It is only a short time now until Christmas and your practise is probably already beginning to notice an increase in business.

During very busy periods, like Christmas, many opticians find they need extra help in their practice to cope with the increased demands in business.

Taking on temporary staff at Christmas is a great way to ease the burden of your regular staff and keep your customers satisfied.

However, you have the same legal responsibilities to a temporary member staff, whether they’re full time, part time or lending a hand for a few days over Christmas, as you do to your permanent staff.

As an Employer you are responsible for the health and safety of all you employees, and if they are injured at work or develop a work related illness they are within their rights to claim for compensation from you. So the benefits of hiring extra staff could become costly without proper insurance cover.

Fortunately, an optician’s practise is generally considered a low risk environment for Health and Safety, but when taking on temporary staff they should still be trained and advised on the company health and safety procedures, just like any other new member of staff.

Other things to consider when taking on a temporary worker are:

 Their age – legally they must be over 13.

The workload – is it suitable for their age and ability.

 Using equipment – ensure they have adequate training or are supervised when using equipment.

And finally, it is essential that you have Employers’ Liability insurance.

 In the unfortunate event that an accident does occur and you feel you may be vulnerable to a claim, rest assured that with Employer’s liability cover from Infocus Opticians Insurance, you will be covered with an insurance programme that suits your needs and requirements. 

Call today to speak to one of our experienced advisors on:

0161 925 5051

Written by: admin