Amid artificial intelligence transformation and job security fears, one of the biggest ways employers can support their workers is by providing clarity — not only about job safety but also on job expectations, according to an ADP Research report released Wednesday.

Fewer than 1 in 4 workers “confidently” said they believe their job is safe, per the report. Notably, workers who felt their jobs were safe were six times more likely to be engaged, 3.3 times more likely to indicate they were “highly productive” and two times more likely to say they “have no intention of leaving.”

Individual contributors and front-line managers were among the least likely to say their jobs were safe, ADP Research found.

To combat this, employers need to provide consistent communication and remove ambiguity about how workers’ roles fit into the future of the organization, per the report.

However, a recent Gallagher report showed that the majority of companies do not have a formal change communication approach, and may be accidentally overloading workers with messages.

Employers also need to be clear about work expectations to avoid worker burnout, ADP Research said. Just over 60% of workers said they put in up to five hours of unpaid work each week, while 38% worked an extra six hours or more. The employees who worked the highest amount of unpaid work — 16 hours or more per week — were often more likely to be fully engaged and find meaning in their jobs but also were more likely to say they felt unproductive and admit they were seeking a new job.

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