Safety in the workplace is never just a compliance checklist. It is a fundamental right of every woman. But for women across the globe, it is an everyday concern. The corporate world may have evolved in many ways. Yet, the challenges around women’s security continue to persist, often in subtle, systemic, and under-reported forms.

The 2024 Deloitte Women@Work survey, which covered several countries including India, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, South Africa, the UK, and the US, revealed a stark reality: 46% of women worry about their safety at work, yet only 14% report incidents of harassment.

The fear of backlash, stigma, or not being taken seriously often outweighs the seeming benefit of speaking up.

In India, even though sexual harassment complaints have increased since the POSH Act was implemented over a decade ago, a recent analysis of 300 NSE-listed companies by Ashoka University’s Centre for Economic Data and Analysis reveals another troubling trend: most companies have reported zero complaints in multiple years, and some haven’t reported any at all, despite mandatory disclosure requirements.

At first glance, this might seem like good news. But as the study points out, low reporting numbers are not necessarily a sign of safer workplaces. They may indicate poor awareness, fear of retaliation, or lack of effective redressal mechanisms.

Clearly, women’s safety in most countries including India, especially in workplaces, requires more than awareness campaigns. It demands proactive solutions and a better understanding of what safety truly means.

What Is Personal Safety at Work?

Personal safety at work refers to a woman’s ability to perform her duties without threat, harassment, or coercion—physically, emotionally, or psychologically. It is about being protected from unwanted advances, bullying, discrimination, and digital surveillance or abuse.

It also extends to physical environments, such as security in parking areas, surveillance in office premises, safety in office transportation, and emotional safety through policies that prevent retaliation when women raise concerns.

In essence, workplace personal safety means freedom from harm and the freedom to thrive.

Why Personal Safety Matters More Than Ever for Women at Work

When women feel unsafe at work, it doesn’t just impact their mental health. It also affects their productivity, retention, innovation, and ambition. Whether it is managing late-night shifts, handling inappropriate comments in meetings, or fearing retaliation for reporting harassment, workplace safety plays a very important role in determining how women experience their careers.

Unfortunately, too many Indian women continue to experience environments that are either openly hostile or quietly indifferent to their safety. A recent study by Aon India highlights the depth of the problem: nearly 42% of women in corporate jobs face bias at work, while 37% report dealing with insensitive behaviour.

These everyday experiences, though often dismissed as minor, contribute to a larger culture where safety and respect are compromised. Inadequate redressal systems, lack of support from leadership, and workplace cultures that normalize certain behaviors often push women into silence or resignation.

It is time the corporate world acknowledges that the safety of women at work is not a niche HR issue. It is a business, legal, and ethical imperative.

Common Safety Challenges Women Face in the Workplace

Inappropriate Behavior and Harassment

From unsolicited messages on internal platforms to casual sexist jokes during team lunches, workplace harassment often wears a cloak of normalcy. Microaggressions and inappropriate behavior are frequently downplayed or ignored, making the environment uncomfortable, even unsafe.

Lack of Support Systems

Many women don’t report incidents because the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) is either poorly trained, biased, or non-functional. Some don’t even know how to file a complaint. When processes aren’t transparent, women lose trust in the system.

Physical Security Gaps

Late-night shifts, poor lighting in office corridors, isolated work areas, or unmonitored parking lots, these are all places where safety risks escalate. Without proper surveillance, protocols, or secure office transportation, physical threats remain high.

Digital Harassment

In hybrid and remote work settings, harassment has followed women into virtual spaces: video calls, chats, and emails. From inappropriate comments during virtual meetings to unauthorized screenshots or misuse of digital data, women’s safety in workplaces must now account for digital threats too.

Practical Considerations for Supporting Women’s Safety at Work

For organizations serious about creating safer workplaces for women, the focus must go beyond policies. It has to extend into day-to-day realities. Safety measures should be built into how women commute, collaborate, and communicate at work.

Here are key areas where proactive systems make a difference:

Commute protocols: Ensure late-night or off-site travel is backed by verified company transport, with route tracking and driver verification. Giving women the option to share ride details with a trusted contact adds another layer of reassurance.

Workplace design: Identify and address high-risk areas like poorly lit corridors, isolated floors, or unmonitored parking lots. Encourage women to move in groups after hours and provide safe waiting zones near exits.

Reporting culture: Encourage women to document incidents and share concerns with HR or ICC without fear of retaliation. A transparent redressal process and visible leadership support can dramatically improve reporting confidence.

AI-powered tech-solutions: Forward-looking companies are beginning to explore tech-enabled safety solutions that offer real-time alerts, location tracking, and discreet SOS capabilities for women employees. These tools represent the next step in embedding safety into the employee experience, not as an afterthought, but as a strategic imperative.

Conclusion

Women’s safety in the workplace is not a women’s issue, it is a workplace issue. Ensuring women’s security is essential for building inclusive, high-performing environments. But it won’t happen by accident.

It requires deliberate effort, strong leadership, employee education, and more importantly smart technology.

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Explore Tejo: where innovation meets real-time protection for every woman’s security.