Occupational Health Legislation
Where is occupational health implemented? Some minister was going on about it on the telly the other day, but what are these people talking about? I have had several jobs and to be perfectly frank, my health has never been a top priority of my employer. I have worked in sub zero temperatures in the middle of winter completely isolated from other employees in a studio away from the office by myself, with no consideration as to my health. I have asked for heating to be installed to be met with a confused glare as if to say, how dare you ask me to spend more money.
We didn’t have a fridge, so you couldn’t even bring milk in to make a cup of tea – not that there was a kettle. I had to buy a thermostat which just gets colder throughout the day.
It’s the recession – the economy turns and employers get so tight with their purse it feels like we’re Russian peasants from Stalin’s heyday. I think a lot of company bosses could do with a day long lecture of occupational health legislation. There’s a difference between giving your employees extra health benefits and denying them of their basic human rights.
