From Reactive Measures to Proactive Workplaces

“A significant shift from reactive measures to proactive ones, pushing employers to create workplaces that are not just compliant but genuinely safe and respectful.”

This powerful insight, shared during Trickle’s recent webinar, cuts to the heart of what the Worker Protection Act means for organisations today. The session was a deep dive into the practical, actionable ways employers can not only meet their legal obligations but also create thriving, psychologically safe cultures where employees feel empowered to speak up and do their best work.

If you’re ready to turn these insights into action, here’s everything you need to know to start making meaningful changes in your workplace—today.

 

Key Insights and How to Take Action

1. Define Psychological Safety—And What It Isn’t

Sue Shaw, Co-founder of Journey HR, explained that psychological safety is about “balancing comfort and discomfort to create the sweet spot where the best work happens.”

To build this balance, organisations need to encourage employees to speak up, challenge ideas, and take risks—without fear of negative consequences.

How to implement it:

• Train leaders to invite dissenting views in meetings by asking open-ended questions like, “What’s missing from this plan?”
• Set ground rules that promote constructive feedback and discourage dismissive behaviours.
• Celebrate examples of employees speaking up and making a difference, no matter how small.

2. Move from Reactive to Proactive

Aliya Vigor-Robertson, Co-founder of Journey HR highlighted the transformative shift required by the Worker Protection Act: “Employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment before it happens, not just react after the fact.”

How to implement it:

• Conduct a workplace risk assessment. Look at all aspects of your organisation—office interactions, external partnerships, and social events like Christmas parties.
• Develop a zero-tolerance policy for harassment and train your teams to understand what it means in practice.
• Create a step-by-step action plan to address risks, and regularly update it based on feedback and incidents.

3. Build Safe Channels for Feedback

Paul Reid, Founder and CEO of Trickle, pointed out that anonymous reporting systems can be game-changers, but only when employees trust them. “It’s about creating an environment where people feel supported to speak up, whether anonymously or not.”

How to Implement it:

• Set up an anonymous reporting platform, ensuring employees know it’s secure and easy to use.
• Assign trusted individuals to handle reports with discretion and care, demonstrating follow-through on issues raised.
• Regularly communicate how feedback has led to positive change to build trust in the system.

4. Train, Educate, and Repeat

Aliya stressed that education is a key part of compliance: “Everyone in the organisation needs to understand their role in fostering a safe environment.”

How to Implement it:

• Run mandatory training sessions on recognising and preventing harassment, psychological safety, and inclusivity.
• Encourage leaders to role-model vulnerability by sharing their own stories of mistakes and growth.
• Use bite-sized, engaging content—like short videos or team discussions—to make training impactful and memorable.

5. Measure and Monitor Progress

Sue emphasised the importance of ongoing evaluation: “You need to know where you’re starting from, identify your strengths, and tackle the gaps.”

How to Implement it:

• Gather regular feedback to gauge psychological safety, inclusivity, and employee trust.
• Analyse key metrics like retention rates, absenteeism, and feedback participation to track progress.
• Share updates with your teams, showing them how their input is shaping the workplace.

Take the Next Step with Trickle

We’re here to help you turn these principles into action. Trickle’s platform is designed to make it easy for organisations to encourage open feedback (including capture of the feedback recommended above to gauge psychological safety, inclusivity etc), implement safe reporting systems, and meet the requirements of the Worker Protection Act.

Let’s start a conversation about your organisation. Book a discovery call with Paul Reid or Mandy Kerley to explore how Trickle can support your goals while creating a safer, more inclusive workplace that aligns with the Worker Protection Act.

During the call, we’ll:

• Learn about your business and the challenges you’re facing.
• Explore tailored solutions to facilitate psychological safety and encourage employee feedback.
• Show you how Trickle can help you build trust, boost engagement, and support cultural change.

Book Your Discovery Call Now

We’d love to hear about your organisation and explore how we can help you create meaningful change.

P.S. With Trickle, the cost of boosting your team’s engagement scales with your needs:

• For a team of 30, it’s just £6 per employee per month.
• For 300 people, it drops to £4.33 per person.
• For 3,000 staff, it’s as low as £1.05 each.

Discounts are available for charitable organisations.

Creating a safe, respectful workplace isn’t just about compliance—it’s about building an environment where people can thrive. Start small, stay consistent, and watch the ripple effect transform your culture.

Stay tuned for updates on our next Be The Change webinar in January!