The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 applies to all workers and contractors and business owners and employers. It is essential that these parties work together to provide safe and healthy workplaces.
The risks in a workplace can be to physical and/or mental health. Mental health is sometimes overlooked but is as important as physical health. Employers and business owners need to be alert to harassment, bullying and stress and the impacts these can have on the health and safety of their workers.
Under the Act liability can extend beyond an employer to what is called a “person conducting a business or undertaking” (PCBU). This includes the self-employed, principals to contracts, manufacturers, designers and so on. These people, and employers, have principal health and safety duties under the Act.
There are also provisions that place duties on “officers”. An “officer” is any person occupying a position in the organisation that is comparable with a director, or any other person who exercises significant influence over the management of the business.
Prudent employers will also have health and safety policies that address the issues around employees working from home. We can draft or review such policies.
Our experience includes advising on health and safety risks, bullying and harassment investigations, stress claims, liaising with occupational physicians for workplace and employee health and safety assessments, and drafting health and safety policies.
Recently we prepared an article for Trade Me in relation to supporting the mental health of your employees. To read that article please click on the link: https://www.trademe.co.nz/c/employer/article/supporting-the-mental-health-of-your-employees