If your organisation relies on a desk plan to keep employees safe, productive and injury free, the most important thing to do is to ensure that all staff are aware of the desk plan and its importance, and that you keep track of risk assessments and conversations held in relation to the plan.
In some organisations, desk plans aren’t just a way to keep track of where staff sit, but they are a matter of health, safety and well-being.
It’s important therefore to understand what to do if staff are ignoring desk plans.
Employers can ensure that desk plans that are required to maintain employee health and safety are followed by clearly communicating the plan in inductions, and periodically throughout the employee’s employment.
This will ensure that all members of staff are clear on why the desk plan is important, and how it benefits them.
If staff continue to ignore the correct desk plan, you may need to consider disciplinary action and/or suspending staff who do not comply.
This should be carried out following your company's disciplinary procedures.
Health & safety legislation, along with individual company policies on organisation and safety in the workplace, can dictate that staff must adhere to desk plans, particularly workers who use designated desks or chairs while working on computers.
Not only does this help to keep the workplace organised, but it also helps protect staff from potential health risks such as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which can be caused by prolonged time in the wrong position or injuries from using equipment they are not properly trained to.
Desk plans can help to reduce the risk of harm in the workplace, increase safety and minimise potential hazards.
They also provide a level of certainty for employers about where staff will be working and what equipment they will have access to.
Desk plans can also help with team cooperation, collaboration and communication as well as improving efficiency by ensuring that staff are located in the best environment for their tasks.
Accidents and injuries at work do happen, but if employers are proactive with their Health & safety responsibilities and follow up on breaches of related policies that have been set swiftly, they can minimise the risk of any case being brought against them by an employee.
Employers need to:
Ultimately, employers need to enforce these policies to ensure a safe working environment for all staff.
By taking the time to implement and communicate an effective desk plan, as well as addressing any issues when they arise, employers can provide their staff with a safe and comfortable working environment.
Employees not following a specific desk plan can result in several risks and dangers:
Employers need to ensure that all staff understand the importance of following desk plans, both for health & safety and productivity reasons.
If staff ignore the correct desk plan at work, the first step is to remind staff of the correct desk plan and company policies.
If that doesn’t work then further action may be needed such as following formal disciplinary procedures, suspension or dismissal in the most extreme cases when other attempts to enforce desk plans have failed.
As you can see, it's important that employers understand and act upon their responsibility to keep workers safe, and that employees have all the information that they need to ensure they can make good decisions about their health & safety at work.
If you would like support with managing and understanding your HR, health and safety, and employer responsibilities towards your workforce or acting on disciplinary matters, please contact us.