Summer work can be a great experience for teens and young adults. It can help them earn money for school or other expenses and can help them build work experience and their resumes. A job can also help a teen develop skills and confidence.
Unfortunately, there is a darker side to summer jobs. Teens tend to be seasonal or part-time employees and studies have found that they can be especially at risk of work injury in Miami and other communities. There are a few reasons for this:
- Teens may not be aware of the risks of their jobs
- Young and seasonal workers may be more reluctant to speak up when they see dangerous conditions because they don’t want to lose their jobs
- Teens may have fewer benefits and less training that permanent employees, making them more vulnerable to injury and more vulnerable once injury occurs
All of these factors can put younger workers at risk. If your child has a job this summer, make sure that you take the steps needed to keep them safe. This may mean sitting down to discuss their summer job. You may want to:
- Ask your child about any known dangers on the job – and how they can be prevented. Ask your teen about any possible signs of negligent security in their Miami workplace. For example, are the doors and windows in good repair? Are people entering the building screened in some way? Does the business have security cameras or a security system? Encourage your teen to consider the risks of their job – and what they can do to prevent them. Even a simple summer office job comes with its own hazards and awareness is the first step to ensuring that workplace injuries can be prevented. A frank discussion ensures that your teen is at least thinking about work safety.
- Get contact information for your child’s work. If something goes wrong, you will want to be able to contact your teen’s supervisor or manager.
- Stop by your child’s work, if appropriate. You may not be able to drop by if your child works in an office or warehouse, but if your teen is working in a restaurant, you can drop by when your teen is not working to take a look at the security and safety of the workplace.
- Ask your child to get additional training. Some employers may be reluctant to train seasonal or part-time employees, but there is usually some training available.
- Give your child contact information for organizations that can help. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration has resources for young workers, as does the Youth Rules website (http://www.youthrules.dol.gov). Encourage your child to learn about workers’ compensation, workplace safety, and other issues that could affect their Miami job experience. These organizations offer resources and information that could help your teen stay safe at their summer job.
If you or your teen has suffered a workplace injury, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation. Our law firm can help with the workers compensation process and can help you understand whether you have a civil claim.