London — What’s the cost of employees staying silent about an unsupportive workplace culture?
Researchers from Mental Health First Aid England, which calls itself “a social enterprise” and “a national authority,” recently set out to answer that question. They surveyed 2,000 adults in the United Kingdom to learn if they’re comfortable speaking up at work about risks and mistakes.
Forty-five percent of the workers said they’re not comfortable raising these issues. More than a third said they don’t feel safe asking for help, and 15% admitted to making mistakes because of stress or fear about speaking up.
“These findings highlight the critical role psychological safety plays in workplace performance,” a press release from MHFA England states. “When employees are fearful of judgment or consequences, innovation slows, mistakes go unchallenged and well-being suffers.”
To help employers create a more open, supportive workplace culture, MHFA England offers a free toolkit that can be downloaded. The toolkit focuses on the link between psychological safety and performance, actions managers can take to encourage openness, and activities teams can use to build trust and inclusion.
“In an era of rapid AI adoption, we can’t afford employees who are too afraid to speak up whey they spot errors,” said Sarah MacIntosh, chief executive of MHFA England and the Association of Mental Health First Aiders. “Human judgment is our strength and safety net. The good news is that psychological safety can be built with the right tools and training to create the conditions that teams need to thrive.”
