Survey shows workers believe employers value profits over safety

November 4, 2025

Milwaukee — More than half of workers think safety takes a back seat to profits at their current job, results of a recent survey show.

Brady, an industrial and safety printing systems and solutions company, asked 1,000 adult workers about both physical safety concerns on the job (such as building security, emergency preparedness and equipment hazards) and psychological safety concerns (including harassment, stress and trust in management).

Results show that 54% of the workers don’t “fully trust” their company’s leadership or human resources department to create a safe work environment, with 40% trusting them only “somewhat” and 10% not trusting them at all. Slightly more (57%) believe that profits are prioritized over safety.

The leading cause of feeling unsafe at work was threats of violence from customers, clients or the public (37%). That was followed by co-workers (33%) and concerns over a lack of physical building security (33%).

Other findings:

• 61% of the workers agree that their organization is unprepared for an active shooter.

• 18% cited mental health strain and burnout as a reason for skipping work. That was followed by threats of physical violence (10%) and unsafe equipment (9%).

• 25% said their employer doesn’t provide adequate mental health support.

“The data paints a picture of American workplaces struggling to balance productivity demands with worker safety, while failing to adapt safety protocols to address modern challenges, including mental health, interpersonal conflicts and evolving security threats,” a Brady press release states.