Workers of all ages can be injured at work, but young and new workers may be more at risk. Injuries can result from inadequate training, orientation, and supervision; inexperience; and lack of awareness of workplace rights and responsibilities.

DEFINITION

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation defines a “young worker” as any worker under age 25. A “new worker” can be any age and includes those who are new to the workplace or location, or facing new hazards.

Risks

Why young and new workers get injured

• Inexperience
• Lack of training, orientation, and supervision
• Lack of understanding of their workplace
• Lack of preparation for the workplace
• Exposure to more dangerous jobs
• Hesitancy to ask questions
• Unsafe equipment
• Inadequate safety training
• Inadequate supervision
• Dangerous work that is illegal or inappropriate for youth under 18
• Pressure to work faster
• Stressful conditions

NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION: EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING

New employee orientation is the process you use for welcoming a new employee into your organization. The goal of new employee orientation is to help the new employee feel welcomed, integrated into the organization, and performing the new job successfully as quickly as possible.

New employee orientation, contains information in areas such as:

• Safety
• The work environment
• The new job description
• Benefits and benefits eligibility
• The employee’s new manager and coworkers
• Company culture
• Company history
• The organization chart

SAFEGUARDS FOR NEW EMPLOYEES

Training– Even if a new employee has many years of experience on the job at another company they still need comprehensive training on their job at the new company, jobsite, and the company’s expectations.

Mentoring– Many companies use some type of mentoring program to ensure that individuals who were recently hired have someone to ask questions and get guidance from. This allows these workers to be more comfortable approaching a more experience employee with any questions he or she might have.

Supervision– Newer employees or even just workers completing new tasks need to be supervised. Proper supervision may not necessarily mean an employee’s immediate supervisor. Depending on the task, a subject matter expert or a senior employee may be more beneficial for supervision of newer employees. Just like mentoring, a newer employee may feel more comfortable and get more out of being supervised by someone else other than their immediate supervisor.

Ways to Assist New Employees Mesh with Their Team

Make this transition as easy as possible for everyone and keep the business momentum moving forward? It’s all about preparation, support and communication.

1. Welcome: Make sure that you supply your new employees with everything they need to get started – their own personal space, supplies, necessary computer software, log in information. Taking some time to get things organized prior to their arrival can make a huge difference.
2. Meet and greet: Take some time to introduce new employees, not only to the immediate team, but to people in other areas of the organization. Some companies find it helpful to conduct short, 15-20 minute meetings with people from different departments.
3. Mentoring: Mentoring can help speed up the onboarding process by providing one-on-one support for everything from learning about company policies to who to call for computer issues. This can ease the strain on the new employees, team and manager. It’s a great way to build trust and relationships from the get-go.
4. Company culture: It is important to help your new hires get familiar with the company culture. Spend time going over your company’s mission and values. Taking the time to explain your company culture and how everyone plays an important role in the success of the organization can go a long way in cultivating a feeling of belonging.
5. Too much of a good thing: Sometimes new employees can be overzealous and on a mission to prove themselves. This can backfire and cause strife within the workplace. The key is to address this behavior upfront and in a respectful way.

Try to put yourself in their shoes and understand that it will take some time for them to feel comfortable. Also, consider the affect this can have on the current team members. They could be feeling threatened by the new employees’ pushy behavior.

6. Little things count: People like to feel valued. Being proactive and investing in your new employees will offer them the best opportunity to succeed and become a positive force within your organization.

FINAL WORD

While new employees can be a liability to a company, they also can serve as a great asset to everyone around them. The odds of a new employee avoiding an injury greatly depend on the individuals around them. Everyone starts somewhere and needs guidance in the beginning. Remember the struggles and important lessons learned as a new employee and pass that knowledge on. Safety on the job is everyone’s responsibility. Watch out for those around you and never hesitate to help out a fellow employee.