Chapetr 16

Work is engaged by choice, with employees providing labor for wages, safety and health
regulations help assure that the choice to provide labor does not involve unnecessary risks.
 The managerial perspective: An organizational culture that
places a greater value on speed or saving money than on
safety can result in workplace accidents .
 The stated goals of the workers compensation law are:
 Providing prompt, sure, and reasonable medical care to victim and income to both victims and
their dependents
 Providing a no fault system in which injured workers can get quick relief without under-taking
expensive litigations
 Encourage employers to invest in safety
 Promoting research on workplace safety
Keep em honest preventing workers comp fraud:
The numbers of worker’s compensation claim have been going down. But the percentage of claims
that are considered questionable has increased. Questionable claims are those that are given
closer review and investigation due to the possibility of fraud.
As a manager you have the responsibility to take steps to limit fraudulent worker’s compensation
claims and assure that your workers perceive that there is a level playing field in regards to such
claims.
Keep the workplace safe: A safe work environment lowers the chance of accidents. A safe
workplace can also make it more difficult for someone to fake an accident

Educate employers about the worker’s compensation system: Workers should understand the
purpose of the system and how it supports workers with legitimate injury claims. However, they
should also understand that there are cost to the employer and that abuse of the system is not a
free benefit

Communicate with the claimant and with others familiars with the incident: Sharing genuine
concern for the employees wellbeing is an important management action.

Stay in contact with employees on worker’s compensation leave: Let injured employees know that
you are looking forward to their return to work. Being proactive in encouraging and helping

Chapter 16 Santiago García
employees return to work can help to maintain a good relationship with workers who had made a
legitimacy injury claim.

Occupational standards: Which cover hazards ranging from tools and machinery safety to
microscopic airborne matter, can be exceedingly complex and detailed

Variances employers Employers may ask OSHA for a temporary variance from a standard when
they cannot comply with a new standard by its effective date. Osha may grant a permanent
variance from a particular standard when an employer can demonstrate that it has in place
alternatives that protect employees as effectively as compliance with the standard would.
Effectively managing workplace safety and health requires far more than reducing the numbers of
job-related accidents and injuries. In practice, managers must deal with a variety of practical , legal
and ethical issues often give rise to legal question.

Violence in workplace: Nonlethal violence is a much more common workplace threat than
homicide. Acording to to Bureau of Justice statistics from 1993 2000 the average annual number
of people who were victims of violence crimes while while working was 1.7 million

Example :
Approximately half of U.S organizations with 1,000 or more employees report the occurrence of
workplace violence. However approximately 70 percent of U.S companies do not have policies
regarding workplace violence