Statement in Support of Rhode Island S2473: the Workplace Psychological Safety Act

On March 20, 2024, I provided written testimony for the Rhode Island Senate Labor Committee in support of the WPSA. My testimony was as follows:

Good Afternoon

My name is Dr. Ginevra Drinka and I want to voice my strong support for S2473, the Workplace Psychological Safety Act. I am an organizational psychologist and executive coach and, in my coaching practice, I help with leaders create psychologically safe team climates.  I have over a decade of experience consulting to and advising leaders at all types of organizations: from Fortune 100s to start-ups and nonprofits.  My doctoral research examined the conditions required for team high performance, with psychological safety being a critical prerequisite for innovation and performance.  I support this legislation because that it is time employers are held accountable for creating and maintaining psychologically unsafe work environments. Toxic workplaces violate the fundamental human rights of employees because they have countless negative impacts such as declining mental health and low team performance. 

Research at MIT Sloan during the Great Resignation showed that a toxic organizational culture is 10x more powerful than compensation in predicting a company’s turnover rate, contributing to an unstable labor market and increased organizational costs. In these instances, the time to hire and fill open roles is significant which sets organizations back from achieving their missions and puts increased burden on existing employees.  Pre-pandemic, turnover related to toxic culture was estimated to amount to $45 billion annually, on average.  These costs have undoubtedly increased as the labor market has become more unstable over the last three years.

Decades of research on human performance has shown that psychological safety is a requirement for innovative and high-performing teams. These are the teams that can tackle pressing societal issues and set Rhode Island, and the rest of the country, apart as a beacon of innovation around the world. However, the sad reality is that only 20% of teams are considered high performing, showing the significant opportunity to increase psychological safety in organizations. Few organizations have the expressed intent to create conditions that foster poorly performing teams.  However, in failing to ensure psychologically safe impacts on employees, teams and organizations foster conditions for poor performance.  Therefore, it’s crucial that we hold employers accountable for impact, not intent, which is a key aspect of this legislation. 

We are at a pivotal moment in history, facing pressing and urgent problems that demand innovative solutions. While some organizations may hesitate due to potential legal implications, it is undeniably in their best interest to foster psychologically safe work environments. By doing so, organizations can capitalize on their missions and keep Rhode Island, and the country, at the forefront of innovation worldwide.

In conclusion, I urge you to support S2473, the Workplace Psychological Safety Act, and take a stand against workplace abuse. This Act would significantly reduce both financial and human costs related to poor management practices while increasing Rhode Island’s innovative impact worldwide.  Let us hold employers accountable and ensure that every employee's basic human rights are protected.  In the process we will facilitate experiences for teams and organizations to reach peak performance.