FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rave Mobile Safety (Rave), trusted provider of technology solutions that enhance critical communications, increase resiliency, and improve safety, today announced the results of its fifth annual Workplace Safety and Preparedness Survey. The 2022 report reveals that when it comes to employer prioritization of safety, less than half (43%) of respondents said that workplace safety is extremely important to their employer. Findings show a disconnect between how employers communicate workplace emergencies and how employees want to receive important safety information, as well as the need for safety drills.
Over the past two years, as COVID-19 challenged norms, civil unrest unfolded, and active assailants persisted, both employers and employees alike expressed concerns about workplace safety. With the impact of the pandemic waning, hybrid work schedules becoming more popular, and more employees returning to work at their company’s physical location(s), employers need to effectively communicate preparedness protocols and train personnel on appropriate safety practices.
Key workplace safety findings from this year’s survey show that:
- Employers need to bridge the learning gap about common emergencies by prioritizing safety drills – Despite 24% of respondents reporting that they have experienced a severe weather event in the last year, 34% indicated that their employer has never performed drills or tested emergency plans for these types of events.
- Employers are moving on from the pandemic, but employee concerns remain – Although there is less anxiety about COVID-19 these days, 45% of employees are still very or extremely concerned that they will be exposed to illnesses while working. However, 37% of employees reported that their organization has never performed drills or tested emergency plans for medical emergencies or exposure to illnesses. These results show that employers need to align their company’s safety priorities with employee concerns.
- Employers need to account for hybrid and remote employees – Fifty-seven percent of remote workers and 60% of traveling workers are involved in safety drills (an increase from 28% in 2021), but 5% of employees reported that they cannot access safety information in the event of an emergency, putting them at greater risk for harm.
- Employers need to ensure their emergency notification processes take employee communication preferences into account – Employers rely on email (41%), in-person announcements (38%), and mass text messages (36%) to communicate emergency information to employees, but Rave found that employees would prefer to be notified via mass text message (43%), an intercom system announcement or building alarm (40%), and to a lesser extent, email (31%).
- Employees feel safe at work, but employers can do more – Rave found that 77% of employees generally feel safe at work, but there are additional steps they would like employers to take to improve overall feelings of safety. For example, employers may think that it is enough to communicate safety plans through a host of channels but employees would also like to attend trainings outlining what to do in the event of different emergencies (58%); receive updates on safety procedures and protocols via regularly scheduled emails (49%); and have systems that allow for easy, digital access to safety plans (44%).
“As more employees return to physical workplace locations, employers need to evaluate the safety needs of onsite, hybrid, and remote staff,” said Rave CEO Todd Piett. “Revisiting emergency preparedness communication methods, prioritizing safety drills, and identifying detailed business continuity strategies will allow both employers and personnel to feel more confident in the company’s crisis management approach—no matter where employees are working.”
To view the full findings of the report, download the complete 2022 Workplace Safety and Preparedness Survey.
Methodology
The independent research firm Researchscape conducted this survey. Respondents were 578 workers aged 18+ in the United States. To qualify for the survey, workers had to have been employed by the same company for more than one year; work for a business with 10 or more employees; and work from home fewer than 5 days a week. Responses were gathered in September 2022.
About Rave Mobile Safety
Rave Mobile Safety is the leading provider of critical communication and collaboration technology used to save lives, manage crisis incidents, increase resiliency, and help with everyday emergencies and operational efficiencies. The Rave platform enables critical data sharing, mass notification, and emergency response coordination. Rave has become the trusted communication and collaboration partner for more than 8,000 customers worldwide, 10,000 K-12 schools in the U.S., more than 75% of the nation’s higher education student population, a growing number of corporate and healthcare facilities, as well as the cities of Chicago and New Orleans; Suffolk County, NY, and the states of California, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Founded in 2004, Rave’s award-winning software solutions are backed by leading growth equity firm TCV. Let Rave enable you to Do all you can todayR to keep everyone safe. For more information, visit https://www.ravemobilesafety.com, read our company blog, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
