Corporate

WSPS.CA | 2023 HEALTH & SAFETY LEADERSHIP SURVEY WHITE PAPER 9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Most employees can cite at least one reason they would stay in their jobs (97%). So there's a good chance many don't want to embark on the journey to find employment elsewhere. Evaluating the effectiveness of current programs and having critical conversations with employees about what is most important might prevent them from taking the leap. Above all else, employees say they want fair pay (59%), the opportunity to work with great people (53%), and supportive leaders and managers (41%). They also place high importance on health, safety and well-being, much higher than most employers seem to realize. Overwhelmingly, employees indicate that commitment to health and safety matters when evaluating a prospective employer. However, employers ranked "Makes me an attractive employer" as the least important benefit of investing in health and safety. When asked if mental health is related to attracting and retaining employees, 69% of respondents said yes. The number was higher among Leading organizations at 83%. The business case is clear. Organizations that want to improve sustainability, attract and retain top talent, protect employees, customers and community members, and improve business outcomes, must invest in health and safety and make it a strategic priority. And to ensure that improvements are sustainable, involve employees. Have regular conversations to make sure priorities are aligned and concerns are heard. Since launching this survey, we've seen that businesses with more developed health and safety programs have fewer injuries, they experienced low or reduced infection rates during the Pandemic, and they were in a stronger position to manage the crisis. This year, results show they have a distinct advantage in attracting and keeping employees. 97% of respondents say having a culture of health and safety is key to sustainability Overall, 4 in 10 employees have reportedly experienced a workplace injury at some point. Workplace injuries are more prevalent with less developed H&S (Start and Reactive) workplaces (51% and 61% vs 19% Leading) Very few employees in Leading organizations are looking for a job. (14 vs. 54% in Start of Journey organizations) When we started the survey, mental health didn't even appear on the list of top challenges, but in every survey since, it's appeared among the top three. While employees in Leading organizations report fewer mental health issues, there is still work to be done. Mental health and stress is ranked as the top emerging issue by 63% of leaders and 53% of employees. Even in Leading organizations, one out of every three employees indicated they would be reluctant to bring a mental health issue forward. Finding and keeping employees is still the top challenge. For the past two years, 59% of survey respondents have been tossing and turning at night with visions of unfilled vacancies and employee departures robbing them of sleep. Mercer found the same thing. In it's 2022 People Risk Report, Canadian organizations ranked attraction, retention and engagement as their number two priority compared to their global counterparts who ranked it at number ten. .1 "Everyone is responsible for health and safety." Survey Respondent

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