In recent years, traditional forms of worker participation have been eroded with a reduction in trade union influence, new hybrid working arrangements, the introduction of new technology, and changes in job design. Yet workers have higher expectations of ethical conduct and practices and are keener than ever to find their voice. At the same time, for European countries with an aging workforce demographic, keeping people in work, healthier for longer is a key challenge. The delivery of decent, fulfilling and safe work is therefore an essential focus.
From the occupational safety and health (OSH) perspective, the arguments for including the worker voice in organisational decision-making has never been stronger and resonates internationally. In Europe the legislative model requires the development of:
- safe workplaces;
- appropriate competency;
- procurement of safe equipment; and
- implementation of safe systems of work.
The European model promotes worker consultation to achieve these goals. High quality consultation includes a regular analysis to review the identification of risk, its assessment and the adequacy of risk control. Tapping into the expertise of the worker ensures that there is an understanding of work as it is done and not work as it is imagined.
The personal and active involvement of a senior leader in this process provides authenticity and builds worker trust in the system. IOSH has identified 10 principles of OSH that govern the design of safety management systems, including prevention, commitment and collaboration. It explains to workers what systems and management approaches are needed and what they must do to contribute too.
While being legally compliant will help prevent financial loss (e.g., production interruption, sickness absence, increased insurance costs), the benefits of aiming at standards beyond compliance can include recruiting and retaining talent, stronger employee engagement and wellbeing, improved productivity, and reputation enhancement, which together can drive profitability. A management team cannot achieve such positive benefits by sheer force of will. Goals can only be achieved through authentic leadership and a fully engaged and motivated team of workers supported with effective communication. Viewed in this way, the worker voice is fundamental to the operational performance of any organisation.
Employee wellbeing
Wellbeing is an emotional state that is different for every individual depending on their resilience. As a subset of wellness, mental health is not a binary condition but is a continuum being stretched and relaxed through the stages of healthy, coping, struggling and being unwell. Feelings of failure, rejection, loneliness or undue pressure at work cause emotional wounds that diminishes a sense of wellbeing and worker belief that their work is decent and fulfilling. Merely assessing the management standards in a stress risk assessment which doesn’t result in the effective control in operational management is inadequate.
A wellbeing system design often involves workers informing the organisation when they are feeling bad. The provision of mental health first aiders and employee assistance programmes are not preventative controls, they are recovery controls. We need to react when things are changing, not after they have occurred and illness suffered. Early intervention has challenged traditional practice and led to the adoption of a people-centred approach involving the worker voice. This is about reducing the stigmatisation around mental health by educating our managers to identify adverse change and make changes to alleviate pressure before it effects workers. Workers must be open about their feelings and involved in analysing the workplace stressors and help to identify actions to mitigate risk.
Organisations must identify the competencies and skills needed to build resilience throughout the workforce. These include mindful self-regulation, healthy habits and social integration (including how workers interact with their colleagues). These competencies overlap with leadership, management and employee development programmes. They require a cross-cutting cohesion between different organisational policies and business rules too (e.g., dignity at work, recruitment, grievance, health and safety, procurement). Project management processes must include team building and managing change considerations during the inception and planning phases, not just at the implementation stage. The principle running through all these considerations must be to use the worker voice to design out or reduce risk.
In conclusion, the worker voice is vital if the infrastructure in organisations is to be resilient and decent work is to be achieved. Decent work is a social concept, so people need to be involved in its definition in order to understand and work towards achieving it. Some key questions for your organisation:
- Do you have worker representation?
- Do you employ work consultation groups or committees?
- Do you have an adequate means for workers to report concerns and offer solutions?
- How quickly do you follow up on worker-led reports?
- How well do you explain decisions when workers offer solutions?
Workers make meaningful contributions when they are well-informed, feel psychologically safe, and have trust in the intentions and effectiveness of their leaders. Being able to answer these questions positively will drive a positive and inclusive culture that delivers tangible benefits for the workforce and the organisation.
Duncan Spencer CFIOSH, Head of Advice & Practice, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
September 2025Further reading
Towards a healthy future of work: evolution or revolution
The road to safe and health work: principles of good occupational safety and health
The healthy profit: how investments in safety, health and wellbeing are giving businesses the edge