Just because the office is closed and people are working remotely, doesn’t mean that staff wellbeing and safety is put on hold. In fact, it is more important than ever. The truth of the matter is responsibilities for employers have changed, as echoed in a recent publication by Worksafe Victoria. Employees have faced a huge change in their workday and for many, having to fit out a home office and lose the face to face contact and interactions of a working environment is something they never expected to experience.
Many employers have recognised this and taken steps to ensure their workplace is suitable, perform regular check-ins and structured workdays to provide more security outside the office environment. However, this has highlighted a more serious issue where employers may not be aware of the personal impact on employees now confined to the home office.
There are factors that do escalate and magnify during these times of uncertainty, which could be hardships, addictions or underlying mental health issues. The WSG team and many other organisations have unfortunately seen these factors at times manifest themselves into severe outcomes, including family and domestic violence. At times like these, it is crucial to understand your responsibilities as an employer.
In Australia, the current responsibilities of employers regarding the wellbeing and safety of the employees during the working day are vastly different to the expectations of employers a mere decade ago. Today, the employers are responsible for both the safety and wellbeing of their employees, no matter where they are located. With the current world pandemic, we have seen widespread and drastic changes to what was considered the ‘typical working day’.
One of the most sobering and evident consequences of the global pandemic has been an increase in family domestic violence. With such unprecedented circumstances, the true effect on individual’s mental health and anxiety is simply unpredictable, making it incredibly difficult for employers to analyse the workplace environment that staff are now subjected to. However, this does not change their responsibilities in the eyes of the law.
This topic has become increasingly prevalent in the news of late, with the New South Wales Court of Appeal upholding a decision that a mother’s death at the hands of domestic violence whilst working from home for their family business, is considered a workplace death. As a result, her family are now entitled to worker’s compensation. This story is a horrible snippet into the lives of so many women and men across Australia who suffer at the hands of domestic violence, whilst indicating the court’s perspective on the role of the workplace in this instance. To view the full story, which includes a section on ‘What employers should be doing’, click here
WorkSafe Guardian has been supporting businesses to protect the safety and wellbeing of their employees for over 5 years. With more than 20 years of experience in the security industry, we have the capability and products to ensure your employees have a functional tool for any circumstance they may find themselves in.
If, in our small way we could help make it safer for your employees as they work from home and contribute to your business as productively as possible, please reach out for a chat or look through our website to see what we can do to assist your organisation.
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