Whether you’re an office worker, a manual laborer or someone working in the gig economy, there is always a risk of injury, no matter how big or small, while you perform your duties. That’s why health and safety rules exist, and why risk assessments are habitually filled out in all kinds of vocations. In the unfortunate event that you do encounter some form of accident while at work, you’ll need to consider your options when it comes to recovery and compensation. Provided below are four aspects to workplace injury, and ways in which you can deal with them.
Traveling
One of the common areas in which an employee may find themselves injured is on the way to work. The commute can be on public transport, by car, bike or on foot, and all these modes of transport come with their own risks. Car and bike crashes are the most common, and can sometimes leave you unable to work for long periods of time. If you’ve had an accident in your vehicle on the way to work, make sure to contact www.lopezlawpa.com; their lawyers will help you claim compensation and protect your rights.
Workplace Injury
Injuries in the workplace may not be all that common in specific industries, but given that accidents happen in the most unlikely of places, this advice is nonetheless applicable to those in a wide variety of positions. Your management team should record an injury in the workplace for the facts to be straight before any internal or external investigation. It might include witness statements or your description of the events that took place leading up to your injury. Your claim for compensation will depend on whether your injury was preventable given the responsibilities your employer has for your safety.
Personal Liability
On the flip-side, you may yourself be liable for your accident. This, of course, does not mean anything bad. It merely means that it would be inappropriate to file suit against your employer and that you’d likely lose anyway. If you’re personally liable, you should still be entitled to paid leave through your company’s policy. It is worth checking with your HR department following your injury. If you have the correct documentation from the doctor regarding the injury and how it’s made you unable to go into work, taking time off shouldn’t be a problem.
Mental Health
Another aspect of health in the workplace is your psychological wellness. This is an area of one’s wellbeing that’s often overlooking when in work, with conversations about mental health often feeling a little taboo. However, employment is generally regarded as one of the most stressful things in life, and often employees feel hard done by in one way or another in the workplace. Make sure you’ve got someone you trust to talk to in the organization you work for if you’re experiencing issues, and don’t be afraid to ask for time off if things are becoming difficult to handle.
These tips should help you with a variety of injuries, accidents and mental health issues encountered in the workplace.
