CASE 5

Managing workplace safety and health

In 1948 all states started having workers compensation programs. They are designed to provide financial and medical assistance to employees injured in job.

OSHA the occupational safety and health act is a federal law that requires employers to provide a safe and healthy work environment. Featured with specific occupational safety and health standards. And keep record of injuries and illnesses.

To reduce fraudulent claims at workplaces managers can first of all keep the workplace safe; this reduces accidents and makes it harder for someone to fake one. Educate employees about the worker´s compensation system that how it is there to support the employees but at the same time costs money for the employer and abusing the system is not a free benefit. Communicate with the claimant and with others familiar with the incident. Genuine concern on employees wellbeing is an important managerial action. Stay in contact with employees on workers compensation leave. Let the employees know that you are looking forward for them coming back to work and being supportive and encouraging in it.

Close calls should be also recorded in workplaces.

Managing contemporary safety, health and behavioural issues

HR professionals are frequently called upon to develop and implement policies dealing with practical, legal and ethical issues. This might be hard because then they are balancing between individual rights (privacy for example) and with the needs of organization

The article about Moritz Erhardt was a concerning example what working without rest might cost. I don’t think that you can blame either part in this case. It might have been so that Erhardt was aiming to get a job at that bank and didn’t want to show any weaknesses to be able to get it. And at the same time with he´s excitement of the job wasn’t able to see what it was doing to he´s health.

In the article “Do corporate wellness programs really work?” was well stated the different aspects of wellness programs. I think that wellness programs should not focus on the weight-loss aspect but rather be supportive for people to do sports and consider their diet healthier. I think that companies should also be open minded for mental diseases in a way that it is easy to talk about that stuff as well. Mental diseases are very common these days but I still feel it is a matter that you can´t talk everywhere without getting judged.

Sources:

Managing Human Resources, Global Edition 2016 Gomez-Meja, Balkin, Cardy. 528-556-

Exhausted Merril Lynch intern died from epileptic fit in shower after he “pulled three all-nighters at bank where employees compete to work the longest hours”. Thomas, Emma. 22.11.2013

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2511911/Moritz-Erhardt-exhausted-Merrill-Lynch-intern-died-epileptic-fit.html#ixzz4RTj2xoP1 Accessed 5.2.2018

Do corporate wellness programs really work? Morgaine, Briana. 21.10.2015 https://www.liveplan.com/blog/2015/10/does-corporate-wellness-work-the-surprising-truth-about-employee-wellness-programs/ Accessed 5.3.2018