Psychological safety in the workplace

Psychological safety at work means employees feel able to speak openly and honestly about their work without fear of embarrassment, exclusion or unfair treatment.

Employees should feel safe to:

• Share ideas
• Raise concerns
• Ask questions
• Suggest improvements

Creating psychological safety is a shared responsibility. Leaders play an important role, but everyone can help by listening, treating others with respect and supporting others to speak up.

Psychological safety does not mean avoiding difficult conversations, agreeing with every idea or lowering standards. It does not excuse poor behaviour or remove responsibility. It means people can speak honestly, learn from mistakes and responsibility for their actions.

A workplace is not psychologically safe if its people are encouraged to speak up but are criticised or ignored when they do.

Psychological safety also does not replace an employer’s legal duties. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that employers must assess and act on risks from work-related stress and consult workers about health and safety.

Page last reviewed: 4th September 2026