Labor Day Is Right Around the Corner – Look Forward to Labor Rights Week

By The Husband and Wife Law Team on August 30, 2011

Work injuries in Arizona are very common. As lawyers who handle work injuries in Arizona, we see many people who are seriously injured due to a work injury. With Labor Day approaching, organizers across the country are participating in Labor Rights Week.

Labor Rights week seeks to enhance laws protecting workers and create discussion surrounding the civil and legal rights of laborers. Part of the rights of Arizona workers includes having the right to a safe, risk-free work environment. Employers should make sure that workers are in an environment where they will not be safe and not exposed to very serious injury. Many of the calls that we get each day have to do with employers who make decisions that are not safe for their workers. This puts workers in an uncomfortable place because they feel compelled to follow what their boss or manager is telling them to do even when they feel that they are at harm’s way.

If you are injured as a worker there are certain laws that must be followed. There are strict Arizona workers compensation laws that must be followed and the laws for workers compensation can work injury can be complex.

The theme of this year’s Labor Right’s Week is ‘Women in the Workplace.’ According the AFL-CIO, female laborers have a high risk of exposure to safety violations and injury, sexual abuse, and workplace violence. On August 29, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis joined ambassadors from countries such as El Salvador and the Dominican Republic in a partnership to defend the labor rights of migrant workers. The partnership includes a pledge to increase awareness and education surrounding the rights of laborers. Solis said that, “. . . No matter how you got here or how long you plan to stay, you have rights. You have the right to a safe and healthy workplace and the right to a legal wage.” Ken Atha, regional head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, pointed out that while national workplace fatalities have decreased, the rate of Hispanic workers injured on the job has actually increased – and added that Hispanic workers often are not as aware of their rights, and the working conditions that they should expect.

Despite advances in the field and increased safety regulations, serious injury and wrongful death can – and do – occur on the job. A majority of work place injuries occur for those who are driving automobile and trucks in Arizona. Many work injuries occur when people are unloading items from trucks or driving place to place. There is also a large volume of construction accident injuries in Arizona. Typically it is where there are many different subcontractors on jobs and people are not communicating to each other and as a result the worker is injured due to a safety hazard that was not known to the worker.

A wide range of factors can contribute to serious injury and wrongful death at the work place. If you, or someone you know, is dealing with an on the job injury in Arizona, it is important to consult an attorney who can answer all your questions. Alexis and Mark Breyer, The Husband and Wife Team attorneys at Breyer Law Offices can answer all your questions when you are injured at the work place. Call (602) 457-6222 to have your questions answered now.