Zarah ChoudharyOne in five (19%) workers think that their employer should be doing more to keep them safe, research from Mitie has revealed.
The research found that the measures organisations have in place to protect their employees from harm was of great concern for the younger generation of workers, with over a quarter (27%) of those aged 18 to 34 saying they expect their employers to be doing more to keep them safe.
This comes as half of women (44%) and a fifth of men (21%) said they feel unsafe in the dark, even when commuting to work.
This figure has risen to over a third (36%) amongst those who work less regular hours and leave the house or return home when it is dark.
With the amendments to the Workers’ Protection Act introduced in October 2024 further bringing personal safety up the workplace agenda, organisations face increasing pressure to address the expectation from employees to keep them safe.
Mitie has launched a partnership with personal safety app, WalkSafe, to offer package of employee wellbeing initiatives designed to enhance personal safety.
The partnership will see Mitie develop an enhanced version of the WalkSafe Pro version of the existing app, which organisations can provide to their employees, giving them the option to connect with trained operatives in a specialist security control centre should they feel worried about their safety.
The partnership also enables organisations to evidence their duty of care for colleagues through the platform, which allows for the reporting of incidents.
Emma Kay, founder of WalkSafe said: “This partnership aims to revolutionise the way that employers can take care of their colleagues.
“Having experienced harassment myself, I feel strongly that employers should be empowering their people to take measures to protect themselves from harm.
“The tide is changing and it’s important that workplaces have a culture of respect and accountability, with access to the right resources that help their people to feel safe at work.”
Jason Towse, managing director of business services at Mitie, said: “With the Workers’ Protection Act bringing into focus that employers have a duty to protect their people, all organisations should be considering how they can extend that duty of care.
“Bringing our expertise in security intelligence, and WalkSafe’s user-friendly app, we’re developing a layer of protection that has not been available to employees before.
“Our hope is to encourage more employers take additional measures to take care of their people and ultimately support their personal safety.”
