The secret of job security is well-being at work

Job security is essential for individual well-being and organisational stability, influencing employee performance, skill development, and job satisfaction. In today's dynamic business environment, a lack of job security can negatively impact mental health and clarity of roles.
According to Amy Edmondson, psychological safety is crucial for motivation and effective teamwork. Therefore, organisations must prioritise creating supportive environments that foster both psychological and operational safety for their employees.
Additionally, the rapid pace of organisational change, digital transformation, and economic uncertainty has heightened employees' concerns about stability and continuity at work. This uncertainty affects how individuals perceive their roles and influences their trust in leadership and commitment to the organisation. Consequently, job security has become a strategic priority that directly impacts human capital sustainability and long-term organisational success.
For decades, psychologists have utilised various theories to explain the drivers of human behaviour, with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs being one of the most well-known (1943). This theory describes a progression from basic physiological needs to self-actualisation. Job security clearly falls within the safety category of this hierarchy, as employees need a sense of stability, emotional support, and protection from income loss.
When the need for safety is not met, individuals often experience increased stress and anxiety, impairing their focus and creativity. In organisational settings, this can lead to disengagement, resistance to change, and decreased collaboration among employees. Therefore, ensuring job security is vital for promoting higher-level psychological needs, such as belonging, esteem, and self-actualisation, in the workplace.
Researcher George Engel (1977) introduced the biopsychosocial model, which connects psychological, social, and biological dimensions in shaping an individual's overall health and well-being. This model offers valuable insights into the relationship between job insecurity and its effects on mental health. It suggests that such insecurity may also play a significant role in increasing the risk of physical injuries and illnesses in the workplace. From this perspective, job insecurity serves as a chronic stressor that disrupts psychological balance, strains workplace relationships, and triggers stress responses, which in turn increase burnout and health risks. This makes ensuring job security an essential preventive priority.
A study by Pires, M. L (2025) demonstrated that job insecurity is directly associated with deteriorating mental health and reduced professional engagement. It also showed that self-confidence serves as a vital individual psychological resource that supports adaptation, while leadership support functions as an organisational resource that can either enhance well-being or contribute to its decline, depending on leadership style and practices.
In the same context, recent analyses underscore the significant role leadership plays in shaping the work environment. An article by Mukunda (2024) shed light on the potential negative effects of leaders with psychopathic traits, noting that while some possess strong communication skills and impression-management abilities, these traits may coexist with a lack of empathy. Such leaders, when placed in positions of authority, can pose a direct threat to employees’ psychological safety and to organisational stability.
According to Blair’s study (2005), scientific data indicate that individuals with psychopathic traits show reduced responses to negative stimuli due to diminished activity in the amygdala — the brain region responsible for processing fear and punishment. Although they may possess a cognitive ability to read others’ emotions, they lack emotional empathy because of dysfunctions in affective brain circuits. This imbalance is reflected in their leadership styles and can lead to harmful practices in work environments, particularly in the absence of effective organisational regulation or oversight.
Consequently, such neurological and emotional deficits can translate into decision-making patterns that prioritise control, power, and short-term outcomes over employee well-being. In environments where accountability mechanisms are weak, these leadership behaviours may normalise fear, silence, and job insecurity, ultimately undermining trust and long-term organisational resilience.
In light of the above, job security is a critical component of developing robust organisations. It necessitates leadership that comprehensively understands employee needs and makes informed decisions to enhance the professional experience. Investing in job security leads to improved performance, fosters creativity, and encourages innovation. Consequently, this investment results in healthier workplaces that are well-prepared to address challenges and achieve sustainable success.