create a better image for your business too.
For example, women are far less likely to feel safe and comfortable in their workplace than men, so making it clear to your female employees that they are valued and respected is important.
Open Communication
A major aspect of trust is seen in open lines of communication. Your employees need to feel safe to come and discuss issues with someone in a managerial position, and not only this, but they should feel comfortable asking for help.
Make it clear to your staff that you welcome questions and are open to discussing any problems they might have with their work, another employee, or any other work-related issue. When your staff feels like they can trust you, the environment will feel far more comfortable for everyone.
Listen
Telling your employees that you’re there to talk to is one thing – actually showing up for them is another thing entirely.
It’s important that you make yourself available to them for important conversations, and prove your investment in them by taking action to help them manage any issues they may be having. Show them that you’ve listened by assisting where you can and following up with their problems and questions to find out whether they feel that things have been resolved. Simply showing you care can go a long way in business.
