Evaluating the Effectiveness of Incentive Programs in Motivating Safety
The question of whether companies should incentivize employees for complying with safety rules is a matter of differing opinions. On the one hand, safety incentive programs that offer rewards for injury-free work can be beneficial because they increase extrinsic motivation for safe behavior. This can lead to fewer accidents and injuries in the workplace.
On the other hand, such programs can have negative consequences. Employees may hide injuries or accidents so as not to break the injury-free “streak” and preserve the possibility of receiving an award. This can lead to inaccurate workplace safety statistics and make the situation much worse. In addition, safety incentive programs can create an “entitlement mentality” among employees where they expect greater rewards or privileges based on the number of injury-free years (Quick & Tetrick, 2010). Such programs may also emphasize that management only values year-end safety performance, not the very behaviors that lead to that performance.
Alternatives to Incentive Programs for Enhancing Safety Motivation
Consequently, these potential problems need to be addressed and more effective safety incentive systems need to be developed. Instead of focusing on extrinsic motivation through rewards and incentives, companies can focus on intrinsic employee motivation. For example, organizations can create a safety culture where employees feel responsible for their own safety and the safety of their colleagues.
Designing Motivational Systems Around Safety to Avoid Potential Issues
Training and education conducted on a regular basis can help to increase employees’ awareness and knowledge of safety rules. It is also important to create an open and supportive workplace environment where employees are not afraid to report accidents or potential hazards (8 Reasons Why Employees Avoid Reporting Near-Misses, 2021). Management should actively welcome such information and take action to correct problems.
Ideally, a successful safety incentive system should combine extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. Companies can offer rewards and incentives, but also actively promote a safety culture and communicate with employees. This will create a sustainable safety system based on intrinsic motivation and employee ownership.
References
8 Reasons why employees avoid reporting near-misses. (2021). Web.
Quick, J. C. & Tetrick, L. E. (2010). Handbook of occupational health psychology. American Psychological Association.
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