Many opticians find themselves needing an extra pair of hands during very busy periods – particularly at Christmas when there’s a real buzz and excitement in the practise.

Taking on a Christmas temp is a great way to ensure customers are taken care and staff don’t struggle to cope at one of the most demanding times of year.

The benefits of hiring Christmas staff are many, however without the proper insurance cover it could turn out to be more costly than you first thought.

Whether you realise it or not, any individual working for you is your legal responsibility, whether they’re full time, part time or lending a hand for a few days over Christmas.

This essentially means that if a Christmas temp injures themselves or has property damaged as a result of their work, they are well within their rights to claim for compensation, leaving you faced with expensive court fees and a hefty fine.

What cover do I need?                  

Public liability insurance does not cover an individual while they are working in your practise. This applies to anyone working in your practise on temporary basis including Christmas temps, apprentices, and long term work experience placements.

If you are looking to take on a temporary worker, it is essential that you have employer’s liability insurance.

When taking on a temp, the risks will be similar to those associated with any employee working for you. As a generally low risk environment, an optician’s practise should prepare for everyday risks such as injury, illness or damage to/loss of property.

Steps you can take…

There are a number of things you can do to protect your business and the individuals working for you. Some considerations may include:

• That the workload you have in mind for your Christmas helper is suitable for their age and ability
• That any temp you take on is above 13 years old – the youngest age a child can work part-time
• How they will handle work equipment
• That their working environment meets company policy
• The need for tailored training or close supervision
• To what extent your assistant will need to be trained on health and safety procedures in the practise
• 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.

Written by: admin