Motivating employees for occupational health and safety is an important task that every employer is faced with. After all, accidents and therefore downtime can only be avoided if employees follow the health and safety instructions.
However, as is so often the case, this can only happen if the employees are convinced and motivated - you are therefore dependent on the commitment of your employees.
But how do you motivate employees for occupational health and safety? We give you tips in this article.
The most important facts in brief
✓ Appreciation is fundamental to motivation in the workplace. Without it, this leads to demotivation, dissatisfaction and ultimately to a decline in performance and resignations.
✓ Personal responsibility promotes employees' sense of responsibility and motivates them to comply with health and safety measures.
✓ Transparent communication about innovations and decisions in occupational health and safety is crucial to promote commitment and prevent accidents.
These values are important
The basis for motivating your employees is based on two key values:
Appreciation
Everyone needs a minimum level of appreciation in order to be motivated and to develop a thirst for action. Appreciation is the basis of every successful collaboration - so simple and yet so true. Without appreciation, people become demotivated, especially at work.
This leads to a negative attitude in the workplace, which can result in dissatisfaction, a drop in performance, illness and ultimately even dismissals. Appreciation is therefore a key factor in the success of occupational health and safety measures.
Personal responsibility
Employees who work independently often feel more respected, as people have confidence in their abilities. They have the feeling that they can take their work into their own hands and thus directly influence the results. A high degree of personal responsibility is important to motivate employees to comply with health and safety measures.
Whatmeasures can I take as an employer?
Motivating employees for occupational health and safety is no easy task. Nevertheless, it is important that companies do everything they can to make their employees aware of occupational health and safety measures and motivate them to comply with them.
This is the only way to prevent accidents in the workplace. The following measures can significantly increase employees' motivation to comply with occupational safety measures:
Inform employees about innovations and thus convey transparency
A lack of information is one of the main reasons why employees are not motivated to get involved in occupational safety tasks in their company. If you do not communicate the background and impact of health and safety measures to your employees, they will not get involved.
Make sure that you clearly explain what you expect from your employees so that they know what to look out for.
It is also important that decisions are communicated transparently. If your employees do not know why certain decisions have been made, they may develop frustration and think that you do not trust them.
Inform your employees about the reasons behind your decisions. Explain your decisions by referring to the legal situation, the risk assessment or accident statistics.
Through continuous communication, you ensure that your employees are always up to date and can take the necessary measures to protect themselves from accidents and health hazards. It is also a sign of appreciation when valuable information is shared with your employees. Also inform your employees about their obligations to cooperate in occupational health and safety.
Encourage your employees to participate in shaping their working conditions
If you do not give your employees the chance to contribute their ideas and actively participate in the design of occupational health and safety, they will not feel motivated to implement the relevant measures.
Interfering in your employees' area of responsibility, e.g. through checks or excessive criticism, can quickly lead to a drop in morale.
Instead, you should focus on positive behaviors that increase your employees' motivation. This includes, for example, praise and recognition for good work, clear targets and open communication. Praise employees who implement health and safety measures conscientiously and in an exemplary manner.
In addition, promote the further development of your employees. If you do not train your employees in the skills they need to do their work safely and effectively, they will become frustrated and feel demotivated. Make sure you also provide opportunities for employee development.
Allow your employees to participate in shaping their working conditions. This not only promotes commitment to occupational safety, but also improves the working atmosphere. When employees can contribute their ideas and suggestions, they feel valued and motivated. Use regular discussions or surveys for this purpose.
Praise and reward your employees
Make sure that the goals you set for your employees are both realistic and achievable. No one wants to work for an endeavor that seems hopeless - that would only lead to frustration and resignation.
Unrealistic targets also put your employees under pressure and could tempt them to no longer carry out health and safety measures conscientiously in order to save time.
At the same time, however, the goals should not be too easy; otherwise there is a risk that your employees will become bored and disinterested. So find the right balance to keep the motivation of your workforce high!
Praise and reward your employees regularly for complying with health and safety measures. Praise increases motivation and encourages commitment to working safely in the company.
When selecting rewards, make sure that they correspond to the subjective value that the employee attaches to the reward.
It is also important that the rewards are relevant and specific. This is the only way to ensure that the reward actually has the desired effect.
Conclusion
In summary, it can be said that employee motivation is a key factor in the effectiveness of occupational health and safety measures. Motivation is the driver for action. Without motivation, no action will be carried out.
Therefore, question yourself openly and honestly about demotivating behaviors and develop a plan to get rid of them.
Ask yourself whether appreciation and personal responsibility are key values in all facets of your leadership. This will give you an excellent foundation on which you can then build with further measures.
By increasing employee motivation to comply with occupational health and safety measures, everyone's safety can be improved. A lot can be achieved if all employees pull together.
Every individual can contribute to improving safety in the workplace. Accidents can be avoided or at least minimized through a shared understanding of the dangers and risks in the workplace.
