Health and Safety and HR: Working Together to Create Better Workplaces

HR plays a major role in health and safety. Traditionally, the department responsible for a business’s success and sustainability mainly oversaw the functions of recruitment and payroll. But today, that’s changing.

Since the global pandemic, HR’s core responsibility of attracting, retaining and engaging talent has become more challenging. The Great Resignation signaled that employee expectations had evolved. They wanted more than monetary compensation and they were willing to quit if it wasn’t received.

Among these new demands: a prioritization of health and safety.

The Microsoft 2022 Work Index Report stated that 18% of the workforce that quit their roles in 2021 cited imbalances in personal well-being and mental health as prime concerns in their decision-making.

Working in a safe environment helps staff feel valued by their employer. In turn, this boost to staff morale means that employees are more inclined to stay in their roles rather than shopping around for new opportunities. This is an important selling point for new hires and could be the differentiator between a business and its competitors.

HR’s duty today is to provide leadership and direction for businesses looking to make sure that everyone can work in a safe and fulfilling environment. Here are some benefits they can start to see as a result:

A more positive work environment

In addition to attracting and retaining talent, prioritizing health and safety can also improve employee engagement and ultimately create a more attractive company culture.

Safety and employee engagement are closely linked, and improving one naturally improves the other. According to research from Gallup, key drivers of employee engagement include a sense of purpose, open conversations and dialogue and a caring team. In fact, research found that businesses in the upper quartile of employee engagement had 64% fewer safety incidents compared to those in the bottom quartile.

The good news is that safety is a great way to demonstrate care. Having a fully integrated approach to health and safety can demonstrate a care and commitment to employees that encourages them to be more engaged and proactive, building a more robust culture within the workplace.

Increased productivity

Health and safety encompasses a wide range of factors – not just physical safety, but mental well-being as well. Looking after both these facets of health and safety means employees are happy, healthy – and as a result, more productive in their work.

A recent study published by Science Direct found that employers that set policies and programs to promote worker safety, health and well-being with their direct input see large improvements in productivity and quality.

After all, if an employee is demoralized due to a recent workplace incident, nervous about getting injured on the warehouse or factory floor, and not able to look after their own well-being, it’s impossible to expect them to work to the best of their ability.

Safety as a company priority

Company values are one of the key considerations for any HR team. Every business has cultural values it wants to aspire to: inclusivity, ambition, diversity, supportive, respectful, etc. How can safety feed into these?

A workplace can have strict safety rules and clear protocols on how to deal with incidents; it can have tough sanctions for those who flout them and incentives for employees who hit safety targets; but the reality is, establishing safety as a company core value is shown to have the most significant impact on reducing incidents and injuries.

This is created through a combination of workplace policies (such as the previously mentioned incentives and protocols), but also the training provided, simplified reporting processes, and the attitudes of management and HR teams in dealing with the issues.

It’s already clear the value that good health and safety can bring to an organization – now, it’s time to strengthen that across every team, and weave it into the very fabric of the company core values.

A complimentary duo

 It’s clear that improving safety within the workplace brings valuable results for the HR team. Employees value health and safety practices and want to feel protected within their working environments. But how does an HR leader support frontline workers in achieving engagement and safety?

To collaborate successfully, HR professionals and H&S teams need to support each other in taking a proactive approach to safety, compliance, good practice and visibility.

Involving employees in defining H&S activities increases engagement and changes the perception of compliance: processes stop being "box-ticking exercises" and evolve into practical considerations that workers absorb into their day-to-day responsibilities, further easing the HR burden. 

Ultimately, improving health and safety practices across the business will result in a number of staff benefits that will help an HR team hit its goals.

Technology as a tool

Technology has begun to revolutionize H&S management by enabling teams to automate processes, improve employee engagement, and gather and analyze better-quality data. But how can innovative technology help HR professionals?

Of course, there’s more to ensuring compliance and protecting your workforce than software alone, but it is a critical step in the right direction that underpins other advances. In an environment in which HR teams are realizing the benefits of working ever more closely with their health and safety colleagues, choosing the right H&S software helps to cement those relationships and ensure compliance by delivering the peace of mind that total visibility can bring.

For more information on how HR and EHS work hand in hand, request a demo today!