When starting a business, the first thing on your mind is most likely related to how you can be successful. This is completely natural, as in order to keep a business afloat, it must make sales, reach goals, and convert. One major factor relating to the success of a business that not everyone understands, is employee morale. Unhappy employees are disengaged, and that leads to big financial losses. Seventy percent of US workers are disengaged at work, resulting in $450-$550 billion in lost productivity each year. Engaged employees perform twenty percent better than disengaged employees. Companies with engaged employees outperform ones with disengaged employees by over two hundred percent. It’s clear that disengaged employees are bad for business. But, what can you do to make your employees feel more engaged? How can you make sure they feel important and are happy?

Nearly half of employees say that “feeling safe” affects their job satisfaction, i.e. happiness. Twenty-two percent are unsatisfied with their level of personal safety where they currently work. Feeling safe at the office, clearly, can be a major factor for employees feeling engaged while working. If your office is riddled with fire safety code breaches, frayed wires, overloaded power strips, and unmaintained machinery, they are likely to feel that you don’t deem them important enough to be given a safe workspace. This will lead to lost productivity, which will lead to losses for the company.

Twenty percent of employees don’t know if the company they work for has a strategy to deal with fires, floods, and other disasters. Forty percent don’t know if there is an emergency plan to deal with a physical attack or technology security breach. A lot can be done to keep your employees feeling safe and secure. One is to practice your action emergency plan regularly. This gives your employees more awareness that you are doing all you can to keep them safe. Keep your whole office well-practiced in the plan’s implementation. Another thing you can do is make sure your office is well-equipped with all proper fire safety items, ranging from working fire extinguishers, to maintained smoke detectors, to SkySaver Rescue Backpacks (for any kind of emergency). Make sure all office equipment is properly repaired and serviced when required and that there are no frayed wires or overloaded powerstrips. Lastly, bring in a professional to assess the office, and follow any recommendations he or she may have. Each of these tips will give your employees more of a feeling that they matter, that their lives matter, and everyone wants to matter.

Your employees knowing that you hold their safety and security as top priority goes a long way towards job satisfaction and happiness. Sales, conversions, and goals might be the first thing on your mind when starting a business, however, employee satisfaction should be high up on your list as well because unhappy, disengaged employees can majorly impact your company in a negative way.