The tight labor market has made hiring and retaining skilled workers a top priority for organizations. However, filling empty job slots just isn’t enough. Keeping employees healthy, motivated, and on the job is just as important. Gaining employee trust is an effective way to increase workers’ commitment to the organization and its goals. Research shows that trusted leaders help their staff feel safe and valued, inspiring them to better performance.

Employee trust promotes stronger teamwork, more engaged workers, decreases costs, and is a fundamental building block of any positive workplace culture. But establishing trust takes time and effort, and it can be lost in an instance. It requires an ongoing effort from management. As explained in the Harvard Business Review, there are many ways managers can strengthen employee trust, including job coaching, transparency, and open two-way communications.

Emphasizing Workplace Safety Bolsters Employee Trust

Another powerful way to build employee trust is by developing a safe, supportive work environment where people can thrive. Trust paves the way for a strong safety culture, where employees actively participate in wellness programs, faithfully adhere to established safety regulations, and contribute their ideas.

In a high-trust environment, workers believe managers that value a safe work environment is more important than meeting deadlines or productivity goals, and they act accordingly. Employees worry less about losing their jobs or taking time off if injured to get needed treatments. Employees who trust their managers feel confident enough to voice their concerns, recommend improvements to job processes, and report workplace hazards. As a result, worker injury rates and turnover are lower, while profitability and employee morale increase.

Taking a proactive approach to workplace safety demonstrates an organization’s commitment to employee wellbeing better than words can, reinforcing their trust. An investment in worker safety programs can reduce the potential for injuries and other health risks for your workforce while improving their overall quality of life.

Why MSK Services are Important

With musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries a leading cause of workforce disability and early retirement, MSK health services should be a major component of any workplace safety and injury prevention program. Studies show that MSK injuries lead to workers’ absenteeism and lost productivity, and increased healthcare costs. It’s nearly impossible for people to work well when they’re in pain, so preventing and effectively treating MSK injuries is a must.

An MSK services program customized to an organization’s needs and wellness goals can deliver immediate benefits. For example, when onsite physical and occupational therapists train employees on ergonomic ways to perform physical tasks, they adopt safer work practices and avoid injuries. Therapists also encourage workers to report and get treated for minor MSK disorders before they become major issues. By working directly with workers and helping them stay healthy, therapists can gain employees’ trust and contribute directly to the organization’s safety culture.

Employee Trust – A Foundation for Organizational Success

A positive work safety culture can help differentiate your organization in a competitive labor market and reinforce workers’ trust. By shifting from minimal compliance to safety regulations to a commitment to employee wellbeing, you create a highly productive and innovative organization that attracts and retains qualified employees of all ages and skill-sets.

WorkWell provides expert guidance on how to manage and operate best-in-class MSK wellness programs that enhance safety culture. To learn more, download the case study below.