The office environment can sometimes pose unexpected hazards. As you scroll through your Facebook feed or exchange playful emails with colleagues, remember that over one million people report work-related illnesses each year. Staggeringly, this leads to a loss of 27 million workdays, and over 170 employees tragically lose their lives performing their everyday work tasks.
Even in the supposed safety of your office cubicle, health risks may loom, and it’s your employer’s responsibility to ensure your well-being. Various employee benefits might not be upheld, hence it is crucial to understand and protect your rights as an employee, in case they’re being overlooked.
Should you suffer a workplace accident, from a back injury due to improper lifting to a slip on a wet floor, your employer has a legal obligation to register the accident and provide Statutory Sick Pay should you require time off for recovery.
Importantly, if your injury results from your employer’s negligence, you might be eligible for compensation. But where do you start?
Educate Yourself on Employee Rights
You needn’t be a legal expert to claim compensation. However, apart from seeking help from an injury solicitor, you should conduct your research to guard your rights. Remember, your employer can neither dismiss you nor penalize you for seeking rightful compensation.
Document the Accident
No matter the kind of accident you’ve had at work, it’s paramount to note it down in your workplace’s accident book. As Davis, Saperstein & Salomon purports, documenting your experience under personal injury law becomes a strong basis to make a personal injury claim, and it could help prevent a recurrence to someone else.
Accessing Sick Pay
Depending on your accident’s severity, you might need time off for recovery. In such cases, you’re entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. Some workplaces also offer Contractual Sick Pay, giving you better financial support during your healing period.
Initiating a Compensation Claim
When ready to claim compensation, ensure you do so within three years from the date of the accident. If you’re a union member, seek advice from your representative before engaging a solicitor, as they likely have experience with similar scenarios.
Understand the Consequences
Claiming compensation against your employer can indeed be fraught with anxiety. But remember, if an accident occurs due to negligence, you have every right to be compensated. Generally, the employer’s liability insurance covers most of these claims, not their personal finances.
Prevention, through clear and precise communication, is the ideal way to avoid accidents. Communication is the adhesive that keeps successful businesses intact, like with the newly introduced Igloo Software, catering to cohesive and transparent workplace interactions on all fronts.
