New Employer in a Company. Silja Soon

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      Silja Soon, Neenu Pavel

      New Employee in a Company

      Introduction

      The first day at a new job – some have experienced this new beginning and accompanying excitement more, others less. The ordeal of interviews is past, and you are anxious to start working. This booklet aims to explain how to develop from a newbie into an old pro, and remain unscathed in the process. In addition, it gives an overview of the employment contract and other agreements, documents and conditions that must be taken into consideration. It also provides information on the organisation of training, adjusting the workplace and tools suitable for the newcomer, healthcare, and other necessary aspects.

      New employees are a risk group: approximately 30 % of severe occupational accidents happen to people employed at the new position for less than a year. The employer is obliged to investigate all occupational accidents that have happened in their company; the Labour Inspectorate also often gives their opinion about the reasons of the accident. According to labour inspectors, over half the cases (56 %) the severe occupational accident was caused by insufficient instructing and training. (Source: Labour Inspectorate’s 2012 analysis on the reasons of severe occupational accidents)

      The company’s internal control aims to guarantee safe and healthy working conditions, and to avoid injuries and work-related illnesses. Both employer and employee should feel responsible for setting up and maintaining a safe working environment.

      In 2012, the Labour Inspectorate carried out targeted checks to investigate the organisation of internal control. It revealed that 34 % of the checked companies lacked any organisation whatsoever on how to guarantee that the company’s activities complied with occupational health and safety requirements.

      A competent working environment specialist and the practical application of their knowledge in the working environment is necessary to create a safe working environment and to maintain the working ability of employees. If the company does not employ a working environment specialist, the new employee might need to learn the ropes alone.

      Newbies are more prone to end up in hazardous situations more than people employed for longer. Targeted checks showed that 30 % of the inspected companies did not make any conclusions from the hazard situations (that could have ended in injuries) or apply any measures to prevent such occurrences in the future. There would be a lot to learn from such hazardous situations.

      Whether the employee has worked in a company for one day, two months or ten years is actually irrelevant. What is important is that the employee return home well and healthy in the evening, until retirement.

      Analysing the Applicant’s Strengths and Weaknesses

      One should never jump into unknown waters. An applicant who might become a new employee the next day should first analyse their strengths and weaknesses. Personal ambitions might differ from reality.

      What limitations does the employee’s health pose?

      The employer’s possibilities to determine the suitability of the employee’s health condition are limited, but some circumstances should still be thought through. An interview with the applicant is certainly of help. The future employer must share all health hazards connected with the job so the applicant is aware of all the risks.

      The employer is not entitled to ask about the employee’s health peculiarities, but can explain which illnesses would significantly interfere with the specific work. It is important for the employees’ health to not deteriorate.

      The applicant should not only consider the possible salary but also that working in an unsuitable environment might damage their health and they might not be able to fulfil the work or many other tasks in a year. Usually, the body does not adapt to unfavourable conditions and health damage might bring along irreversible consequences.

      Example. A nickel allergy and cashier position are incompatible; asthma and some other health disorders rule out work with chemicals. Some chronic illnesses forbid certain occupations: haematogenous illnesses rule out the possibility of becoming a diver, people with certain cardio-vascular diseases may not work as a driver, etc.

      What are the personal characteristics required for the job?

      Accuracy at fulfilling tasks, speed of understanding instructions, skill to make the right decisions and capability to follow instructions are important characteristics. Their required extent must be thought through to avoid later misunderstandings for both parties of the employment relationship. Stress tolerance might also pose a problem: a situation should not occur in which the employee feels increasingly incapable of doing their job.

      For example, a labour inspector started work at the Labour Inspectorate years ago. After a while, they understood that they were not capable of carrying out supervision in companies. The inspector felt they lacked persistence to demand that problematic employers rectify their mistakes. To avoid further frustration, the inspector left work as they felt unsuitable for the job.

      A situation where the employee’s health condition prohibits them from fulfiling their work tasks must be ruled out.

      Which Contract Should Be Concluded for Working?

      The Employment Contracts Act (hereinafter: ECA) presumes that all important conditions are agreed upon and the employment contract concluded in writing BEFORE beginning work. It is wrong to assume that the written employment contract is not mandatory the first two weeks.

      According to the ECA, concluding an employment contract in writing is not mandatory if the employment relationship does not exceed two weeks.

      Unfortunately, it is not rare that the employee begins to do the indicated work but has not received a written contract. The employer provides cagey answers when asked about signing the contract. In this situation, the employee should send an email to the employer, listing the most significant agreements and demanding the written employment contract. Starting from the receipt of such demand, the employer must inform the employee about the employment contract conditions in writing within two weeks. Sometimes, the employee might discover unfavourable agreements or conditions that were not discussed before.