When we go freelance, many of us do so because we love the idea of being our own bosses. The chance to choose our hours and answer to no one is the dream, especially for us parents. And, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. As can be seen from sites like success.com, there are endless benefits besides.
Before you get carried away, though, it’s worth noting that working for yourself isn’t all a walk in the park. There are downsides to go alongside those plus points. Most obviously, these cons here include things like a lack of holiday or sick pay. The issue of health and safety also becomes somewhat blurred without a big boss around to take the buck for you. And, it’s this latter issue we’re going to delve a little deeper into here.
In case you hadn’t heard, health and safety is a pretty big issue in the workplace. Bosses face massive lawsuits as a result of failures, and most managers do their research early on. Health and safety matters a lot in your case, too. Only, it’s not quite as clear where the finger of the blame lies. To prove that, let’s look at the three main people who could be behind problems here.
Boss is the Word
As your own boss, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that health and safety comes mostly down to you. You might want to skip this step because you aren’t going to sue yourself, but that could lead to all manner of sick-days and lost work. Instead, then, do your research to get this right. Your health and safety precautions should include everything from adequate lighting, to wires. Leave no carpet untucked in your attempts to take care of yourself, even in your home office.
Maybe Blame Manufacturing
Of course, it doesn’t all fall on you. Though you’re a workplace island, you’re also using products which come from a manufacturer. If you’ve taken safety precautions and still receive injury, there may be a manufacturing issue. This could be anything from your stapler to your printer. If you do experience issues like these, don’t hesitate to contact lawyers like those found at gbw.law to fight your corner for you. You may work for yourself now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still hold someone else accountable for injuries.
Office Antics
If your freelance career takes off, you may be tempted to rent an office space from which to work. This is a fantastic way to separate your work and home life, but it can make health and safety complicated. If you do this, make sure to check legalities on premises liability. You may find, for instance, that your office itself is your responsibility, while communal areas are cared for by property managers. They should, therefore, take care of things like lighting and ease of use. They should also provide fire exits and alarm systems. If they fail to do this, you’re well within your rights to do something about it.
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