What is Workplace Negligence?
When it comes to negligence in the workplace, many of us see it as a simple exchange. We put in a hard day’s work for an honest wage. In return, we expect our employer to provide a safe workplace, with adequate safety equipment, proper training, and safety procedures that are enforced.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen that way. Some employers do not live up to their standard of support, and, as a result, workplace negligence can result in injury that can, at least, lead to a workers’ compensation claim. But what is workplace negligence? How can you know about your rights and if they are being violated? Here are the facts about what employee negligence at work is and how you can seek damages if you are the victim of such disregard.
What to do if Employer Negligence At Work?
Employer negligence at work can lead to serious and long-term injuries. Employer negligence is often alleged in injury cases, typically when an employee is hurt at work or causes harm to someone else. But how can you prove employer negligence in court?
In order to prove any “basic” work negligence case, you must have three parts: a duty that someone was supposed to perform; a breach of that duty; and a cognizable injury that was caused by that breach (http://definitions.uslegal.com/n/negligence/ ).
negligence in the workplace, can come in several different ways. These include:
What is Employer Negligence Duty of Work?
An employer has a duty of “reasonable care” when it comes to screening individuals who will work for them and with other employees.
They must determine if these new hires will possibly pose a threat of injury to their co-workers or to members of the general public they may be exposed to through workplace interaction. If an employee commits a crime such as murder, sexual assault, injury, theft, or vandalism, the employer can be found to be negligent if he or she did not use due diligence in hiring the employee. For instance, if an employer failed to conduct a basic background check on an employee, this can be used to prove the employer was negligent in hiring the individual (http://www.nonprofitrisk.org/library/articles/employment091008.shtml). Unlike job-related misconduct, negligent hiring arises from acts that the employee performed outside the scope of his employment, such as criminal conduct.
What is Workplace Negligent Retention?
Some employees will not set off any “alarm bells” when they are hired, but they may display behavior that shows them to be unsafe while on the job. Negligent retention is when an employer does not take corrective action against an employee after learning that the employee is unfit after hiring. An example of this would be if an employee were found to be untrained and dangerous when using a piece of heavy machinery such as a crane. If the employer did not retrain, reassign, or discharge the employee, but still allowed him or her to operate the dangerous equipment, then the employer would be liable for damages caused by the employee. Although the exact statutes vary by state, an employer can also be found negligent if he or she is unaware of an employee’s unfitness (http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/labor_law/meetings/2010/annualconference/087.authcheckdam.pdf).
Workplace Negligent Training
Once an employee has been hired, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure he or she is properly trained on all equipment that they will be using in the course of their employment. For instance, if a fast food employer failed to properly train an employee on how to use a fry machine, the employee negligent at work if the employee or a co-worker were injured due to unsafe use of the equipment. The employer can also be held liable for harmful acts committed by the employee against the general public.
Workplace Negligent Supervision
The fourth way that an employer can be charged with negligence is through negligent supervision. Negligent supervision is a variation of negligent training and the two usually go hand-in-hand. This involves an employer failing to reasonably control or monitor the actions taken by his or her employees. For example, an employer who ignores reports of threats or sexual harassment made by an employee against another employee can be found responsible through negligent supervision (http://abcnews.go.com/Business/CornerOffice/story?id=87194&page=1).
What are the elements for proving negligence in employment or in the workplace?
There are four main elements that must be met in order to legally prove negligence by an employer. These include:
1. The employer owed the victim a duty of care in workplace negligence.
If you are an employer, then there is an understood duty of care on your part. To this end, you must ensure and maintain the premises that are used by your employees. As part of this requirement, you must also ensure the premises and equipment are safe. In addition, you must also record and notify the proper authorities with regard to workplace incidents including injuries and reports of harassment and threats. Finally, the employer has a duty to maintain a safe environment that complies with OSHA regulations (https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/worker/employer-responsibility.html).
