Psychological safety of employees (necessity or option)

Purpose: This article describes these kinds of working conditions which has become known as psychological safety. Design/methodology/approach: The article describes the workforce development from farm forced-labor to the first Industrial Revolution factory workers and finally to the knowledge 11 based company personnel. As the work was becoming more complicated and technologically advanced, the methods of incentives to increase the productivity of the workforce needed to be revised. To solve the complex problems of the world, one person or either one discipline is not sufficient. It is required that people work together, communicate with each other and exchange knowledge. Findings: This paper is focusing on building psychological safety as an organizational culture. Psychological safety is also being incorporated into education as a method conducive towards learning and the exchange of knowledge. Post-secondary graduates already trained in a psychologically safe environment are a great asset to their future employers. Most proactive knowledge-based companies, especially in Industry 4.0, already have psychologically safe environments or are in the process of creating them. Research limitations/implications: As a direct consequence of the research topic, theoretical activities will be carried out in the next publication. The direct consequence of such activities will be theoretical activities aiming, in the next publication, at building a model and empirical research aiming at verifying the theoretical layer of the described problematic. The issues of security and its threats constitute a constant element present in the actions of individuals and social groups interpreted in a historical perspective. Nowadays, these issues have been treated as important and in need of ordering in accordance with the requirements of science. In accordance with the requirements of science. Practical implications: This article is an introduction to further research in the field of safety psychology and may serve as an inspiration for other researchers or companies in improving work safety procedures, employee training, awareness of safe work, etc. Social implications: The topic of the psychology of occupational safety is part of society's concerns about the health of people working in industry. Originality/value: In the next industrial revolution- Industry 4.0, the topic of safety psychology is a new area of research because factories are building smart environments.