Introduction
I expect that people who are involved with workers’ compensation insurance know that the cost of the insurance for any particular company or worksite will be affected by many different factors. Among these factors are: 1) risks of the tasks performed; 2) the history of the employer with injuries; 3) illnesses; and 4) the size of the workforce performing these tasks. These are reasonable factors for calculating the cost of insurance for the site or the employer.
Now, I was mostly an in-the-office policy analyst on occupational safety, and health issues. However, I also visited many work sites, both in general industry and construction in the course of studying issues that were subject of regulation. I also traveled widely in the United States and other parts of the world. I always look at construction sites and trenching sites, and other work when I have a chance.
Thinking of the worksites I have seen prompts an idea that I want to share here.
Temecula, California
I was in this pretty little town, in the wine country north of San Diego for a special occasion. I stopped for lunch in a restaurant beside a construction project. When I came out from lunch, I took a closer look. Men were putting a roof on a three-story office building. Workers were 30 to 35 feet above the ground, and they had NO fall protection. Slipping off that roof from that height would certainly put person in the hospital or could kill them.
I had worked with Cal OSHA on a few items, so I had their number. I called and told them what I saw. They later informed me that they visited the site. They saw the problems I saw and other problems that I didn’t see.
I have thought about that worksite many times over the years and wondered why those workers were in such danger of obvious risks .
See Something, Say Something
Do people still talk about W. Edward Deming, the quality control guru? He was the fellow who thought that management should listen to the people on the assembly line when they have suggestions. My recollection is that he did not do well in the United States, but that he did very well advising manufacturers in Japan. He helped Japan improve quality and productivity. This is because the people doing the work sometimes see ways to do it easier and safer. The problem is getting workers to tell management what they see. For that to happen, management needs credibility with the workforce.
Genuine openness to employee suggestions, questions, and complaints earns you credibility. Deming showed that this was a good strategy. It was understood at least 2000 years earlier in a quote from the scholar, Ben Zoma. He said, “Who is wise? One who learns from everyone.” I saw people do this. For six years, I was on the Safety and Security workgroup led by the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Administration and Management. After hearing reports on each topic, he would ask: “Does anyone have any questions or comments on this?” He was a bright man, and he urged his team to speak up. (I did not work for him. I was there to help as the union rep at his invitation.)
An Anti-Bullying Policy and Credibility
Businesses need workers to speak up when they see unsafe working conditions, reckless employees, and other problems. Workers need to believe that businesses will listen when they tell you what they see. IF you have an anti-bullying policy, and if you hold managers responsible for implementing it, these acts will demonstrate that you take what employees say seriously.
And by the way, if you have hundreds or scores, or even a few dozen employees, you have a real chance of hiring a very nasty, falsely critical, ”toxic” person who will disturb the workforce. (I explained the rules of probability on this in https://www.workerscompensation.com/expert-analysis/penn-state-doesnt-have-an-anti-bullying-policy-do-you/). Having such employees is a problem. Failure to address the problem loses the company credibility with the workers.
Conclusion
When a company listens to employees who speak up about any number of issues, that company has an advantage of knowing things it would not otherwise have known. Listening to employee comments on workplace abuse, safety and health, and other topics wins loyalty and employee insights. That could help with the cost of your insurance!
