We spend a lot of time at work — approximately one-third of our lives, in fact. Your employer must do their best to keep your workplace safe, but health and safety issues may come up anyway. It’s important to address these issues with your employer. Even if you’re just burned out and need a sick day to recuperate your mental health, advocating for yourself will help ensure a happier, healthier workplace for you and better outcomes for your employer.
Workplace health issues run the gamut. If you work outside, you may be exposed to extreme heat and lack of shade, stinging or biting insects or dangerous slip and fall hazards. Indoor office workers generally face fewer physical threats, but they may be exposed to mold or chemicals, have a workspace that puts stress on their body or endure hostile work dynamics that cause severe mental health strain.
Though health and safety concerns at work are a reality, solutions are available. Employers are required by law to keep their workers safe from a wide array of dangers. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces workplace safety standards to reduce injury and death on the job. As part of the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA inspects workplaces to ensure health and safety, investigates complaints of unsafe conditions and helps train employers and employees on workplace safety.
Individual states may have further workplace safety regulations and laws. Other government entities, like the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), support states in creating and enforcing workplace safety plans. These organizations are important resources, both to help you understand your rights as an employee and to seek help if your employer isn’t keeping your workplace safe and healthy.
Sometimes an employer may not realize that their health and safety policies aren’t working. You can play an important role in making your work site safer and healthier for you and your colleagues by communicating any issues or suggestions to your employer or by pointing out a policy that may be going unenforced. Here are some tips for preparing to talk to your boss about workplace safety issues.
Know your rights
Workers are protected by a wide spectrum of state and federal rights, which keep them safe and healthy on the job. By law, your employer must keep your workplace free of known health and safety hazards, and they cannot retaliate against you for speaking up about safety concerns.
Learn more about your worker rights from OSHA, and contact your local OSHA chapter to find out more or to file a complaint. Search online for “workplace safety laws” and the name of your state. Knowing the law will help you feel prepared to talk to your employer about safety or health concerns at work.
Review company policy
There’s more to company policy than the office dress code. Most jobs will provide information about company policy when you begin work, or the policy may be posted somewhere, either online or at the work site. Company policies should include information about health and safety at work, as well as guidelines for how to flag issues, whom to inform and more.
Before speaking with your employer, review the company policy to better understand the company’s health and safety procedures. You’ll be able to point out any discrepancies at your meeting.
Gather evidence
If you’re facing a health and safety issue at work, documentation of the problem can be critical in getting it addressed. If you visit a doctor or urgent care due to a workplace issue, keep the bill and medical record of the visit as evidence. If you need an accommodation, have your doctor or relevant medical professional write out their recommendation. If you’ve sustained an injury at work, like throwing out your back, documentation like medical records will help you claim worker’s compensation.
If the issue is affecting several colleagues, gather testimony from as many as you can, in writing, with a date and a signature. Photos, videos or audio recordings of unsafe conditions can also be helpful, but exercise caution when filming or recording in restricted areas. The National Labor Relations Board, which issues decisions related to labor issues, gives employees certain protections when recording or videotaping at work to document workplace concerns, but know your company’s policies before pulling out a camera. If you have questions about documenting evidence at work, contact your local OSHA chapter.
Keep your goals in mind
Before you bring your concerns to your employer, make sure you figure out which specific outcomes you’d like to see. What changes should your employer make to create a healthier, safer workplace? If you need a specific accommodation, have a plan prepared ahead of time, so you can make a clear, direct request of your employer.
Remember, employers are required to help keep you safe. They will likely be eager to hear about issues and find ways to remedy them. Having clear goals will help you work together to make your workplace safer.
Outline your main points
When approaching your boss with workplace safety concerns, clarity and direct information are important for addressing the issue. Be specific about the problem and how it is impacting your and/or your colleagues’ ability to work. For example, if the office’s dim lighting is making it hard to see and causing headaches or eye pain, be specific about what’s happening: Who is affected? Where are the lights? What is a reasonable solution?
It may be helpful to write out your ideas ahead of time, so you know what you’re going to say and the points you intend to make. This will help make the conversation more productive and efficient, and give your employer the information they need to make your office or work site safer and healthier for you.
Highlight the benefits for the company
If there’s a health or safety issue at your workplace, chances are you’re not the only one affected by it. Unsafe working conditions can threaten worker safety, but they also damage morale and can make it harder to retain employees. That means when it comes to addressing safety issues, you and your employer are on the same team!
Make sure to mention that a safer healthier workplace is good for everyone, including your boss. For instance, if you need to take a day off for mental health reasons, that’s not just for your sake — a short break will help you return to the office refreshed and ready to jump back in, which boosts productivity.
Remain professional
Workplace issues can be emotional, but keeping a level head will help you address the issue professionally and responsibly, making it more likely you’ll achieve your goal. Before you meet with your boss about a health or safety issue, set a clear plan for what you’ll say, how you’ll respond to questions and the outcomes you’d like to achieve. Planning in advance will help you stay calm and poised during your meeting.
Even if your workplace has a casual dress code, this might be a good time to dress a little extra nicely. Research has found that professional attire affects not only others’ perception of you but your own performance and beliefs about yourself.
Some other tips for a meeting with your employer include:
- Refrain from insulting your employer or the organization you work for; find constructive ways to share your concern.
- If the meeting doesn’t go your way, stay calm and collected throughout.
- Listen attentively, even if you don’t agree.
- Thank your employer for taking the time to meet.
Schedule a face-to-face meeting
Face-to-face meetings create stronger, more lasting connections between people and help them build trust together, which are key to solving workplace problems.
Rather than sharing your concerns over email alone, ask your boss or manager for an in-person meeting. If your work is fully remote, a video conference is the second best option. You’ll have more time to share your concerns and lay out some ideas for solutions, with the benefit of your boss’s full attention.
Provide solutions
Employers seek workers who spot solutions as well as problems. By presenting your concerns alongside some ideas to improve the situation, you’ll stand out as an employee who knows how to make positive change in all areas of their professional life.
Depending on the size of your organization, your employer may not know the best way to resolve a health and safety issue. That makes you an important resource for designing solutions. You’re on the ground at work every day, so you have firsthand insight into how a problem could best be resolved. If you’re not sure about the right solution, consult with your colleagues or a member of HR before your meeting, to ensure you’re bringing the best argument to your employer.
Be open to suggestions
While you may know the details of a workplace health and safety issue, there may be more information you’re missing about how or why the organization operates in a specific way. Stay open and flexible when discussing solutions with your employer, as they may have a good idea or an insight to share that can help find the right resolution.
Your employer may also have access to resources to help resolve the health or safety issue. For instance, if a conflict with a colleague is affecting your mental health, your boss may bring in a mediator to help you resolve your conflict, rather than relocate you to another team. This might not have been your initial idea, but it may get to the root of the issue more successfully. By working together, you and your employer will be able to find the best solution to any health or safety issue on the job.