HRM's Role of Employee Health and Safety

Introduction

Employee health refers to your employees' physical and mental well-being. It can address both illness and wellbeing in the same sentence. When we think about health, we usually think of physical health, but mental health is just as essential. In addition, poor physical health can contribute to poor mental health, and vice versa.

We can also discuss the wellness and preventative aspects of employee health. Companies frequently wish to interfere in areas such as smoking, lack of exercise, and poor food habits. Companies are concerned about things like annual physicals and even free flu vaccines. All of this is bundled into a single employee health plan.

What is HRM's responsibility of Employee Health and safety?

“Every employee should have the right to show up to work, to do their job successfully, to do it in a safe environment, and to come home to their family after the workday, says Joey Price CEO of Jumpstart HR” (iReportSource, 2018)

And HR's responsibility is to assist in making that happen. Recognizing that safety achievement entails far more than simply completing compliance requirements,

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

According to the Health and safety Executive, (1974) "Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
For straightforward guidance on how to comply with the health and safety law, go to The basics for your business. The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain. It's sometimes referred to as HSWA, the HSW Act, the 1974 Act or HASAWA.

• It sets out the general duties which:
• employers have towards employees and members of the public
• employees have to themselves and to each other
• certain self-employed have towards themselves and others

You can read the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in full on legislation.gov.uk.
You can find out about health and safety law in our guide Health and safety at work: criminal and civil law”.

The Role of HR in Health & Safety

• Encourage a health and safety-conscious culture in the workplace.
• Double-check that the appropriate people are in the right jobs.
• Make certain that suitable OH&S rules and procedures are in place and that they are consistent with existing HR policies.
• Collaborate on cross-functional issues like as absenteeism, disability management, job design, return-to-work programs, and sick time.
• Guarantee that staff collaborate to ensure the safety of one another.

Importance of having Safe Work Place

 

Figure1:work safety concept (Source : https://media.istockphoto.com)

• Lower employee turnover rate
• Fewer absenteeism
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) rules and regulations not be violating
• Improved Reputation
• Legal Defense.
• Increasing of Productivity .

The cost of poor health and safety

If your company's health and safety system is weak, you're at risk of breaching HSWA legislation as well as seeing more absences from staff illness.

Severe violations can result in significant damage, disease, or even death. Aside from the tragedy of such events, you as an employer may be held accountable for the violations and punished or even imprisoned. Exorbitant legal fees, high insurance premiums, a ruined reputation, revenue decline Even closure are some of the long-term repercussions on a business

Work-related illness and injury can have a negative impact on not only their quality of life, but also on your business's bottom line, productivity, and reputation. All of these things can be quite difficult to overcome.(Vulpen, 2016)

Conclusion

As we all know Prevention is Better than the Cure. The expense of a person missing work due to a physical injury or a stress-related issue is rising. Strategic alignment between HR and health and safety can save an organization millions of dollars in worker compensation, insurance premiums, lost time, and reputational harm. Concentrate on the things that make a difference rather than the things that are simple. The wellness of your staff is priceless.

References

Health and safety Executive. (1974). Health and safety Executive. Retrieved from Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974: https://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm

iReportSource. (2018, April 18). What Is HR’s Role in Safety? Retrieved from iReportSource: https://ireportsource.com/blog/what-is-hrs-role-in-safety/#:~:text=HR's%20role%20is%20to%20ensure,helps%20workers%20to%20be%20safe.

Vulpen, E. v. (2016). AIHR . Retrieved from Employee Health (And Why it Matters to HR): http://www.aihr.com