Employees’ attitudes toward workplace safety are strongly shaped by leadership behavior and organizational culture. According toHuman Resource Management, 16th Editionby Gary Dessler, one of the most influential factors in shaping safety attitudes ismanagement’s visible commitment to safety, particularly through positive reinforcement of safe behaviors and hazard reporting.
Dessler explains that when leaders actively encourage employees to report unsafe conditions without fear of retaliation and recognize those who do so, employees perceive safety as a core organizational value. This perception increases safety awareness, compliance with safety rules, and employee participation in safety initiatives. In contrast, if leadership ignores or discourages hazard reporting, employees may believe productivity is valued more than safety, which weakens safety attitudes.
Factors such as compensation, attendance policies, or career development opportunities may affect motivation or satisfaction, but they do not directly shape employees’ perceptions of safety priorities. Leadership behavior sends a powerful signal about what truly matters in the organization. Therefore,positive reinforcement by leadership for reporting potential hazardsmost directly influences employees’ attitudes about workplace safety.
Source:
Gary Dessler,Human Resource Management, 16th Edition, Chapter on Employee Safety and Health
