Psychological safety is a crucial element in fostering a healthy workplace culture built on trust, respect, and collaboration. It plays a pivotal role in creating an environment where employees feel safe to express themselves without fear of judgment or reprisal. In the absence of psychological safety, fear, anxiety, and mistrust can quickly permeate the workplace, leading to a toxic atmosphere.

Imagine working in a company where colleagues lack trust in one another, and any form of disagreement or criticism triggers defensiveness and hostility. In such an environment, individuals become hesitant to take risks or voice their opinions, even if they possess valuable insights to contribute.

As an employer, it is essential to cultivate a supportive work environment that values open communication, constructive feedback, and inclusivity. By doing so, employees will feel empowered to share their thoughts and ideas without fearing negative consequences.

Building a culture of psychological safety requires intentional effort from leadership and a commitment to prioritize employee well-being. This entails creating avenues for open dialogue, promoting respectful and empathetic interactions, and fostering a sense of belonging among team.

Psychological Safety Overview

Psychological safety in the workplace refers to the sense of security and confidence that employees have in sharing their ideas, concerns, and questions without fear of negative repercussions. It is an integral aspect of a healthy workplace culture that values open communication, collaboration, and personal growth.

Companies today recognize the significance of fostering psychological safety as it directly impacts employee well-being and overall team performance. When individuals feel safe to express themselves, take risks, and contribute their unique perspectives, it leads to increased engagement, innovation, and productivity. At least 32% of employees believe that organizations can achieve workplace trust if employees are allowed to be their true authentic selves. 

Creating a culture of team psychological safety requires deliberate actions from both leaders and team members. Leaders play a crucial role in setting the tone and establishing norms that encourage open dialogue, trust, and mutual respect. They need to communicate that diverse viewpoints are valued and mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and improvement.

Additionally, a supportive work environment prioritizing psychological safety provides the foundation for employees to thrive. This involves creating channels for feedback and discussion, fostering an atmosphere of empathy and understanding, and ensuring that employees feel heard and valued.

Navigating The Great Layoff

Layoffs around the globe in every industry are now standard. Organizations make difficult decisions to cope with an unpredictable economy. This results in an obvious psychological impact on employees and their families. Employees who once felt their employers valued them are now left worrying about job safety. The Gi Group Holding survey shows that 93% of employees attribute workplace safety as crucial for their mental wellness. 

Although layoffs are traumatic for all stakeholders, employees suffer more due to the stigma attached to getting laid off. It can increase their stress levels and result in low self-esteem. Layoff doesn't affect only the employees who are forced to leave the organization. It also affects those who continue to work because their job security is at risk. 

In this difficult situation, leaders should focus on employee well-being. They can offer benefits choices for employees to ensure that the company cares for their well-being. Psychological safety at the workplace improves employee engagement and retention. It can have a positive impact on business outcomes. Leaders may find it difficult to discuss the reasons for layoffs openly, but this transparent communication is crucial to support everyone affected. 

Psychological Safety Benefits

Ensuring psychological safety will transform an uncertain workplace into a flourishing environment. It provides the following benefits:

• Enhanced collaboration – Ideas will flow freely when employees are not anxious about how their opinions will be valued. It improves employee productivity, engagement, and collaboration, improving project outcomes. 
• Improved innovation – Teams can innovate and solve problems quickly when psychological safety at the workplace encourages them to take risks to be creative. It can also improve organizational decision-making. 
• Increased job satisfaction – Employees who feel safe and valued at work are more likely to have higher job satisfaction. They won't feel the need to quit their job if they feel supported. 
• Decreased burnout and distress – Burnout results in poor psychological safety, as 34% of employees agreed in an Indeed survey. A positive work culture encourages employees to voice their opinions, ask for help and get the required support. It reduces employee stress and prevents burnout. 

Evaluating Psychological Safety

The efforts to create a supportive work environment will be fruitful only if organizations can measure employee safety. Employees believe that second-line management (rated 4.83 on a 5-point scale), such as managers, team leaders, supervisors, etc., are responsible for ensuring psychological safety. Employees expect their supervisors to listen to them first. 

Employee surveys with psychological safety quizzes will help evaluate the current workplace culture of the organization. Employees must first be informed about the purpose and usefulness of surveys before asking them to share their opinions openly. Such a survey will help identify the struggles and needs of the employees so that leaders can develop flexible employee benefits to address psychological safety concerns. 

Conclusion

Psychological safety should become the core of company culture if companies want to succeed. When employees cannot be authentic with individualistic opinions, 32% feel disengaged. An inclusive, transparent, and supportive workplace will attract and retain top talent. Customising wellness benefits and employee perks to the evolving needs of employees is crucial to ensure continuous support. Maintaining a feedback loop instead of yearly employee surveys will help leaders to stay on top of employee needs and change workplace benefits accordingly. They must take action based on the feedback to gain employee trust and ensure psychological safety.

About Batik

‍Batik is an employee benefits and perks platform built on a mission to help employers elevate the benefits offered to employees. Batik allows employers to access flexible benefits across various categories such as finance, insurance, gift cards, health, fitness, etc at exclusive prices that suit the needs of each generation. Employers can provide benefits with just one click and support their workforce’s well-being with zero administrative burdens.