Health

Survey Finds Safety Top Business Priority for 2021

Feb. 12, 2021

More than one-third of business leaders say ensuring a safe workplace will be more challenging over the next 12 months.

In a sign of the times, attracting top talent is no longer the No. 1 priority for businesses.

Instead, employee safety and well-being are now top priorities, according to a survey. Oasis, a professional employer organization that specializes in human resources, commissioned the survey of 300 business leaders from small to mid-sized companies across a broad cross-section of industries in December 2020.

"2021 will be challenging as businesses, in particular small and mid-size businesses, navigate safely bringing employees back to work and adjust to the long-term impact of the pandemic," said Teresa Carroll, president of Oasis, in a press release. "No matter the industry hey serve, all businesses have had to adapt to new regulations and local and state mandates as the pandemic evolves.

“Likewise, whether employees have faced cutbacks or mental health challenges brought on by the pandemic, all workers have been impacted. In turn, this has brought workforce management and overall physical, financial, mental and social employee wellness front and center among business leaders' list of priorities."

Other key findings from the survey include:

General stress levels are higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, with 21% of business leaders feeling "much more stressed." Furthermore, 54% of business leaders say that they are more aware of their employees' stress level than before COVID-19.
Keeping employees engaged and productive is a higher priority now than it was at the start of 2020, with 16% reporting it is a "much higher priority now."
Thirty-six percent of business leaders want to make employee benefits easier to access and more affordable. Thirty-three percent want to improve the overall benefits that they offer in order to remain competitive when recruiting and retaining top talent.
Looking at how employers communicate, 66% of business leaders said they use videoconferencing more now than prior to the pandemic, and 39% believe they will continue to use it with their customers and employees after the pandemic.

Survey results are available for download here.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.