Show Your Love for Your Employees by Fostering a Safe Workspace
Everyone loves to feel appreciated… or loved if you will.
In light of Valentine’s Day, let’s “show some love” and ensure your employees and co-workers how much you value them by ensuring their safety and wellbeing – both physical and mental – during their working hours.
A happy and healthy workforce is more efficient and definitely promotes a better workspace for you. Of course, on the flip side, you may very well ignore all of this “touchy feely” stuff but you may be surprised at how simple these tips are and the results will be very well worth your effort:
1. Physical Health: Working Hours and Welfare
Employers who always try to get the most ‘bang for their buck’ are not always doing the right thing. Let me explain: Sometimes we have tasks that have never been analysed or monitored and in reality, employees can’t possibly do them in the time allotted for them. Employees therefore end up working over time or hurting themselves while working rushed and/or in awkward positions.
Overworked employees are inefficient employees, and they are also accidents waiting to happen. Not a good idea for your business after all!
2. Physical Health: Safety
A lot of employers cut corners when it comes to safety. This is the single biggest mistake you can make, short of leaving your store open at night with a key to the cash register on the front desk.
Sure, not equipping your employees with the correct safety gloves might save you ten dollars a piece, but only until someone loses a finger.
Also, nobody likes training days. Safety is one of those things we all think that we know already because is common sense (but as I always say in my seminars, common sense is not really that common!), and training days are usually seen as a waste of time. That’s why I strive in any training I hold, to make it fun and to make sure you learn something you didn’t know – each and every time! Regardless of how fun or not fun they are…training days are essential. What you don’t know can hurt you.
3. Mental Health: Anti-Bullying Atmosphere
You want to foster a positive atmosphere in your company. What is the first step to doing that?
Simple. Get rid of a negative attitude where it occurs. A negative attitude leads to problems amongst co-workers, bullying, etc. Aside form the worker-to-worker situation we also have to be proactive about preventing abuse (verbal or physical) from people outside our company towards our employees. In other words, we should have a “zero tolerance” policy against workplace violence.
As an employer, the worst thing you can do is let things ferment until they get worse: Be proactive and educate people about this very important issue. Employees sometimes are embarrassed to tell you what is going on, if they are being bullied or abused by a co-worker or superior.
Don’t make your company a place where any of this is accepted, and you’ll find you have built a positive atmosphere and a great place where people want to work.
4. Mental Health: Sense Of Community
There is a simple rule to having people develop a sense of community at work:
Value Each Employee
This very important for any company to grow. Employers need to remember their most valuable resource: Employees!
Because of our employees, businesses exist and thrive. If you want their goals to align with yours, you have to be aware of their plans, visions and dreams – this is the only way to make businesses a place where one can move positively toward them.
To a safe, happy, and well-loved workforce,
Alba Vazquez, MCS-P
Authorized OSHA outreach Trainer
Founder, Compliance Solutions LLC
Everyone loves to feel appreciated… or loved if you will.
In light of Valentine’s Day, let’s “show some love” and ensure your employees and co-workers how much you value them by ensuring their safety and wellbeing – both physical and mental – during their working hours.
A happy and healthy workforce is more efficient and definitely promotes a better workspace for you. Of course, on the flip side, you may very well ignore all of this “touchy feely” stuff but you may be surprised at how simple these tips are and the results will be very well worth your effort:
1. Physical Health: Working Hours and Welfare
Employers who always try to get the most ‘bang for their buck’ are not always doing the right thing. Let me explain: Sometimes we have tasks that have never been analysed or monitored and in reality, employees can’t possibly do them in the time allotted for them. Employees therefore end up working over time or hurting themselves while working rushed and/or in awkward positions.
Overworked employees are inefficient employees, and they are also accidents waiting to happen. Not a good idea for your business after all!
2. Physical Health: Safety
A lot of employers cut corners when it comes to safety. This is the single biggest mistake you can make, short of leaving your store open at night with a key to the cash register on the front desk.
Sure, not equipping your employees with the correct safety gloves might save you ten dollars a piece, but only until someone loses a finger.
Also, nobody likes training days. Safety is one of those things we all think that we know already because is common sense (but as I always say in my seminars, common sense is not really that common!), and training days are usually seen as a waste of time. That’s why I strive in any training I hold, to make it fun and to make sure you learn something you didn’t know – each and every time! Regardless of how fun or not fun they are…training days are essential. What you don’t know can hurt you.
3. Mental Health: Anti-Bullying Atmosphere
You want to foster a positive atmosphere in your company. What is the first step to doing that?
Simple. Get rid of a negative attitude where it occurs. A negative attitude leads to problems amongst co-workers, bullying, etc. Aside form the worker-to-worker situation we also have to be proactive about preventing abuse (verbal or physical) from people outside our company towards our employees. In other words, we should have a “zero tolerance” policy against workplace violence.
As an employer, the worst thing you can do is let things ferment until they get worse: Be proactive and educate people about this very important issue. Employees sometimes are embarrassed to tell you what is going on, if they are being bullied or abused by a co-worker or superior.
Don’t make your company a place where any of this is accepted, and you’ll find you have built a positive atmosphere and a great place where people want to work.
4. Mental Health: Sense Of Community
There is a simple rule to having people develop a sense of community at work:
Value Each Employee
This very important for any company to grow. Employers need to remember their most valuable resource: Employees!
Because of our employees, businesses exist and thrive. If you want their goals to align with yours, you have to be aware of their plans, visions and dreams – this is the only way to make businesses a place where one can move positively toward them.
To a safe, happy, and well-loved workforce,
Alba Vazquez, MCS-P
Authorized OSHA outreach Trainer
Founder, Compliance Solutions LLC