Where Do Your Responsibilities Begin And End As A Business Owner?
As a business owner, you need to make sure that you are thinking about the responsibilities that you have, specifically to your employees. If you aren’t aware of where your responsibilities begin and end then you could end up in a situation where you are hit with a lawsuit that you never saw coming. So, let’s break down the key issues that you need to be aware of here.
Think About Premises Liability
First, you need to understand the concept of premises liability. If you own a property, then you will be responsible for any accidents or incidents that occur. This means that if someone is injured, you can be held liable. A mistake business owners often make is that if you rent a property, premises liability is no longer relevant. However, this is not the case. It still plays a part because it will usually be included in the contract that you sign from your landlord.
Understand Potential Hazards
Next, you need to make sure that you are dealing with potential hazards in your company. There can be a range of issues that could impact your employees. For instance, you should check the environment to ensure that it is safe for them. This can be as simple as guaranteeing that your staircase is lit well. A poorly lit staircase could lead to a trip or fall and this will mean that you could be held liable.
Alternatively, there could be an issue with air quality in your business property. Air quality can lead to a variety of health problems such as trouble breathing. Solutions such as https://dmi-kc.com/indoor-purification/ will guarantee that there aren’t any problems with air quality that you need to worry about.
Be aware that hazards can be more abstract. For instance, the most common injury in offices right now is repetitive strain injury. This can be managed by ensuring that your employees are taking regular breaks throughout the day. Ideally, they should be stopping every few hours for roughly 20 minutes.
Emotional Health Issues
Finally, you need to be aware that emotional issues are also your responsibility when it comes to employees. It’s important to guarantee that you don’t have issues with bullying or harassment in your business. Anything like this can end up creating a negative perception of your company and leave you with no chance of getting the interest of new employees. Ideally, it’s best to opt for a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to these issues. You can find out more about workplace bullying and how to deal with it here www.thebalancecareers.com/.
We hope this helps you understand the responsibilities that you have as a business owner and the steps that you must take to protect your employees. In doing so, you can guarantee that you don’t end up in a situation where you are spending a fortune on legal costs. Don’t forget, it’s not just the short-term expenses. You need to think about issues with damage to your reputation as well. If your company is hit with a legal issue then it is going to mean that you’ll earn bad press.