2. The employer negligence duty of care in the workplace
The second element in determining if negligence has occurred comes after the duty of care is established. If the employer then violates their responsibility to uphold this duty, they have breached the duty. This would be the commission of something that a reasonable person could be expected to have foreseen or realized. For instance, if an employer hires an unqualified worker who then injures his or her co-workers or the general public, then that employer has breached the duty of care.
3. The workplace negligence victim was actually injured.
The third element of negligence is whether or not the victim was actually injured. For this, the injuries must be calculable. This would be such as the loss of life or limb from an accident on the job or could also include any physical injuries that may have occurred. In some cases, emotional or psychological trauma may also be considered when determining if the victim has been injured.
4. The injury was a result of negligence at the workplace
The final element of workplace negligence is whether or not the victim’s injury was actually caused by the employer’s breach of the duty of care. In order for negligence to be shown, causation has to be established. This means that if an employee was injured on the worksite, it doesn’t automatically mean the employer has committed negligence. However, if an employer does not maintain proper safety equipment and that causes the employee to be injured, then the duty of care has been breached and it has caused an injury. Then workplace negligence comes into play.
Common Forms of Employer Negligence Cases
Sometimes, it may be difficult for a person to understand exactly what workplace negligence really is. The following are just a few examples of past negligence cases or common forms of negligence. It should not be thought of as the end-all, be-all list of possible negligence. But, as a way of clarifying, here are the most common examples of workplace negligence.
Failure to carry workers’ compensation insurance
An employer is mandated by law to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Worker’s compensation insurance is supposed to cover medical and hospital bills for job-related injuries and illnesses, as well as lost wages, usually two-thirds of your regular salary. Employers are also required to post worker’s compensation information such as approved doctors and policies in a prominent place where employees have access to the info. The federal government has a workers’ comp program for federal and other types of employees, but each state also has its own workers’ compensation programs and laws (http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/workers-compensation-benefits-faq.html).
If an employee fails to carry the insurance or to follow the approved guidelines for the insurance, then they are committing negligence. For instance, if an employee at a moving company sustained a back injury while unloading furniture, and his employer told him that the company wasn’t insured when he asked for the workers’ comp insurance information, the employee could sue his employer for damages. Damages include compensation for his medical bills, rehabilitation, lost wages, and transportation to and from therapy.
Employer’s intentional or egregious conduct
Intentional or egregious conduct is a little more blatant. This can include behavior that is so inappropriate that it is almost shocking. For instance, an employer hitting or striking an employee is committing egregious conduct. Another example would be an employer who violates federal guidelines and makes an employee work in an area that is unsafe, leading to the injury of the employee.
Employer Negligence Retaliation
If a worker is injured on the job and files a worker’s compensation claim, the employer is not allowed to retaliate against the employee. For example, an employee cannot be fired or demoted for filing a claim, nor can the employer take unfair disciplinary actions against the employee, including isolating an employee from his or her co-workers. An employer also cannot interfere with a workers’ compensation claim nor can he make threatening statements or intimidate the employee.
Discrimination on a Workplace
Another area of employer action that has been found to be negligent in scope is discrimination. This can include discriminating against a person in terms of race or gender. The creation of hostile workplace negligence can occur through the use of racial slurs or sexually charged language that constitutes harassment. If an employer either knew of this workplace negligence harassment or should have known and didn’t stop it, or discouraged complaints, the employer could be liable. For instance, if an employee fails to respond to an employee reporting a manager for using a racial slur, then the employer can be held responsible for being negligent.
Third-Party Injuries
An employer does not have to personally injure an employee to still be culpable for that employee’s injuries. If a third party’s behavior leads to an employee injury, then the employer can be responsible if the third party was under the employ of the employer. For example, if a manager is consistently abusive both verbally and physically to an employee, then the employee has the right to report this to the head employer. If the employer does nothing and the abuse continues or escalates into physical violence, then the employer has been negligent in his or her care of duty and is responsible for that third party’s actions. Potential third parties could be non-employer supervisors or project managers, manufacturers of defective machinery or equipment, drivers, outside vendors and contractors, and public utility providers.
