ABSTRACT
It is always interesting that while working with employers as well as safety and health professionals, there is such a time and effort investment in developing a safety and health initiative. At times, the cost is sizable. But when motivating employees is mentioned, employers are looking for a quick fix. Seldom do they take time to plan, apply principles of behavior, or invest reasonable amounts of money to motivate employees to work in a safe manner. This seems even odder when one considers that all workplaces are made up of employees and these are the individuals at whom the safety and health effort is aimed. Many times, employers and others say, “What can we give them?” Often, when given a reward or incentive, employees do not even understand why they are receiving it. What most employers and others are asking is, “What is the quick fix?” They think that they can easily address such a complex subject as human behavior by throwing some money at it or giving employees a trinket. It seems reasonable to assert that much more effort should be invested in “getting safety” than usually occurs.
