If you run a construction company, you have a lot of responsibilities. This includes responsibilities to the government, customers and to your employees. According to OSHA, one of those duties to your Florida employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment. This does not mean a construction worksite has to be as safe as an office job, but it does mean you have to make reasonable efforts to mitigate construction worksite dangers according to federal, state and local law. In addition to the penalties you may face from those government bodies, should you fail in that duty, your employees may also refuse to work, further delaying the project. And, should you retaliate against those workers, you may incur even more penalties.
Wait, my workers can refuse to work?
Indeed. If your construction worksite has a dangerous condition that is so dangerous it poses an imminent threat to your workers of death or serious bodily harm. If that is the case, your employees may well be empowered to refuse to work in Boca Raton, Florida.
What are my options?
Once your employee has notified you of this dangerous condition, you are now on notice. First, agree to eliminate or mitigate the danger. In the interim, assign your employees alternative duties or to a different worksite. You may also need to bring in a third party to mitigate the condition, depending on the nature of the danger itself.
Workers have rights
For Boca Raton, Florida, construction businesses, life is complicated. There are so many responsibilities and laws, it can be mind-boggling, including those that relate to your employees. They have separate and distinct rights, which is why most construction businesses regularly consult an attorney to make sure they maintain legal compliance.
