Employers, if there is one thing that workers need to understand, it is that everyone has a role to play in workplace safety. Help your workers understand their rights and responsibilities by introducing the topic into your workplace. Always encourage workers to ask questions and make suggestions.
The WSCC has helpful visuals and guides that you can use to help illustrate workers rights in action in a typical northern workplace.
Step 1: Hang posters around your office.
Print off the available worker rights posters and hang them on your office’s information boards. You can also request a package of printed materials from the WSCC.
Step 2: Incorporate the worker rights scenarios in your internal communications.
There is one worker rights scenario for each of the three worker rights. They can be found in our brochure. We recommend focusing on one worker right for each communication you send out. These scenarios demonstrate how to exercise these worker rights in the workplace. Do they not feel right for your workplace? Try to think of your own example that your employees might experience.
Step 3: Encourage workers to actively participate.
Front line workers are your greatest resource in creating a safer workspace, ensure they know where to go with questions, concerns, and incident reports. Create a strong safety culture by actively encouraging employees to speak up.
Step 4: Understand that safety is an ongoing process.
Safety can’t be just a binder on a shelf, it should be part of every workday. Update workers regularly on any safety concerns impacting them. Encourage your workers to exercise their Right to Participate by flagging for possible improvements on your safety policies and procedures. For information, support, and resources to ensure your organization has everything you need in your safety program, check out our Safety Planning Guide.
