A new survey finds a conflict between what employees claim they value (a safe environment) and what they’re willing to do to get it (speak up about workplace safety concerns).

1. 7 TACTICS FOR A
PEOPLE-FIRST
WORKPLACE
EHS MANAGER’S GUIDE // ANTEA GROUP EHSXTECH SURVEY RESULTS 2015

2. PUT YOUR
PEOPLE FIRST
If you have a role in risk management, you’re probably motivated by
people first and compliance second. Whether an environment, health,
and safety (EHS) manager, facility manager, or HR professional, you need
to be proactive about EHS issues to keep employees safe and healthy
while also managing business operations to maintain a light
environmental footprint.
By understanding employees’ behaviors and attitudes toward EHS,
you can implement EHS programs and initiatives that best leverage
those behaviors and attitudes. As a result, these programs have a
greater probability of being implemented and adopted successfully.
By following these seven actionable tactics, you’ll increase EHS program
development and deployment success, foster a safe and healthy work
environment, minimize impact on the environment, and facilitate the
growth and sustainability of your business.
The challenge you
face is finding the
right balance between
EHS programs for your
level of risk that ensures
a safe and healthy
workforce and supports
your core business
objectives.

3. METHODOLOGY
In April 2015, Antea Group conducted a survey with the goal of better understanding
employee attitudes and preferences as related to environment, health, and safety in
the technology industry.
The study involved 500 U.S-based respondents working in global IT organizations with
more than 5,000 employees. The survey focused on questions relating to company
environment, personal workplace and EHS services.
Findings were rated using “Importance Scales” running from 1-10, with one being
“not important at all” and 10 being “extremely important.”

4. UNCOMFORTABLE
ABOUT SAFETY
With regard to safety, employees at tech companies:
of surveyed employees did not feel
comfortable pointing out potentially
unsafe behaviors to either their peers
or superiors.
would not appreciate being told they
were doing something potentially unsafe.
would be offended if they were told
that they were doing something
potentially unsafe.
Although a majority of employees would not be
offended being told they’re doing something
unsafe and would even appreciate being told so,
only half of employees feel comfortable pointing
out unsafe behaviors to their colleagues.
ANTEA GROUP EHSXTECH SURVEY RESULTS 2015
38%
36%
45%

5. DON’T BE SHY
ABOUT SAFETY1.
If employees are not comfortable talking about safety and helping
their colleagues be safe in the workplace, this is likely to limit the
effectiveness of your incident and near miss reporting program, injury
and illness prevention program, and risk assessment program.
EHS MANAGER’S GUIDE: TACTIC
To counter these feelings:
Focus on facilitating the behavior of
intervening as well as accepting advice.
Build a safety culture that sets employee
intervention as an expectation.
Encourage employees to point out
safety concerns to their coworkers,
regardless of title, before they blossom
into larger HR or compliance issues.

6. SAFETY IS A
PRIORITY FOR
WOMEN
Women tend to place more value on workplace
safety when compared to men.
Males Females
69%
84%
Feeling personally
safe and secure in
the workplace
57%
76%
Knowing your company has
an emergency response plan
to manage any crisis
54%
74%
Company’s ability to respond
to workplace violence including
an active shooter scenario
56%
71%
Company’s ability to
provide a safe and
secure parking lot
ANTEA GROUP EHSXTECH SURVEY RESULTS 2015

7. STEPS TO MAKE
SAFETY A PRIORITY2.
Make sure your employees are aware
of your EHS policies and programs
and how they keep them safe.
Integrate crisis response plans into
employee communications.
Install safety cameras or hire security
guards for parking lots.
EHS MANAGER’S GUIDE: TACTIC

8. EMPLOYEES WANT
SAFETY TO BE
TAKEN SERIOUSLY
Overall, employees care most about:
Company takes your workplace
safety needs seriously.
Company takes your workplace
health needs seriously.
Company’s ability to control
access to building entrances.
70%
69%
69%
ANTEA GROUP EHSXTECH SURVEY RESULTS 2015

9. TURN CONCERNS
INTO ACTIONS3.
• Train your EHS team to respond quickly to employee concerns, such
as strange odors or blocked exits, to show employees that EHS is
taken seriously at your company.
• Make EHS visible by launching an annual EHS Awareness Day led by
corporate EHS managers and facility managers who can set up
interactive stations around offices to shine light on often-overseen
EHS issues like stairwell safety and proper ergonomics.
• Provide digital and physical systems to elicit current employee
concerns and encourage feedback and reporting.
• To ensure awareness doesn’t dwindle over time, be sure to plan and
initiate EHS training for all new employees – full-time and contract
employees alike.
EHS MANAGER’S GUIDE: TACTIC

10. CONCERNS
ARE DIVERSE
Overall, employees care the most about:
Feeling personally safe and
secure in the workplace.
Knowing your company has an
emergency response plan to
manage any crisis.
Adjustable and flexible workstation
chairs, monitors and other peripherals.
75%
64%
60%
ANTEA GROUP EHSXTECH SURVEY RESULTS 2015

