If home health is your line of work, care-taking is your primary role. But who’s got your back when it comes to your employment welfare?
“I spend a lot of time examining labor regulations and requirements for health care workers and compar[ing] them to other industries,” says Keith Wrightson, worker safety and health advocate at Public Citizen in Washington, D.C. The civil justice, democracy, and health and safety organization was established in 1970.
“Health care is in high demand. The industry is growing at incredible rates, with 18 million health care workers in the country now and another 5 million expected by 2020,” says Wrightson. “As the industry expands, of course, it will attract unsavory businesses, which is unfortunate. Employers should be respecting employees.”
To check that an agency is operating with a license, insurances (including liability), and Workers’ Compensation, and hasn’t committed tax fraud, “You can search the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Healthy Administration’s website or the New York Department of Labor’s website. They carry a lot of that data,” says Wrightson.
“Something very important for workers to look into is to ensure that an employer carries Workers’ Compensation insurance. You can verify whether or not your employer does at wcb.ny.gov.
“Workers’ Compensation will provide employees the coverage they need to cover medical bills and will supplement lost income for long-term workplace injuries and illnesses,” he says.
Since home health work obliges you to be in someone’s home, the typical workplace regulations (such as those for a hospital, office or shop) often don’t apply, which can be hazardous, says Wrightson.
“It’s a different situation. Walking surfaces, for example, could be drastically different. Slips, trips and falls kill a lot of people every year in the workplace. Things like loose carpeting and missing tiles are a major concern. There’s also the exposure to blood-borne pathogens that you wouldn’t necessarily see in a hospital,” he says.
From a safety perspective, “It’s important that your employer will be able to respond responsibly if you do encounter a problem on the job. If you’re working for a reputable institution that’s been established for several years, it can offer a better quality of life than the next agency,” says Wrightson.
Additionally, employers should not put workers in questionable situations, he adds.
“For example, if you’re being harassed by a client, your employer should immediately address the issue through an investigation. Workplace violence is very common in this field — patients can get very upset if they’re in pain or not getting proper medication, [and] verbal and physical assaults are prevalent. [Home health] workers will be subjected to this as they have the most direct contact with the client,” says Wrightson.
If you encounter harassment, “Get yourself out of that situation and immediately contact your employer,” says Wrightson. If your employer doesn’t take action, “Immediately call OSHA. You’ll want to file a claim under the Whistleblower Protection Act, which protects employees reporting employer misconduct. You’ll receive an instant response and your claim will be investigated within 30 days.”
For more information on workplace violence prevention, OSHA has suggested guidelines.