Soborg, Denmark — About half of workers are hesitant to share their ideas and opinions freely at work, and plenty of say they’ve been handled unfairly, outcomes of a current survey present.

Commissioned by ISS, a office expertise and facility administration firm, researchers surveyed 4,500 workers representing varied industries within the United States, the United Kingdom, Demark, Germany and Switzerland. All respondents labored in organizations with greater than 250 workers and had jobs that have been beneath administration degree.

Around half (51%) of the respondents stated they’d felt unable to share their opinions freely within the office not less than a few of the time over the previous 12 months. Approximately 46% stated they didn’t really feel revered or handled pretty by managers or co-workers not less than a few of the time over the identical interval.

“While a majority of the people we have surveyed express a sense of belonging, we also observe a high number who have had negative experiences at work – experiences directly linked to worsened mental health and lower productivity,” Corinna Refsgaard, group chief folks and tradition officer at ISS, stated in a press launch. “Dealing with this is critical for both individuals and businesses. The good thing is that there is much more we can do to increase psychological safety and well-being in the workplace.”

The respondents stated employers may strengthen a sense of belonging amongst co-workers by offering extra flexibility by way of working hours and distant work, supporting extra freedom of opinion, and providing extra alternatives to socialize.

“The results confirm that creating a positive workplace culture where everybody feels safe is not a one-off activity,” Refsgaard stated. “It requires constant consideration and should play a major role in every workplace decision, process and solution. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. However, it is important that actions are specific and measurable and – most importantly – embedded across the entire leadership team and organization.”