Your Employer’s Duty Of Care
Are you concerned that you may lose your job if you pursue an injury claim against the employer? Or are you worried that by making a claim you will be creating bad relations with your employer and you will eventually be forced to hand in your resignation? If all these things are on your mind, you must consider what duty of care is owed towards you by your employer. Are you really at a risk of losing your claim by choosing to go against your employer?
What you must remember is that your employer owes a duty of care towards you. Under the Health and Safety At Work Regulations, it is the duty of every employer in the UK to ensure the safety of the workers. This means that your employer is legally obliged to take the steps necessary and reasonably practicable to reduce the risk of accidents at work. The employer must ensure that you are not exposed to risks at work which can result in injuries to you. Moreover, when you are at your place of work, you must be able to work in a risk free and safe environment.
Your employer must conduct regular risk assessments so that potential workplace risks and hazards are identified. Then, steps must be taken to minimise the risks to make the workplace safe. In addition, employees must be given adequate training so they know how to carry out their tasks safely and what steps they need to take in the event of an accident or emergency. Work equipment must be in good working order and working procedures must be safe.
These are the basic rules that every employer must follow. Failure to carry out this duty of care can result in compensation claims being made against the employer if an employee sustains injuries at work.
Therefore, it must be understood that there is no risk of getting sacked if you choose to claim. If your employer has failed to fulfill his duty, he is at fault and under the UK law, it is legal to make an injury claim against a person or party whose negligence and wrongdoing has caused you injury.
