Employers and employees see safety issues and solutions differently, and open communication could be the easy solution.
A recent report on employees’ safety perspectives found gaps in both issues and solutions when it comes to workplace safety.
When comparing findings from Pie Insurance’s “2025 State of Small Business Workplace Safety Report,” released in April, and the new 2025 Small Business Employee Voice on Workplace Safety Report, it becomes apparent that while employers are more likely to identify safety concerns in the workplace than employees, the focus often differs.
Over two-thirds (67%) of employees reported having safety concerns, and 83% of employers also identified employee concerns, demonstrating a shared understanding. The differences lie in what they believe are the biggest obstacles and how to overcome them.
Physical vs. Mental Hazards
Numbers suggest that while employers may be keeping up with physical hazards in the workplace, mental health, which is less visible and more stigmatized, is being overlooked.
Top employee concerns include:
- Mental health, stress and burnout – 43%
- Slips, trips and falls – 33%
- Heat stress and exhaustion – 23%
- Ergonomics (repetitive strain) – 19%
- Lacking proper training and protocols – 15%
- Equipment-related accidents – 14%
While employees report that many of these issues are addressed, 43% said mental health is low on the list of priorities. To a lesser degree, employees say employers also may be missing risks posed by heat stress (16%), ergonomics (16%), lack of proper training (14%) and slips, trips and falls (13%).
Mental Health on the Job
Employers tend to highlight concerns related to physical, environmental and equipment risks, while employees are significantly more likely to raise mental health concerns. This disparity between employer/employee perceptions is especially sharp when it comes to mental health support.
Almost a third of employees (32%) cite mental health as their primary safety concern, and 36% report workplace stress affects their personal lives, impacting relationships, sleep, and mental health.
While 91% of employers are confident in their ability to address mental health issues, only 62% of employees share that confidence in their employers. Over half (52%) of employers noted in Pie’s workplace safety report they have mental health protocols. But only 30% of surveyed employees observed having these protocols.
Employees said flexible work and remote work (19%), allowing mental health days (17%), access to confidential mental health services (9%) and even mental health awareness training (8%) would all help create an environment that was more receptive and responsive to mental health concerns.
The AI Gap
AI adoption is on the rise, but employees may not even be aware that it is happening in their own workplace. While 44% of employers said their companies use AI applications, only 20% of employees reported being aware of AI use in their workplace.
Employers also far outpace employees when it comes to optimism regarding AI and safety. A large majority (64%) of employers feel that AI will help improve safety in the future, but only 23% of employees share that belief—and 43% said they don’t believe it will help at all.
Related: Majority of Small Business Leaders Think AI Will Play ‘Crucial Role’ in Work Safety
What Employees Want
Seventeen percent of employees said they hesitate to report safety concerns to employers, and 45% say they have witnessed workplace accidents that could have been prevented.
Of those who said they have stayed silent about safety concerns, 35% said they fear retaliation or negative consequences, and 33% said they didn’t want to seem difficult. Perhaps most telling, 31% said they didn’t think anything would be done, even if they spoke up. One out of five (19%) said they didn’t want other people to get in trouble.
Many also reported that safety protocols were bypassed or ignored because of pressure, quotas and deadlines. Building the time for safety into schedules and expectations would mean more consistent adherence to protocols.
Employees said leadership by example and a safe space to voice safety concerns are key to creating a safer work environment. Communication about safety should be a two-way conversation, they said, not just top-down directives.
They also need confidence that there will be some response if they speak out about safety issues.
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