Safety “works”: the influence of safety coaching on work engagement

Purpose During the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations undertook initiatives such as safety coaching to ensure the safety of their employees and to prevent the spread of the disease. However, the question arises if such measures can have a spill-over effect on other important work-related outcomes. Hence, the objective of the current study is to uncover the impact of safety coaching on one such outcome, i.e. work engagement. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors developed a quantitative model with the help of the social exchange theory. The responses of 250 working professionals captured using a three-wave study were analyzed using the SPSS PROCESS macro. Findings The authors found that safety coaching does not directly affect work engagement. It is only when safety coaching is perceived to be effective or appropriate and/or invokes organizational trust that it significantly affects organizational members' work engagement. Practical implications This study motivates practitioners to adopt safety coaching by highlighting the benefits that it has to offer beyond safety-related behavior. Moreover, this study discusses mechanisms that can aid organizations in facilitating organizational trust and satisfaction with corporate philanthropic COVID-19 response among employees. Originality/value This is one of the first studies that examines the spillover effect of safety coaching on other work-related outcomes. It also uncovers novel antecedents of satisfaction with corporate philanthropic COVID-19 response and organizational trust.