Everybody wants to feel safe and secure in their workplace right? As an employee you want to be able to do your job without fear of injury or loss and be paid a fair amount for doing so. In fact many employees cite this as being more important to them than salary.
If you are working in an environment where you don’t feel safe; this can impact your motivation and make you feel less happy about your job. Even if it is a job you might otherwise enjoy.
Feeling Safe At Work
Feeling safe at work, and feeling like your boss is looking out for your well-being is really important for your happiness, so it is certainly worth fighting for.
In any business it is generally the responsibility of your employer to look out for your safety, and to make sure your working environment is free from unnecessary dangers, but if you feel like that job is not being done, you can certainly step in and ensure that it is.
How To Make Work Safer
Making your working life safer should be relatively simple. The first step is to talk to your boss and make him aware of your safety concerns. He should take your concerns seriously, but if he doesn’t make him aware that he has a legal responsibility to do so.
There is no need to be overly confrontational; in many cases just having the conversation will spur the management to be more proactive. Remember that your boss probably isn’t intentionally endangering his staff he may just not have considered it.
Pro Tip:
If possible, air your concerns via a polite email. This way you will have a written record of having spoken about the safety risks. If you prefer to talk in person, simply follow up with an email to recap your concerns.
If Concerns Are Not Addressed…
If you have spoken to your boss and your concerns are not addressed in a reasonable time frame, the next step depends on how far you want to take it.
If you feel an imminent danger to your safety then you may choose not to turn up for work until it is fixed. Hopefully this is only necessary in extreme cases of course.
You should be aware that you are specifically protected from being dismissed due to complaining about safety, and therefore you are not likely to be fired as a result of following up this issue.
Filing A Complaint
In the USA the OSHA are responsible for safety in the workplace. In the UK the relevant body is the HSE. Wherever you live you should contact the relevant body and inform them of the safety issue(s) and that you have raised the issue previously with your employer.
You should be able to do this anonymously, which help you to feel more comfortable if you continue to work there.
Your Happiness At Work
Ultimately you need to be able to enjoy your job, and even if the safety issues are eventually cleared up, unless your management resolve to be more proactive, you may feel it best to move on and work elsewhere.
Remember to always put your safety and well-being first and never ‘put up’ with any situation that you are not comfortable with.
About The Author
This guest post was written by Josh from Pryers Solicitors. Josh is experienced in small business love to advise on making the work place safer and more enjoyable to work in.
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