If you have ever faced discrimination at work, you know what to do, don’t you? You’ll have to file a case with your human resources department and wait for the investigation to finish. Once that is done and you haven’t received the result you think is fair, you can file a charge before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before bringing the case to court. But what about physical injuries and emotional and mental damages? Where do you file claims for these cases? And mind you, physical injuries are more likely to happen because of employer negligence.
The employee’s close family members have to look for a wrongful death attorney in Long Beach or other cities if they want to make claims on the death of their loved ones because of unsafe practices in the workplace. The right lawyer will guide you in seeking justice and compensation for your loved one’s death. Hiring an attorney is one of the steps that you should take when making legal claims against a corporation. It’s the first step, but it’s not the only thing that you need to do to successfully make a claim.
Know the Safety Standards
The U.S. Department of Labor says that there’s an average of 14 on-the-job deaths a day because of a company’s failure to follow workplace safety standards. About 2,500 workers sustain serious injuries and illnesses that cause them to miss work. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the federal agency responsible for crafting guidelines on workplace safety regulations. It is also the agency responsible for enforcing these regulations.
Every year, OSHA inspects over 30,000 workplaces. Two-thirds of this number are done because of employee complaints, unsafe labor practices, referrals from other agencies, and reports of injuries. It would do you best to know about the safety standards in your workplace. The most common violations under the OSHA rules are a lack of fall protection in construction sites, a lack of warning signals and labels, and inadequate gear.
Most of the safety standards focus on construction and industrial sites, but there are also ones for offices. These include sanitation, indoor air quality, ergonomic furniture, first aid station, emergency preparedness, and electrical safety. Failure to uphold these standards can lead to complaints and lawsuits.
Consult with the HR Department
The human resources department will know what to do in case an employee suffers serious physical injuries or, worse, death. Talk to the HR manager about the possible compensation that you can get from the company. You should have the employment contract with you as proof. Even if the provision to compensate you isn’t in the contract, the law requires that you get fair compensation for getting injured in the workplace.
Know Your Rights
Make sure that you have already consulted a lawyer before you even talk to your HR department. A lawyer will tell you what to ask and what to demand from the company. You should be armed with this knowledge when you face the company management. Demanding accountability for their negligence is a long process. Even some of the biggest companies in the world violate certain provisions of OSHA.
There is much at stake when you put your life on the line for these companies. Make sure that you are well protected with compensation and insurance. Negotiate for a better contract even before you start working in the company.