11. BE PREPARED FOR
ANYTHING & EVERYTHING4.
• From ergonomic issues to emergency response plans, you can never predict what
your workforce’s next concern will be. Assume that nothing is ever off the table.
• Know that your employees’ behaviors and attitudes may change based on where
they live. For example, metropolitan offices may require controlled building access,
whereas suburban offices may not be as concerned.
• By connecting with geographic stakeholders, you can proactively plan for employee
concerns, staying one step ahead of global challenges and understanding different
employee expectations in different geographies.
EHS MANAGER’S GUIDE: TACTIC

12. 2
PEOPLE ARE
THINKING GREEN
Employees are showing a growing awareness of
the environmental impact of company operations.
Overall, close to half of employees care about:
Company water conservation (42%)
Company has recycling containers
accessible throughout the building (46%)
Company has implemented energy
conservation programs (48%)
Company takes its impact on the
environment seriously (52%)
ANTEA GROUP EHSXTECH SURVEY RESULTS 2015

13. BE ENVIRONMENTALLY
CONSCIOUS5.
• Educate your employees on the environmental impacts of your
company’s operations, the programs in place to minimize these
impacts, and their role in ensuring program success.
• Recruit with the environment in mind. You can use your environmental
awareness and corporate responsibility as a selling point to prospective
top talent.
EHS MANAGER’S GUIDE: TACTIC

14. EMPLOYEES ARE
UNAWARE OF EHS
Employees Don’t Know They’re Being Protected
• Only 28% were aware of an EHS function in
their company
• 72% were largely unaware of their company’s
EHS function
7%
17%
48%
28% Aware
Somewhat Aware
Somewhat Unaware
Unaware
ANTEA GROUP EHSXTECH SURVEY RESULTS 2015

15. LIFT UP
UNSUNG HEROES6.
• Celebrate employees who take EHS seriously as company and
community heroes, acknowledging them with extrinsic rewards for
their attention to safety.
• Survey your employees to see what they think about the company’s
EHS preparedness. Do they know EHS exists? How aware are they of
EHS functions?
• Partner with HR and internal communications to convey EHS
messages, such as preparedness plans. People often don’t know
the connection between their personal safety and EHS.
EHS MANAGER’S GUIDE: TACTIC

16. 2
EMPLOYEES HAVE
EXPECTATIONS
FROM EHS
Employees are looking for…
Response within 24 hours (53%)
EHS team is readily available and
easily accessible (52%)
Ability to give EHS team feedback
regarding performance (42%)
EHS team live chat (32%)
ANTEA GROUP EHSXTECH SURVEY RESULTS 2015

17. BE AVAILABLE, COMMUNICATIVE,
AND RESPONSIVE7.
• Be ready to respond to issues in a timely manner and make yourself accessible
to the workforce on a day-to-day basis.
• Management values EHS teams that are accessible – because management may
be held accountable for issues that arise.
• Make sure executives understand and are invested in the importance of EHS;
encourage them to communicate EHS messages to all employees.
• Establish a feedback loop to stay attuned to employees’ wants and needs for EHS.
EHS MANAGER’S GUIDE: TACTIC

18. TOP TAKEAWAYS
WELCOMING TO ALL
Across the board, women value safety more than men. Equip yourself to be welcoming
for a diverse workforce. Women have a different value proposition when searching for
employers.
SPREAD EHS AWARENESS
The majority of employees are largely unaware of their company’s EHS function, but
the same number of respondents say that it’s important to feel personally safe and
secure in the workplace. Show the value of EHS whenever possible. Lift up EHS heroes
as examples to follow.
SPEAK UP AND BE HEARD
People want to be told if they’re following unsafe practices, but many don’t know how
to speak up for safety. Build a culture where employees feel comfortable about helping
each other stay safe and aren’t shy about speaking up. Make safety a habit and reward
employees for having safe workplace practices.

19. KEEP EMPLOYEES SAFE AND
FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS
People want to stay safe and also be told by their peers if they’re being unsafe. Unfortunately,
many employees don’t feel comfortable telling their colleagues that they’re being unsafe. Too
often, people are largely unaware of the functions of EHS at their company and don’t associate
their own safety with EHS.
Don’t get stuck in this cycle. Build a culture of awareness and openness where all employees
help to take care of one another and the environment, aligned with fit-for-purpose EHS
programs. Protect your employees, safeguard your brand, attract top and diverse talent,
and allow your business to focus on growing.

20. Antea Group is an international engineering and environmental consulting firm specializing in
full-service solutions in the fields of environment, infrastructure, urban planning and water. By
combining strategic thinking and multidisciplinary perspectives with technical expertise and
pragmatic action, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable
results for a better future. With more than 3,000 employees in over 100 offices around the
world, we serve clients ranging from global energy companies and manufacturers to national
governments and local municipalities.
For more information, visit http://us.anteagroup.com.
Have questions about these survey results or are you looking for a partner to help eliminate
environment, health and safety risks that impact your people, your brand and your customers?
Contact Peylina Chu: Peylina.Chu@anteagroup.com
ABOUT ANTEA GROUP