‘Tis the season for worker injuries

Just about everyone is busy as Christmas approaches. Busy shopping, putting up decorations, baking cookies, wrapping gifts and so on. It’s a busy time of year in Charlotte and around the world, that’s for sure.

As busy as you are, holiday seasonal workers are even busier trying to make customers happy, fill orders and get purchases out the door. It is why this time of year comes with worker injuries and workers’ compensation concerns for employers who hire seasonal and temporary employees.

The Christmas season means retail, packing and shipping employers must pay “a lot of attention to detail, reinforcing (of safety) and being creative,” said a workers’ compensation research consultant.

Seasonal workers and temporary workers pose extra safety challenges. They’re not always fully trained on how to handle equipment and procedures. Businesses that hire seasonal workers early, and spend more time on training, often see fewer workplace injuries and workers’ comp claims, the consultant said.

“They want to make sure they are not just bringing anybody off the street, (but are) doing their due diligence,” he added.

“With new people, you run the risk of shortchanging them on training,” said an assistant vice president of risk control services with an insurance company. “It’s a recipe for disaster when people take shortcuts or don’t dedicate the same amount of training and supervision.”

Injured North Carolina workers are typically entitled to workers’ comp benefits. If your claim has been denied, you can speak to a Charlotte work injury attorney experienced in workers’ compensation appeals.