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Social safety in the workplace
In every organisation people work with passion and commitment. But behind that commitment something else often hides: stress, inappropriate behaviour and a lack of social safety are daily reality for many employees. Psychological and social safety start with awareness and action.
Why this matters
Psychosocial work pressure undermines performance and wellbeing
Psychosocial work pressure undermines health, motivation and performance, and leads to absenteeism and turnover. It impacts not only individuals but the whole team and the organisation. Research shows that a lack of social safety is directly linked to worse performance and a heightened risk of inappropriate behaviour.
At Human Centric we believe social safety starts with awareness and action, in every sector, in every team.
Definitions
Socially safe or psychologically safe?
Two terms often used interchangeably. The dynamic determines the approach you take.
Social safety
The extent to which employees feel protected against the risks caused by others. For example, protection against intimidation, bullying or discrimination.
Psychological safety
The extent to which people feel free to be themselves at work, to make mistakes, ask questions and speak up with colleagues.
Causes
Why is social safety often missing?
Research and our own practice show four threads that recur in organisations where social safety is under pressure.
Workload and scarcity
Lack of time and resources leads to high workload and tension, and tension eats away at the quality of collaboration.
Hierarchy and dependency
Strong hierarchical relationships make it hard to report inappropriate behaviour, especially when career consequences might follow.
Behaviour isn't discussed
Behaviour is rarely discussed explicitly. Much stays unspoken, so unwritten rules keep operating invisibly.
Leaders not equipped enough
Leaders often feel unable to handle tension well, even though they're the ones who set the tone.
Inappropriate behaviour
What is inappropriate behaviour, and when is it transgressive?
Two terms often used interchangeably, but with an important difference. That difference shapes how you respond.
Five legally recognised forms of inappropriate behaviour
Intimidation
Threatening or manipulating.
Aggression & violence
Verbal or physical violent behaviour.
Bullying
Systematic exclusion or ridicule.
Sexual harassment
Inappropriate behaviour of a sexual nature.
Subtler forms that also do harm
- Microaggressions, casual remarks or questions that reinforce stereotypes ("where are you really from?", "you're doing well for a woman"). Small on their own; together they push people out.
- Gossip, talking about colleagues instead of with them. Undermines trust and makes honest feedback impossible.
- Punishing mistakes, open frustration or sarcasm when someone gets something wrong. People start hiding problems rather than learning from them.
- Exclusionary humour, jokes at the expense of a group or individual, often followed by "it's just a joke". The message to those involved: you don't quite belong here.
- Ignoring boundaries, for example work outside hours, deadlines that only work with overtime, or little room for "no". Normalises overload and disadvantages those who do set limits.
Dutch universities: a sector under pressure
Recent research from the Dutch Labour Inspectorate gives insights into the culture. An online survey among academic and teaching staff at the fourteen Dutch public universities was completed by over 9,000 people. The findings:
The report reveals that these issues have been known for years, yet concerns raised as early as 2021 remain unaddressed. The underlying patterns, such as workload, hierarchy, and unspoken behaviours, are not unique to higher education; they recur across many sectors.
Source: Dutch Labour Inspectorate, "Arbo in Bedrijf Special: Psychosociale arbeidsbelasting universiteiten", May 2024.
The approach
Four building blocks of social safety
A socially safe workplace doesn't emerge by itself. Alongside tackling the underlying stressors, it requires sustained attention to four building blocks.
Talking about behaviour
Make (inappropriate) behaviour discussable. Naming it surfaces causes and consequences.
Feedback & dissent
Giving and receiving constructive feedback, including pushing back against leaders.
Intervening
Responding actively when inappropriate behaviour occurs, in the moment or afterwards.
Support structures
Clear, accessible routes for any employee who has something on their mind.
Intervening
From silent bystander to active ally
Intervening in the moment is hard, especially when others are around. That's the bystander effect: the more people present, the greater the chance that nobody acts. The Bystander Intervention Model describes the five steps to act anyway, the basis of our active bystander training.
Notice & recognise the behaviour
Do you have enough knowledge to recognise inappropriate behaviour? Are you paying attention to your surroundings?
Decide whether intervention is needed
Are you reading the dynamics of the situation correctly? Are you not letting other people's passivity guide you?
Take responsibility
How responsible do you feel when others are present? Are you willing to take the risk, physically, socially or emotionally?
Know how to intervene
Do you have the knowledge and experience, and can you apply that to this specific situation?
Decide to intervene
Are you convinced you can have a positive effect, and are you willing to take the step?
FOUR INTERVENTIONS IN THE MOMENT
Distract without confrontation
Subtly change the topic or shift attention.
Give direct feedback
Name what you see and the effect it has.
Set a clear boundary
Interrupt and make explicit that this behaviour doesn't belong here.
Document and follow up later
Note what you saw and take action afterwards, check in, give feedback, or report.
The four options on a single page, to take with you, share or use as a reminder during training. PDF, NL/EN.
The leader's role
Whoever holds power sets the tone
Leaders hold the key to change. By offering support, addressing behaviour openly, and setting clear norms, they make the difference. This requires courage and practice. Our team coaching and consultancy supports leaders in mastering exactly these skills, focusing on four core competencies.
Curiosity
Ask questions and really listen before drawing conclusions.
Suspending judgement
Value not-knowing, making mistakes and vulnerability.
Constructive feedback
Give feedback that helps, rather than punishes.
Intervening
Respond actively to inappropriate behaviour, even when it's uncomfortable.
From awareness to action
Here's how we can take this further together
Social safety doesn't start with knowing, but with doing. Choose a starting point that fits your situation.
Download the introduction
The full document with background, references and practical tools for organisations.
Download PDF →No-obligation call
Together we'll explore your situation, whether it calls for training, structural interventions, or both.
Schedule a call →About the author
Frequently asked questions
FAQ on social safety in the workplace
What is the difference between social safety and psychological safety?
Social safety is the extent to which employees feel protected against the risks caused by others, for example protection against intimidation, bullying or discrimination. Psychological safety is the extent to which people feel free to be themselves at work, to make mistakes and speak up with colleagues. A lack of either leads to poor performance and raises the likelihood of inappropriate behaviour.
What causes a lack of social safety?
Four threads recur. Lack of time and money leads to high workload and tension; strong hierarchical relationships and dependencies make it hard to raise inappropriate behaviour; behaviour is rarely a topic of conversation, so much stays unspoken; and leaders often feel ill-equipped to handle tension well. Many organisations focus on behaviour and culture but overlook organisational structure, and that's often where the biggest gains are.
When is behaviour inappropriate and when transgressive?
Behaviour is inappropriate when the other person experiences it that way, the intent may be innocent; what counts is the effect. Behaviour is transgressive when the person showing it ought to know it's inappropriate and crosses that line anyway. Transgressive behaviour comes with responsibility: someone who has been warned or who, given the context, ought to know better is making a conscious choice that should have consequences.
How do you intervene in inappropriate behaviour?
The Bystander Intervention Model describes five steps that take you from silent bystander to active ally: notice the behaviour, decide whether intervention is needed, take responsibility, know how to intervene, and decide to act. In the moment itself, you have four options: distract without confrontation, give direct feedback, set a clear boundary, or document and follow up later.
What is the role of leaders in social safety?
Leaders have a key role in setting the tone. They make the difference by offering support, making behaviour discussable and setting norms.. Four core skills are central: curiosity, suspending judgement, giving constructive feedback and intervening. Research shows that a significant share of transgressive behaviour comes from leaders themselves, so self-reflection is essential.
Sources & further reading
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Co-founder of Human Centric
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