Safety First: Protecting New Employees from Day One

Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As high schools and colleges let out for the summer months, your organization may be looking to hire young workers as interns or full-time employees. For many of these individuals, it may be their first job, or first time working in a professional setting. So, it will be necessary to ensure they understand the potential hazards they may face, their rights in the workplace, and how to address safety concerns that may arise.

Proper Training and Education

Young workers entering a jobsite or office environment for the first time will not have experienced most of the training and preparation seasoned employees may take for granted. Employers should ensure thorough training is provided to new employees before they face any potential hazards.

For example, in California all employees, no matter the industry, must be trained in Sexual Harassment Prevention and Workplace Violence Prevention.

In addition, Cal/OSHA also requires employers to provide training on job-specific hazards to all employees.

Industry-specific safety trainings can be assigned to both new and seasoned employees through the SafetyOne™ platform’s Learning Management System. And, weekly toolbox talks can be used to reinforce proper safety practices.

Rights in the Workplace

Employers are required to notify employees of their rights in the workplace, often through a combination of written notices and posters displayed in the workplace.

State-specific recruiting and new hire toolkits are available through the RM365 HRAdvantage™ portal. These toolkits include payroll documents, benefits notices, discrimination and accommodation notices, leave notices, and more.

Federal law also requires employers to report basic new-hire information within 20 days of hire, although some states require it sooner. New hire reporting resources are also available through the HR portal.

Addressing Safety Concerns

New employees should understand the process your organization has in place for reporting unsafe conditions. New employees should be encouraged to report any hazards they may see on the job without fear of retaliation.

Employees can use the SafetyOne’s QR Code-enabled forms to report issues.

Proper training, notification of workplace rights, and a well-established reporting process are three key pieces of a strong workplace safety culture. Employers should prioritize establishing and communicating the importance of safety to new employees at the start of employment to get them up to speed. Regular training and reminders should then be implemented following initial trainings to ensure all employees stay safe on the job.