Chapter 13 Meeting Employee Safety and Health Needs © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved Chapter Outline • 13-1 Gaining Competitive Advantage • 13-2 HRM Issues and Practices 13-3 The Managers Guide â 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-1a Opening Case: Gaining Competitive Advantage at Appleton • Problem: Too many injuries • Solution: Instituting a wellness center that offers physical rehabilitation, injury prevention, fitness training, and wellness education • How the wellness center enhanced competitive advantage $205,000 savings due to reduction in rehabilitation treatments 28% reduction in missed work days due to injuries Reduction in workers’ compensation costs 22% decrease in overall cost associated with soft tissue injuries © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-1b Linking Employee Safety and Health to Competitive Advantage • Programs designed to minimize health problems can create cost advantages by reducing absenteeism, turnover, and medical costs, and increasing productivity • State and federal governments strictly regulate organizational health and safety practices • Employers who violate safety and health regulations can be held liable for criminal charges © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2a Government Regulation of Safety and Health Practices at the Workplace • The Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970) Designed to ensure safe working conditions for every American worker: - Sets and enforces workplace safety standards Promotes employer-sponsored educational programs that foster safety and health Requires employers to keep records regarding jobrelated safety and health matters © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2a Government Regulation of Safety and Health Practices at the Workplace (cont.) • Three separate agencies were created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Develops and enforces health and safety standards The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission: Hears appeals from employers who wish to contest OSHA rulings The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Conducts health and safety research to suggest new standards and update previous ones © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2a Government Regulation of Safety and Health Practices at the Workplace (cont.) • OSHA standards • Specify such things as permissible exposure limit, monitoring requirements, methods of compliance, personal protective equipment, hygiene facilities, training, and record keeping Enforcement of OSHA standards – Inspection is based on the following priority classifications: - Imminent danger Fatality of catastrophe investigations Employee complaint investigations High-risk industries © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2a Government Regulation of Safety and Health Practices at the Workplace (cont.) • Hazard Communication Standard (Employee Rightto-Know Law) Enacted in 1984 Gives workers the right to know what hazardous substances they are dealing with on the job A substance is considered hazardous if exposure to it can lead to acute or chronic health problems © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2a Government Regulation of Safety and Health Practices at the Workplace (cont.) • Provisions of the employee Right-to-Know Law: • Government fines for right-to-know violations may be as high as: • Develop a system for inventorying hazardous substances Label the containers of these substances Provide employees with needed information and training to handle and store these substances safely $1,000 per chemical for first violations $10,000 per chemical for second violations Additional penalties for environmental crimes include fines up to $75,000 per day and imprisonment © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2a Government Regulation of Safety and Health Practices at the Workplace (cont.) • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Temporary, non-chronic impairments that are short in duration and have little or no long-term impact are usually not considered disabilities under the act ADA regulations specify that if a disability prevents someone from performing one or more of the essential job functions, employers must try to accommodate that individual An employer may not take adverse action against a disabled employee unless it can prove an accommodation was impossible or would cause undue hardship © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2c Employee Health Problems and Organizational Interventions (cont.) • Organizational interventions for lower back disorders: Prescreen individuals who either have existing back problems or are prone to develop such afflictions Prevent or minimize such disorders through job training and fitness training © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2c Employee Health Problems and Organizational Interventions (cont.) • Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) Leading public health problem in the United States Organizational interventions – An employer must - - Hire and retain qualified HIV-infected victims unless the debilitating effects of the disease impede their job performance Educate employees about how the AIDS virus is transmitted (and how it is not transmitted) © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2c Employee Health Problems and Organizational Interventions (cont.) • Substance abuse Costs U.S employers an estimated $1 billion a year in terms of lost productivity, accidents, workers’ compensation, health insurance claims, and theft of company property The 1988 Drug-Free Workplace Act states that employees should be notified of: - The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace Its policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace Drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs Penalties for drug abuse violations in the workplace © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2c Employee Health