Another way to take care of your employees

Take care of your employees’ safety and health and they’ll take care of your business.

In a typical workplace in Singapore, safety and health is very often overlooked. It is a misconception that work incidents only take place in traditional sectors like construction.
In truth, out of about 10,000 recorded work injuries every year, 40% happened in new sectors recently covered under the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act. These include offices, retail, wholesale, finance and education sectors, just to name a few.

Makes monetary sense to do so
It is critical that employers pay heed to WSH as an unsafe workplace is a threat not only to the well-being of your employees but also the sustainability of your business bottom-line. In a recent perception survey conducted by the Ministry of Manpower and WSH Council, 87% of 589 management staff interviewed believes that good WSH performance will have a positive impact on company business.

According to the statistics by the General Insurance Association of Singapore, nearly half a million dollars are being paid out for work injury compensation daily. It is estimated that 700,000 man days are lost due to workplace incidents daily or equivalent to about 2,300 employees sitting idle for a whole year. Work incidents hurt productivity and continuity of business operations.

Safe work environments help companies retain talent
Putting in place good WSH practices are also an important indicator that determines employees’ loyalty to their company. The benefits of happier, motivated and healthier employees are clear. The obvious loss in productivity and medical costs aside, an unsafe environment affects employee morale and their enthusiasm towards their work.
Employers who show concern and commitment towards safety and well-being strengthen their employees’ commitment to the workplace and leads to increased employee retention.
Good WSH practices make for good reputation
There are also benefits of good reputation to consider when adopting WSH practices.
Leaders of companies are well aware of the impact that safety performance can have on their reputation – both positively and negatively.

Businesses are increasingly perceived and evaluated by others such as consumers, investors and competitors. Businesses can no longer depend on just the products or services they provide. They are also being judged based on their corporate reputation.
The aftermath of any work incident also hurt company reputation as its name is highlighted in negative reports, widely spread through the mass media and cyberspace.

It’s easy to start your WSH journey
Managing work hazards and improving work procedures for safer outcomes is simpler than you can image. Here are some tips that you can share with your employees on how to keep your workplace safe (more info can be found on www.wshc.sg).