A Health & Safety Reminder - IR35 Consideration

[mr_do!]

sorry to hijack the thread but i'm in a very similar position at the client site.

i've been there for 3 years now. employees have to complete a minimum of 4 health and safety related tickets every month as part of their yearly targets, things like monitors being left on overnight, paths around the office being icy, etc.

i'm now being asked to do the same and this 4 per month target has now been inserted into my new contract.

should i sign this ? i've been happy to comply with health and safety policy but having a monthly target is a bit too similar to the targets that the staff have to reach.

it's unlikely that the company will accept a flat "no" on this issue. would removing the number make it seem like less of a target ?

[RichardCranium]

They have a duty of care for staff contractors, sub-contractors, visitors, etc. That includes you.

They will have done some form of H&S assessment and determined standards are low, hence the enforced training.

All they are doing is imposing the same H&S standards onto their suppliers.

It is no different from having contractors on a building site having to sign a sheet every day on arrival to say they are wearing their hard hat, boots and yellow jacket.

It is just so ClientCo can say "We have done everything we can to reduce the H&S risk".

Edit: actually, just what is a "health and safety related ticket"?

[mr_do!]

all employees have targets to enter data into a computer system every month. entering the requisite number of items into the system means that boxes are ticked when it comes to monthly reviews and performance pay.

the targets are broken down into categories and one of these is health and safety.

i'm worried about the numerical nature of these targets ...

[RichardCranium]

all employees have targets to enter data into a computer system every month. entering the requisite number of items into the system means that boxes are ticked when it comes to monthly reviews and performance pay.

the targets are broken down into categories and one of these is health and safety.

So are you supposed to find and record 4 H&S problems a month?

[mr_do!]

i am !

it turns into a bit of a farce for employees actually because people have to covertly create unsafe conditions so that they can report on them and then correct them.

still not convinced that i should be doing 4 a month ...

[RichardCranium]

i am !

it turns into a bit of a farce for employees actually because people have to covertly create unsafe conditions so that they can report on them and then correct them.

You are kidding? Management expects every person on site to find a H&S breach, every week? And they get in trouble if they don't hit the quota?

That's insane.

IR35 is the least of your worries.

(And I'm still sure it doesn't apply because H&S considerations over-rule just about everything; being a contractor does not exempt you from following safe working practices, and if the barking mad mental-case overlords at your ClientCo have done a safety assessment that says 52 breaches per person on site per annum is an improvement, you'd better do your bit to help.)

[Wanderer]

i am !

it turns into a bit of a farce for employees actually because people have to covertly create unsafe conditions so that they can report on them and then correct them.

still not convinced that i should be doing 4 a month ...

What if you don't meet the target?

And how on earth are monitors being left on a "health and safety" risk? Sounds like bit of a moronic site to be honest.

It's going to be a very minor pointer if anything and not worth bothering about. I'd just go with the flow and comply with their silly system...

[TykeMerc]

i am !

it turns into a bit of a farce for employees actually because people have to covertly create unsafe conditions so that they can report on them and then correct them.

still not convinced that i should be doing 4 a month ...

Good grief, go with it and report things like having to walk on the cracks in the pavement (they could be grouted), chair wheels with axles marginally off centre, lack of airlocks on every window, door and air vent in case of the planet losing its atmosphere.

HSE is a sensible thing to pay attention to, but 4 things per person per month? That's total insanity.

[mr_do!]

in the happy world of clientco, health and safety is health, safety and the environment so monitors being left switched on, icy paths and wasted paper all count towards the 4 a month target.

magically, everyone meets the target. it's amazing the rubbish that people will make up when there's money at stake.

[Wanderer]

magically, everyone meets the target. it's amazing the rubbish that people will make up when there's money at stake.

Send that into the guy who does Dilbert, they love new ideas and your client may even make it into a cartoon.