Corporate

WSPS.CA | 2023 HEALTH & SAFETY LEADERSHIP SURVEY WHITE PAPER 7 MORE THAN HALF OF EMPLOYEES AT LEADING ORGANIZATIONS SAY THEY WOULDN'T LEAVE FOR MORE MONEY Only 66% of employees in Start of Journey and 62% in Reactive organizations would refer others to work for their organizations, and approximately half of respondents in these categories are actively looking elsewhere. However, in Leading organizations where health and safety is treated as a strategic priority, nearly all (92%) employees said they would refer others to work at their organizations. Only 14% are looking for a job, and over one half said they would be reluctant to leave even if they were offered more money elsewhere. EMPLOYERS ARE GROSSLY UNDERESTIMATING THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY TO NEW RECRUITS AND EMPLOYEES Only 39% of employers believe prospective employees ask about their health and safety program, but nearly double that number (73%) of employees say they would need to know about it before accepting an offer of employment. This is true across all employee segments and among all organizations from Start of Journey to Leading. When asked about the benefits of health and safety to the business, "Makes me a more attractive employer" was ranked last by employers and was top of the list for employees. UNDERSTANDING EMPLOYEE NEEDS COULD HELP STEM THE TIDE OF EMPLOYEE DEPARTURES A strong majority of employers (69%) say they are losing or have lost employees due to preventable issues. However, there is a disconnect between employers' perceptions and employees' actual reasons for leaving. Employers think the number one reason for losing employees is increased workload and mental health. Employees rank this as their number three reason for leaving. The number one reason employees say they choose to move on is flexibility and worklife balance. Not feeling safe in the workplace was the number five reason employees said they would leave; it was ranked number nine by employers. INVESTING IN HEALTH AND SAFETY HAS AND ALWAYS WILL MAKE GOOD BUSINESS SENSE Again this year, the vast majority of respondents (97%) indicated that having a culture of health and safety is key to sustainability and overall business success. Fewer employers feel that keeping employees healthy and safe is an expensive undertaking. Only 40% indicated cost was a barrier – a seven point drop from last year. Almost all respondents agree that investing in health and safety is less expensive than experiencing an injury. EMPLOYEE MENTAL HEALTH AND STRESS REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION Mental health and stress is ranked as the top emerging issue by 63% of leaders and 53% of employees. Overall, 97% of respondents identified a mental health concern that they feel they must address over the next 12 months. The top three concerns were stress from excessive workloads or tight deadlines, increased sick time related to stress or other mental health reasons, and poor work-life balance. There is still significant stigma to overcome in all organizations. One out of every three employees in Leading organizations say they wouldn't be comfortable asking for help with a mental health issue and two thirds of employees in Start of Journey organizations feel this way. KEY SURVEY FINDINGS

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