Postal Service employees who feel engaged are more likely to be safer on the job, new research suggests.
Engaged employees are almost one-third less likely to be involved in a safety incident at work, while disengaged employees account for 19 percent of all USPS workplace safety incidents, according to the data from Gallup.
Here’s what you should know:
• The meaning of “engaged.” The report defines engaged employees as individuals who are involved, enthusiastic and committed to their work. Disengaged employees are physically present, but unhappy with their work situations.
• Disengagement can have consequences. Employees who feel most disengaged are 1.5 times as likely to have a safety incident at work compared to employees who feel most engaged.
• Engaged teams tend to be safer. Employees who work on the least engaged teams have 2.1 times the odds of being involved in a safety incident compared to employees who work on the most engaged teams.
The findings are based on data from Gallup, the organization that conducts the Postal Pulse employee survey.
“This research is another example of why engaging workplace environments matter,” said Employee Engagement Executive Director Kelvin Williams. “Increasing engagement is about more than increasing productivity. It’s also about creating a culture in which everyone works safely and smartly.”