Retail employees residing in New Jersey should be aware of safety risks associated with working over the holidays. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is taking the initiative to remind employers to take extra steps to focus on protecting retail workers and their pay. The fast-paced shopping environment surrounding the holidays leads to longer workdays and more demanding schedules for retail employees.
NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, explains that retail employers should be especially cautious about unsafe working conditions around the holidays and take extra steps to ensure that employees’ physical and mental health is maintained through the holiday season. This can help reduce anxiety and make employees feel that their needs are being met, leading to increased safety and better morale.
NIOSH states that lost sleep and a lack of family time may affect employees’ health, despite the extra pay being a clear benefit. A poll showed that 24 percent of American employees felt that work got in the way of time spent with their families and personal obligations. However, stress regarding loss of family time is not the only factor that can be detrimental to employees’ health. Stress can also lead to increased chances that an employee will become injured on the job. Increased work demands and longer hours mean that employees may pay less attention to proper safety protocol. Injuries and back pain from falls and excessive lifting are therefore more common around the holidays.
In the event of a personal injury resulting from holiday-related workplace stress, an attorney with experience in workers’ compensation may be able to help an affected person seek compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages and other damages associated with the injury. In the event of permanent disability from a workplace injury, an attorney may be able to help an injured person seek long-term compensation.