Problems and Organizational Interventions (cont.) • Organizational interventions to combat substance abuse Screen out applicants and discharge employees who have been identified as substance abusers Train supervisors to detect signs of substance abuse by observing employees’ behavior Provide remedial counseling through employee assistance programs (EAPs) Develop written substance abuse policies to act as a deterrent and establish a sound legal basis for taking punitive action © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2c Employee Health Problems and Organizational Interventions (cont.) • Employee wellness Seeks to eliminate certain debilitating health problems that can be caused by a person’s poor lifestyle choices These ailments can cause workplace problems such as absenteeism, turnover, lost productivity, and increased medical costs © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2c Employee Health Problems and Organizational Interventions (cont.) • Organizational interventions for employee wellness Employee wellness programs: - Provide physical fitness facilities and on-site health screening Provide programs to help employees quit smoking, manage stress, and improve nutritional habits Can be quite effective, and helps reduces both absenteeism and turnover, and increases productivity Some companies offer positive inducements to motivate high-risk individuals to participate in wellness programs; other companies focus their efforts on nonparticipants by imposing certain penalties © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2c Employee Health Problems and Organizational Interventions (cont.) • Workplace stress Causes are excessive workload, juggling work and personal lives, people problems, and a lack of job security Effects of stress on an organization: - Employees may perform poorly, quit their jobs, or suffer from low morale Conflicts among coworkers Employees may miss work, or exhibit indifference towards coworkers and customers © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2c Employee Health Problems and Organizational Interventions (cont.) • Organizational interventions for stress Effective selection and training procedures Clearly written job descriptions Effective performance appraisal systems Effective pay-for-performance programs Stress counseling, physical exercise, or use of EAPs and wellness programs © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-2c Employee Health Problems and Organizational Interventions (cont.) • Workplace violence • Most violent acts are committed by employees against other employees, supervisors, or customers Organizational interventions Provide employees with safe work environments Follow OSHA guidelines to reduce the threat of violence Use of pre-employment screening, strict antiviolence and anti-drug/alcohol policies, and training © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-3a Employee Safety and Health and the Manager’s Job • Manager’s primary roles in ensuring employee safety • Emphasize workplace safety and give constant reminders of its importance to employees Ensure that workers are doing their jobs safely Investigate accidents Manager’s role in ensuring employee health Ensure legal compliance, primarily with regard to the ADA Alleviate worker stress Ensure the confidentiality of the information they possess concerning employee disabilities © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-3b How the HRM Department Can Help • Develop, select, and evaluate safety and health programs • Ensure OSHA compliance, represent the firm during OSHA inspections, keep records of accidents, and track hazardous substances • HR professionals must consider safety and health issues as they formulate HRM practices Job analysis documents must specify the physical and mental demands of the job Collective bargaining agreements must specify employers’ rights and responsibilities in ensuring employee safety and health © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-3c HRM Skill-Building for Managers • How to conduct a safety audit Step 1: Observation - Step 2: Employee discussion - Observe worker’s activities, looking for both safe and unsafe practices Should help employees recognize and correct their unsafe acts Step 3: Recording and follow-up - Findings should be recorded in writing Pursue any item discussed during the audit that requires follow-up © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-3c HRM Skill-Building for Managers (cont.) • How to investigate accidents Ensure safety of all employees Identify both the immediate and underlying causes of the accident Make sure the accident scene is kept intact until the investigation is finished Inspect the location and immediately interview injured or affected workers, eyewitnesses, and anyone else who may be familiar with the accident area © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved 13-3c HRM Skill-Building for Managers (cont.) • How to assign dangerous work - A situation would qualify as being “too dangerous” if the following conditions apply: A reasonable person would conclude that there is a real danger of death or serious injury There is insufficient time to eliminate the danger through regular channels The employee sought from his employer, but was unable to obtain, a correction of the dangerous conditions © 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license All rights reserved ... the consequences of their actions Rebelliousness: Rebellious individuals tend to break established rules, including safety rules Hostility: Hostile individuals tend to lose their tempers easily... abuse Screen out applicants and discharge employees who have been identified as substance abusers Train supervisors to detect signs of substance abuse by observing employees’ behavior Provide... problems that can be caused by a person s poor lifestyle choices These ailments can cause workplace problems such as absenteeism, turnover, lost productivity, and increased medical costs © 2010 Cengage