Accidents in the workplace are costly, and they put businesses in jeopardy. Not to mention, employees who were hurt or injured in these accidents often lose physical abilities that render them unable to do their jobs. Whether it’s minor or major, nothing puts a business in trouble more than workplace accidents.
You have to deal with the impact of workplace accidents in three ways. The first one is to call a traumatic brain injury attorney to know what legal consequences you could be facing. The second one is to reassure the other employees that this will not happen again. And the third and most important is to take care of the victim no matter how costly that is for your business.
Doing these three things will help save the company you poured your heart and soul into. At the same time, these will also show clients that you are willing to go to great lengths to make amends to the victims of the accident. These can save your company from doom.
Financial Costs
Although it doesn’t feel right to talk about money, the truth is that finances are almost always involved when it comes to workplace accidents. The company has to compensate those affected by accident. If there are needed procedures and medications, the company should shoulder that. If the company has an insurance policy to cover these things, then they can make a claim.
But aside from the compensation, the company will also experience a disruption in work no matter how minor the accident was. It might also have to retain employees, whether temporarily or permanently, if the victims of the accident cannot attend to their work anymore. Of course, there’s also the matter of repairs to the accident site.
Physical Effects
Losing well-trained employees because of the accident is always a challenge for businesses. After all, they’ve already invested in training these people. However, that should be the farthest from the minds of business owners. What they should be concerned about is the physical impact of these accidents on the employees. Some of them could suffer from permanent injuries that will only get worse in time. Many have lost limbs and functions because of workplace accidents.
Although you might try your best to compensate them, that is nothing compared to the anguish their families feel. They might also have to retire prematurely because of the accident. Who, then, is going to take care of their families?
Psychological Effects
The victims of the accident are already suffering from physical and psychological pain. Many companies don’t notice that their other employees might also be feeling down because of the accident. They don’t feel comfortable and assured anymore. Those who are tasked to fill in for the injured employees might rather resign than subject themselves to the same risks.
Their perception of the company will change, too. If they see that you haven’t taken care of the victims, they will lose interest in working with you for a long time. In their minds, if something happens to them, they cannot trust you to do your part in being responsible for the accident.
Employer-employee Relationship
Even if the accidents’ victims somehow became better, the dynamics in their relationship with the employers will change. Over the course of the negotiation for their rightful compensation, the employees will feel slighted. Even if the company tries to do right by them under the ambit of the law, it is never enough for employees, especially for those who have lost a limb or have been permanently injured.
Employers need to be cognizant of this fact. They need to schedule post-accident meetings to address negative feelings and perceptions. They should show all employees that they are serious about enforcing stricter safety measures so no accidents will ever happen there again.
Client Perception
What will clients think about you when they learned that there was an accident in your workplace? How will they see your reaction? Would they think of it as fair? Or, will they see it as corporations getting the better of their employees? Your business’ reputation can take a beating because of an accident in the workplace. However, you respond to it wouldn’t matter because not many clients like trusting companies after serious workplace accidents.
Businesses can still survive after major incidents in the office or store. It’s all a matter of how you reacted to the accident and how the victims of the accident feel. Is the compensation enough for them? Did they feel neglected? Did you take care of them? If you can prove to your employees and clients that you will do better next time, you might find your business thriving again.
