Employer negligence is something that often comes up in worker’s compensation cases, and it happens in every industry.
Employee negligence is applicable when an employer or entity fails to act reasonably regarding health and safety or fails to act at all. Essentially, employer negligence can be divided into two categories: “no action” or “incorrect action.”
Read on to learn about the different types of negligent behavior in the workplace and what you can do about it.
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The Types of Employer Negligence
If you have suffered harm or lost a loved one due to an employer’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost income, and even pain and suffering – visit this website to learn more.
The four most common types of negligence in the workplace involve hiring, training, supervision, and retention.
Negligent Hiring
When employers hire new employees, they must be sure that the new hires are qualified to fill the positions they have been awarded.
Employers also have a responsibility to ensure that all their employees are afforded a safe working environment – that’s why they conduct thorough background checks on their job applicants.
An employer would be negligent if they hired someone who was fired from their previous position due to an assault on another employee, and then they assault another member of staff. In this case, the employer could be held liable for the assault because they failed to do their due diligence and keep their employees safe.
Negligent Training
When a new employee is hired, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that they undergo proper training before carrying out their duties.
For instance, if you get a new job working in a butcher’s shop, you should receive training on how to use the meat grinder. If you did not receive the proper training and injure yourself, the employer is responsible for the accident.
Similarly, if you work on-site in a construction firm and were not trained on how to use the scaffolding properly, you could injure other employees in the firm, and they would be within their rights to hold their employer responsible.
Negligent Supervision
When an employee is hired and going through training, they will need to be supervised while learning the ropes. If an employer fails to supervise an employee, this act of negligence is called negligent supervision.
For instance, if an employee harasses or threatens another employee, is not disciplined for their behavior, and then goes on to assault the employee, the employer is liable for the injuries sustained in the assault.
Employees need to know exactly what’s going on in their business so they can take corrective action before things escalate.
Negligent Retention
If an employee has been hired, trained, and supervised but displays troubling, careless, or violent behavior that could harm others, the employee has a responsibility to protect the other employees in the company.
For instance, if an employee sexually harasses another employee repeatedly, it is the employer’s responsibility to terminate them. If an employer fails to take corrective or disciplinary action, the employer may be guilty of negligent retention.