Law firm Slater and Gordon is urging Australian employers to prioritise their workers' safety over deadlines as many are rushing to get jobs completed before the Christmas break.
Meghan Hoare, senior workers' compensation lawyer, said the firm had regularly seen cases where employees' safety had been overlooked in the rush to complete tasks or projects before the summer break, with workers in the retail, production, and construction sectors most likely to be hurt this time of the year.
“The need to do jobs under pressure results in shortcuts being taken, which we know impacts the safety of workers,” Hoare said, as she explained that accidents occur when safety measures are bypassed in order to speed up tasks. “Disappointingly, it has become very common for our lawyers to be contacted by workers who have suffered injuries as result of the additional workplace pressures, caused by rushing to meet the demands of the pre-Christmas rush.”
Hoare said any pending deadline is no reason to put workers' lives and safety at risk, and urged workers to approach their managers about their safety concerns within the workplace.
“Workplace accidents can have permanent, life-changing, and devastating effects on a worker and his or her family,” Hoare said. “All employees should be entitled to enjoy a safe and happy festive season with their families without the fear of suffering a workplace injury. We urge everyone to stop and slow down to assess the nature of the task with your colleagues and your boss. Communication with team members is the key to getting jobs done safely.”
A survey of more than 1,000 people released by the firm earlier this year revealed that 42% had agreed to do an unsafe task at work, with men and those aged between 23 and 34 most likely to do an unsafe task.
Topping the list of reasons for agreeing to do an unsafe task was time constraints, at 45%. This was followed by pressure from managers, 30%; fear of losing employment, 24%; pressure from co-workers, 15%; and financial pressures, 11%.
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