Being an employer in the health sector and the legal responsibility to provide safety

Regardless of what sector you perform in, being an employer is more than focusing on your financial concern. However, in the health sector, safety should be valued a lot more than others. Patient’s wellbeing is a sensitive issue that all health workers are quite aware of. On the other hand, due to long hours in the office, health workers’ physical and mental health is being challenged.

With the recent pandemic, lack of safety equipment such as face masks, surgical gloves, and sanitizers resulted in several casualties. Being in the frontlines in a pandemic requires immense physical and mental strength. Although we are grateful for their exceptional efforts and commitment to fulfill their duty, the work conditions of healthcare professionals require improvements.

The legal obligation of business owners is to provide total safety in the workplace. The covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the absence of sufficient precautions in the health sector. Even if the hygiene standards are being obeyed correctly, working more than what laws permit may cause permanent medical problems in long term.

The officials in numerous countries are urged upon to enhance the quality work conditions of healthcare professionals. However, it is usually being disregarded that the employers sometimes contribute to these problems.

Violation of health workers’ rights may damage the business

The downfall of a medical center can start with disrespecting its workers’ wellbeing. Physically harmed and emotionally distressed health workers may not be eligible to continue their professions permanently or temporarily. Considering the purpose of medical centers, this situation can damage the business’s respect, influence, and brand value.

Workers should be respected at all times. Laws do not tolerate any work-related injuries or illnesses that could be preventable. In the health sector, being exposed to such infections is inherent. However, by taking reasonable and sufficient care, the health worker can easily avoid contracting a disease.

The business owners’ duty starts here. Although the risk is permanent in the work environment, well-equipped workers can decrease the severity of a possible illness that they may contract. Authorities emphasized the importance of the use of face masks during the pandemic. The durability of these masks is a matter that the majority is now well aware of.

Lack of production and being caught to the pandemic off guard resulted in the insufficient number of protective equipment. In the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, many health workers were infected and an undeniable rate of these cases either passed away or recovered with permanent lung diseases.

Health workers’ rights should also be valued after the pandemic

Health workers should be treated just like workers of other sectors. To concisely explain, the same risks posed to workers of other sectors also threaten the health workers. These risks can be physical exhaustion-related injuries, lack of hygiene measures, emotional stressors, fast-paced works in unsuitable conditions, and working in risky environments without sufficient protective equipment.

As the laws state, the work should be halted upon notifying a risk factor. In the health sector, unsafe workplaces can also make an impact on the patient’s treatment. As an example, if the hygiene standards are being disregarded, the patient may be infected. In this case, the business can struggle to continue the work as the victims can use their legal rights and file a legitimate lawsuit against the business.

The injured health workers can also take an action against the medical center to recover their work-related loss. Considering the length of the claim and the severity of the penalties, the business can suffer harsh consequences for neglecting its duties.