Waging war on workplace welfare negligence

In direct response to burgeoning volumes of workplace related accidents, injuries and illnesses, the Health & Safety Executive was founded 35 years ago. Since its formulation, health and safety has continued to be a hot human resources topic in a spectrum of very different workplaces across the length and breadth of the country. Whilst many businesses have intrinsic understandings of health and safety laws, alongside potential contravention implications, many do not. By way of a clear and timely reminder, the Health & Safety Executive focused on the topic of workplace welfare in its August 2011 press release.

Some businesses might feel that guidelines about the provision of suitable toilets, drinking water, changing and staff room facilities are matters of plain and simple common sense that border on being patronising. What they might be overlooking, however, is that fact that many businesses do not have sparklingly modern premises. Some businesses, rather than being office oriented, employ many manual and other workers, on and off site, whose roles may be physically demanding or somewhat mucky.

Regardless of operational and sector specifics, every employer in the land is both legally and morally obliged to ensure the health and wellbeing of staff, by way of basic welfare facilities at the very least. Even the most forward thinking human resources professionals might be unaware of certain stipulations. For example, employment law dictates that workplaces should ensure adequate provisions for female staff, both when they are pregnant and when they have had their babies. Such places should have sanitary facilities at hand and provide somewhere to lie down.

We, at NorthgateArinso Employer Services, not only provide businesses with expert workplace welfare guidance. We also offer common sense help and support to implement and maintain transitions from theory to practice in accordance with employment law.

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