Dutiful Death: What Happens If An Employee Dies In Your Workplace?
Everyone knows that being an employer can come with a lot of challenges. Not only do you have to make sure that your team is happy and working hard, but you also have to handle a whole load of legal work to make sure that your company is above board. Of course, though, as a big part of this, most employers never take the time to consider what might happen if an employee dies while they are at work. This can be a difficult process to go through, but this article is here to help you out with it.
Preparing For Workplace Deaths
Preparing yourself is one of the most crucial steps in this process. You need to make sure that your employees are protected, while also taking the time to put the right things in place for your business. There are a few different services and options that can be used to help with this process.
To start, getting life insurance for each of your employees can be a good way to ensure that their loved ones are financially protected if they pass away. This sort of service is very affordable, and you can usually take a small amount off of an employee’s salary to cover it. Alongside this, many employers also include clauses in their contracts that cover death at work. This helps to protect both parties, giving employees a good idea of what to expect, and providing you with set policies.
It is also worth making sure that your employees have the right training and equipment to do their jobs. It only takes one fall, slip, or other types of accident for someone to lose their life, and this means that you need to be prepared in advance.
Handling A Death At Work
Having an employee die in your workspace is always going to be a very traumatic experience. You and your team members are likely to go into a state of shock when something like this happens, and this makes it crucial that you have plans in place to make sure that it can be handled properly.
For example, businesses that use large machines should always have an easy way to cut-off power to the machines that could hurt people. If an accident occurs, power should be cut right away, giving you and your team members the potential to save a life if the victim has survived. You also need to make sure that the authorities and an ambulance are called to the scene as soon as possible.
Once the dust has settled, it will be time to start picking up the pieces. Cleaning up the accident can be extremely traumatic, and this makes it worth hiring an external team to do this for you if needed. Many employers will also provide their team with therapy and other support services if they have witnessed death at work, ensuring that everyone is able to move forwards without lasting mental health issues.
Going To Court After An Employee Death
In many cases, death at work will be no one’s fault. In others, though, this sort of situation could have been avoided, and it will usually be the employer’s responsibility to make things right when this is the case. Providing the wrong equipment, failing to give the right training, or allowing your employees to work in unsafe environments are all good examples of the issues that employers often face when they are facing wrongful death charges.
The victims of wrongful death tend to be family members of the employee that has passed away. They have a right to claim compensation in a situation like this, and you may need a lawyer to help you to overcome the court battle you will face. Many employers will choose to make settlements with victims like this when they have the resources to do so, and this can be a good way to show that you are remorseful for the mistakes that have been made.
Of course, though, some cases like this are very much unfair, and you need to be willing to fight for your business if you think that the case you are involved with isn’t right.
Having someone die at work can be a horrible experience for employees and bosses alike. It’s likely that you will never have to deal with this, but it will be worth taking the time to prepare yourself just in case.