Employees Are Expected to Innovate — Yet 41% Fear Being Fired for Making a Mistake
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, March 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Innovation is no longer optional in today’s workplace. According to “Workplace Innovation at Risk: Why Fear Still Lives in Supportive Cultures,” a new study conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of INTOO, nearly three out of four full/part-time employed Americans (74%) say they are expected to bring new ideas to improve things at work, like processes, strategies, or results.
Yet many employees still fear the consequences of getting it wrong. In fact, 41% admit they are afraid of being fired for making a mistake, such as giving incorrect information or forgetting to complete a task.
Employees appear to be responding to expectations to innovate. More than three-quarters (78%) report that they regularly contribute new ideas for improvement at work. But 64% say they wish they were more innovative at work, suggesting fear may quietly be holding back creativity.
The findings point to what INTOO calls an “innovation perception gap,” in which formal encouragement to experiment coexists with lingering fear of failure.
Encouragement and Anxiety Coexist
On the surface, many organizations appear to be fostering supportive environments:
• 82% say they would feel safe admitting they don’t know something at work, without worrying about being fired.
• 81% of employees say they feel safe trying new things to improve business results at their organization.
• 79% say mistakes are typically treated as learning opportunities at their organization.
• 77% say their manager is always receptive to their new ideas.
Yet the fear of termination suggests emotional safety has not been fully internalized across the workforce.
“So many organizations are sending the right messages about innovation and learning,” said Mira Greenland, Chief Revenue Officer at INTOO. “But this data shows that what companies say and what employees feel aren’t always the same. When employees are expected to innovate while still fearing the consequences of missteps, creativity can stall. Leaders need to go beyond encouraging experimentation and consistently demonstrate that smart risk-taking is truly safe.”
Younger Professionals Better Understand the Importance of Contributing New Ideas and May Be Perceived as More Innovative
The study also found that employees ages 35–44 are significantly more likely than older employees (ages 55+) to agree that their manager is receptive to their new ideas (83% vs 73%), and those ages 18-44 are more likely than those 65+ to say they regularly contribute innovative thinking at work (81% vs. 62%).
This suggests that the newer generation of employees understands that they need to innovate to succeed. At the same time, the data also suggests that perhaps employees 55+ may not be regarded as innovative as younger employees, or that older employees at least feel this way.
Implications for Leaders and HR
The research underscores a critical opportunity for senior leaders and HR decision-makers: closing the perception gap between stated cultural values and lived employee experience.
Innovation does not fail because employees lack ideas. It falters when employees feel they must calculate the career risk of every bold move.
“To unlock innovation at scale, organizations must ensure that psychological safety is not just communicated, but consistently experienced,” Greenland added. “That means creating space for honest conversations about mistakes and, more importantly, the lessons that come from them. When leaders openly discuss missteps, model vulnerability, and frame setbacks as learning moments, employees stop worrying about whether a mistake could cost them their job. That’s when creativity accelerates.”
Survey Method:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of INTOO from February 17-19, 2026 among 1,223 full/part-time employed adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.4 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.
For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact us.media@intoo.com.
About INTOO
With offices around the world, INTOO is the outplacement and career development flagship for Gi Group Holding, a global leader in HR and talent solutions, and is also a founding member of Career Star Group’s global network of outplacement providers. We bring 30+ years of experience delivering high-touch, people-focused programs to more than 20,000 companies worldwide, supporting employees at every stage of change.
Sarina Basch
INTOO
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email us here
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