Please note: the following article was developed for educational purposes only and covers a wide variety of general workplace safety concerns and considerations, some not relevant to workers' compensation coverage.
As we kick off 2026, your small business clients are looking for ways to improve workplace safety. And while they might not realize it yet, their best safety consultants are already on their payroll.
Their employees.
According to OSHA's research on worker participation, employers who involve workers in their safety programs often see improvements, including reduced injury rates and lower workers' compensation costs. But here's what makes this especially relevant for you as their insurance partner: when employees share what actually works for workplace safety, they're not just complaining. They're offering solutions.
The 2025 Employee Voice on Workplace Safety Report from Pie Insurance reveals insights that can help you have more meaningful safety conversations with your clients. These aren't theoretical best practices. They're real solutions from real workers.
Your clients trust you for more than just coverage. They look to you for guidance on reducing risk and protecting their business. When you can share what employees actually want (not what management thinks they want), you become an even more valuable partner.
The insights from this report can help you:
Let's explore what employees are really saying and how you can use these insights to better serve your small business clients.
"A lot but top of my mind, too much rushing."
That's how one employee described their biggest safety concern. And they're not alone. The data shows nearly half of workers report feeling pressure to work through fatigue, illness, or unsafe conditions to meet deadlines.
Here's what employees suggest would help: building safety time directly into work schedules. As one worker put it, "Allow more time in scheduling for proper safety procedures to take place."
When discussing safety with small business owners, you might share:
"Many employees feel rushed to skip safety steps to meet deadlines. But here's something to consider: when workers have adequate time built into their schedules for safety procedures, they're more likely to follow them consistently. It's not about working slower. It's about working sustainably."
Help your clients think about:
This conversation can naturally lead to discussing how proper scheduling might impact their workers' comp claims and premiums over time.
About one in five employees want more participation in safety decisions. Not more training. Not more rules. They want input.
One employee simply asked employers to "ask for my opinion on some topics." Another wanted "a safe space to voice concerns."
But here's the challenge your clients face: many workers hesitate to speak up. Some fear being seen as troublemakers. Others believe nothing will change. And some worry about retaliation.
Consider sharing something like:
"I recently learned that employees who help create safety protocols are more likely to follow them. Has your team had a chance to weigh in on your current safety procedures?"
You can suggest simple starting points:
Research backs this up. Google's Project Aristotle found that psychological safety is a key component for team effectiveness. When employees feel safe speaking up, teams tend to perform better. For your clients, this could mean fewer incidents and claims.
When asked about mental health support, employees didn't primarily request counseling services or awareness training. Their top requests? Flexible work hours and mental health days.
But it goes deeper. Employees want leaders who will "back an associate up when a customer is being hostile." They want "active presence of admin" and leaders who "be an example of how to make a safer environment."
The vast majority of employees believe leadership plays a crucial or important role in workplace safety. This is valuable information for your small business clients who might think safety is just about equipment and procedures.
According to the American Psychological Association's research on workplace flexibility, employees with flexible work arrangements report significantly less stress and are far more likely to recommend their company.
Share these practical leadership actions with clients:
Here's a simple framework you can offer clients who want to improve their workplace safety culture:
Week 1: Assessment Suggest they identify where employees feel most rushed and what their biggest safety concern is right now.
Week 2: Communication Encourage them to create new channels for safety feedback and commit to responding within a week.
Week 3: Visible Action Recommend they take one visible action based on employee feedback to show commitment.
Week 4: Momentum Advise them to celebrate early wins and ask employees what's working and what isn't.
When discussing these changes with clients, it helps to have the business case ready. Research suggests that strong safety leadership can reduce incident rates significantly. The National Safety Council reports that fatigue alone costs employers billions annually in health-related lost productivity.
But perhaps the most compelling argument is this: their employees are the real experts on workplace safety. They see the near-misses. They know which procedures work. They understand the daily challenges.
As you work with small business clients in 2026, remember that workplace safety isn't just about compliance and equipment. It's about time, communication, and leadership.
Pie’s 2025 Employee Voice on Workplace Safety Report gives you unique insights to share. Your clients' employees aren't just identifying problems. They're ready to be partners in creating solutions.
Use these insights to:
When you help clients understand what their employees really need to stay safe, you're not just potentially reducing claims. You're helping them build better businesses.
Ready to learn more about how you can help your small business clients with workers' compensation coverage? Pie Insurance's workers' comp solutions are designed to protect businesses while they build stronger safety cultures.
Suggest they look for signs like shortcuts being taken, near-misses increasing toward deadline periods, or employees working through breaks. A simple anonymous survey can also reveal time pressure issues.
Help them understand that initial feedback might seem overwhelming, but it's better to know about issues before they become incidents. Employees who feel heard are often more engaged and safer workers.
Even in structured environments, small changes can help. This might include flexible start times, rotating physically demanding tasks, or allowing input on break schedules.
Research suggests the opposite. When employees have adequate time and support for safety, consistency improves, rework decreases, and long-term productivity often increases.
This is where leadership visibility matters most. When leaders consistently prioritize safety even under pressure, it gives employees permission to do the same. Share examples of companies that have made safety a competitive advantage.
Pie Insurance commissioned YouGov PLC to conduct surveys of both employers and employees. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov PLC. Details on sample sizes and fieldwork dates can be found in the full 2025 State of Workplace Safety and 2025 Employee Voice on Workplace Safety reports.
Thanks for reading! This content is intended for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not imply coverage under workers' comp or other insurance offered through Pie Insurance Services, Inc. Please consult an agent or attorney for any questions regarding applicability of insurance.
Workers’ Compensation policies underwritten by The Pie Insurance Company (NAIC 21857) and affiliates. Policies are sold and administered by Pie Insurance Services, Inc. (“Pie Insurance”), a licensed insurance producer (pieinsurance.com/legal). Individual rates, offerings, and savings may vary. Not available in all states and situations. Coverage subject to policy terms and conditions.
