3 vital components of a psychologically safe workplace

Published 2 Min Read

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Most workplaces have clear policies in place for things like showing up late or missing deadlines, but what about guidelines on employee behavior? 

A psychologically-safe environment is key to good retention and productivity levels, and 84% of employees rated this as one of the top three things they value most in an organization, according to a report from global employment platform Oyster HR. Thus, the way employees interact with one another matters, and company expectations for this need to be clear, and not just assumed. 

Though not required by federal law, anti-harassment policies and regular harassment training are required by multiple states and highly recommended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Employers can go further with their policies, including other harmful behaviors they do not tolerate within the workplace. 

“[Leadership can create] strong policies on what is permitted and what is not permitted, which may go beyond harassment, may get into bullying or other things that are not unlawful in the U.S.,” Rossi says. “Canada deals with the two subjects together, [and] more countries are starting to [do the same].”

Lee Hafner
Editor

Lee joined the EBN team in 2022, and covers areas including caregiving, employee health and wellness, healthcare innovation, and company culture. She created EBN's popular Benefits in Action and … Read full bio


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