Toxic substances in the Workplace
A toxic substance claim of negligence usually comes when an employer knowingly allows an employee (or employees) to work in an area with toxic substances that could harm or even kill the employee. An example would be if an employer placed employees in a building with asbestos, a substance that has been linked to mesothelioma, without providing them with the proper equipment to keep them from breathing in the deadly particles.
Defective work products and tools
One of the duties that an employer has is to provide safe equipment for his or her employees to use. Workplace Negligence comes into play if an employer knowingly allows faulty equipment to be used. For instance, if an employee reports that machinery needs to be repaired, but it is not taken out of service for these fixes, the employer has failed to live up to his or her responsibility to provide safe working conditions for the employees. If a worker is then injured by the faulty equipment, then the employer would be considered negligent.
Contact Our Florida Workplace Negligence Lawyer For Legal Help:
If you or someone you know has been injured by a negligent employer or been wrongfully terminated or punished because of a report of negligence, then you must understand that you do have rights. The skilled Florida Workplace Negligence Attorneys at the law offices of Wolf & Pravato can give you an idea of whether or not your case is viable and if you can possibly recoup damages from your employer. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about your rights at 954-633-8270. For internet-based inquiries, please fill out our online consultation form to schedule a private consultation with one of our attorneys at the law offices of Wolf & Pravato. You need an experienced and aggressive employer negligence attorney on your side and a Florida personal injury lawyer at the law offices of Wolf & Pravato will protect your rights in your employer’s negligence case.
FAQs Related To Workplace Negligence in Florida:
Can you sue your employer for negligence?
Yes, you can sue your employer for negligence at the workplace. However, you must be able to legally prove that the negligence has impacted you. The four main elements to proving the act include:
- If the employer-owned a duty of care towards the victim
- If the employer failed to uphold their responsibility and breached their duty
- If the victim was actually injured in real terms
- If the injury was caused due to the employer’s workplace negligence.
You can certainly file a lawsuit for employer negligence if you have been impacted. Once proven, the employer is liable to adhere to the worker’s compensation claim as well.
What are some examples of negligence?
Employer negligence at workplaces can range from employees being forced to work in unsafe environments to the mindless hiring of unfit people done by the employers. If the employer encourages discrimination at work, refuses to replace the faulty equipment used by the employees, or fails to correctly screen individuals at the time of hiring— it is said that the employer has been negligent.
When the employer retains an unfit employee, fails to provide the required training, and lacks supervision over the team, it is also considered as employer negligence.
Can I be fired for negligence?
Yes, once your act of negligence is proved lawfully, you can be fired. Workplace negligence can be accepted as a cause for your dismissal. Florida is an “at-will” state. This allows the employers to terminate your employment without any advance notice. The federal laws of Florida consider the egregious conduct of employers to be a valid reason for their termination.
If you misbehave with your employees or an individual at your workplace is harmed because of your negligence, you can be fired at once.
Can I be forced to work during the COVID-19 pandemic?
In Florida, you cannot be forced to work if you are currently suffering from COVID-19 or show specific symptoms of contracting the virus. However, employees cannot refuse to work if they are declared healthy and fit by the physicians. With all the safety measures taken at workplaces, employees are expected to work during the pandemic as well. Individuals bound by employment contracts are required to continue with their work unless they catch the disease. Failing to do so can result in the termination of your employment term and, in some cases, lead to compensations as well.
What type of lawyer do you need to sue your employer?
To sue your employer, you need the support of a strong employer negligence attorney. If your employer’s negligence has led to an injury, you need a personal injury lawyer that can represent you in court. Your employer negligence lawyer holds the responsibility to pursue your lawsuits further. In some cases, workplace or employment lawyers can also be involved to settle disputes with your employers.
We also help the victims of other practice areas:
