Latest update May 13th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 28, 2015 Letters
Dear Editor,
I think you can take to work children who are interested in your field of work. I believe it is called Work study, mentoring or job shadowing. Please do not bring your husbands, wives, Uncle, Aunt, father, mother, brother, cousins or your good friends to settle your disputes at work.
Recently, a doctor at the Cheddi Jagan Dental centre brought her relatives to confront her supervisor over an on-the-job issue.
The doctor and husband barged into the premises to confront her supervisor, another doctor, even though they were cautioned by security not to to do so.
I call on Dr. Alli, the Principal of the dental centre to take swift action. This conduct cannot be condoned.
I witnessed this once and if I did not intervene it could have been a bloodbath. Fortunately, it ended peacefully and sober heads prevailed.
A waitress at a restaurant was verbally abusing a customer in the presence of the proprietor. The proprietor asked the waitress to stop but she continued the abuse. Her employment was terminated immediately. She demanded her wages and severance pay.
When told she would have to wait, she got on the phone and called her mother, who is also a grandmother. I advised her not to. She did it anyway!
The waitress’s mother arrived by taxi with a knife in her waist and a younger sibling in tow and enquired who had the interaction with her daughter.
He had long gone. However, a friend of the abused customer who remained, spoke up in defence of his friend. Who told him to? The waitress turned her ire on him and when her mother arrived she made clear she was “strapped,” meaning she had a knife and was willing to do harm.
This grandmother took on blindly the “fire rage” and unleashed her brand of vitriol in defence of her daughter. The man was not intimidated by the revelation. He was a big guy and could have taken on both. I was not willing to see the result of the challenge.
As the parties advanced towards each other, I stepped in the middle and urged both parties to think of the consequences. I turned to the waitress and said, “Take your mother home” as the taxi was on standby. The younger sibling, sensing danger, began to pull her mother in the direction of the taxi.
I urged the proprietor to pay the severance and let her go. This was done. There was nothing more to sustain this rage. The waitress left taking her mother with her.
If this confrontation was allowed to continue who knows what the end result could have been? The waitress could have lost her mother and her daughter’s grandmother to the grave or jail if she had used the knife.
Taking relatives and friends to your place of work to intimidate your superiors or colleagues shows weakness and immaturity. It is disruptive to good order. It puts at risk your superiors, colleagues, subordinates and members of the public.
I think, having reached the pinnacle of your profession, one would have grown accustomed to the rigors of one’s organisation and tapped in to the organizations resource of recourse for settling disputes.
What is the benefit of inviting your relatives to your place of work to solve disputes? They cannot help you in your dispute. Such an action exacerbates an already tense situation.
So please desist from involving your mate, friends and family and close friends.
Managers and staff heed the following guidelines;
*”In recent years, violent incidents have occurred at some of these workplaces. Violence and harassment in the workplace can have serious consequences for workers and their families, including immeasurable physical, mental and emotional costs.
For employers, workplace violence and workplace harassment can lead to worker absenteeism, lower productivity and increased costs. The duties of workplace parties to address workplace violence and workplace harassment are set out in Health care and labour laws of the land.
Employers; Prepare policies on workplace violence and workplace harassment.
Develop and maintain programmes for workplace violence and workplace harassment, including measures and procedures.
Include measures and procedures as part of the workplace violence and workplace harassment programs for workers to report incidents of workplace violence or workplace harassment to the employer or supervisor and set out how the employer will investigate and deal with incidents and complaints.
Provide information and instruction to workers on the contents of the workplace violence and harassment policies and programs.
Proactively assess the risk of workplace violence that may arise from the nature of the workplace, type of work or conditions of work, and reassess the risk of workplace violence as often as necessary to ensure that the related policy and program continue to protect workers from workplace violence.
Take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers from violence in the workplace.
Be aware that domestic violence may occur in the workplace and take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect a worker at risk of physical injury.
Report workplace violent incidents that could disable a worker or require him or her to get medical attention.
Develop, establish and put into effect written measures and procedures to control violence at workplaces regulated by the Ministry of Health, in consultation with the Joint Health and Safety Committee or health and safety representative.
Supervisors; Take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers from violence in the workplace.
Advise workers of any potential or actual health and safety dangers known by the supervisor.
Ensure workers know the health and safety measures and procedures in place to protect themselves from workplace violence
Workers; It is recommended that you become familiar with your workplace’s violence and harassment policies and programs, including health and safety measures and procedures.
Report to your supervisor or employer any known hazards, including ones involving workplace violence, as well as any contraventions of the Health act and its regulations.
Know your right to refuse work if you have a reason to believe you are in danger of being exposed to workplace violence.
Work in compliance with the Ministry of Health and its regulations
In addition, employers, supervisors and trainers should emphasize the need for health care workers to communicate any questions or concerns they may have about workplace violence hazards.
Supervisors should be familiar with the unique workplace violence and workplace harassment concerns faced by health care workers.
L.N.
Listen how to run an oil country
May 13, 2024
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