Committee editorial : OHS demystified – Know your rights and obligations
When it comes to occupational health and safety, healthcare professionals have rights and obligations. What are they? What is the scope? What are the limits? How can one make sense of it all? Sometimes it’s hard to know. To help you understand them better, the FIQ’s OHS Committee made them the theme of the 2017 OHS Week: OHS demystified – Know your rights and obligations.
It’s your turn to play detective, get out your magnifying glass and find all the clues you need in the OHS pamphlets. You can read them on the FIQ’s website or get them from your local union team. The pamphlets feature frequently asked questions to keep you informed of your rights and obligations concerning:
- Influenza and Gastroenteritis
- Preventive reassignment of pregnant or breast-feeding workers
- Income replacement indemnity
- Right to refuse
These are a few of the topics that raise the most concern among healthcare professionals.
The flu and gastroenteritis season comes back every year without fail. In the pamphlet on this topic, you can learn more about what healthcare professionals’ rights and obligations are and what steps they must follow if they have symptoms.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding your working conditions may put you or your unborn or breast-feeding child’s health at risk. Are you wondering what steps you need to take or what your employer’s obligations are? There’s a 2017 OHS Week pamphlet on this topic!
Are you unable to work due to an employment injury, or because you are pregnant or breast-feeding and haven’t been given a temporary work assignment? You’ll find lots of helpful information in the pamphlet on the income replacement indemnity.
Lastly, the pamphlet on the right to refuse will let you know what steps to take when you have reasonable grounds to believe that performing your work poses a health threat. What are the conditions associated with the right to refuse? Can your employer penalize you or refuse to pay you if you exercise this right? These are all difficult questions that you should never have to answer alone.
We encourage all healthcare professionals to be curious and get up to speed on these important topics. Once you know your rights and what you have to do, you can share the information with your colleagues.
Is OHS in the know?
If you exercise your right to refuse, your employer and union representative will assess the situation and come to an agreement on appropriate corrective measures.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, you don’t have the right to refuse a temporary assignment if it doesn’t endanger your or your unborn or breast-feeding child’s health and if it doesn’t go against your doctor’s recommendations.
A refusal to be vaccinated cannot be considered as negligence on your part.
The income replacement indemnity is equal to 90% of your net annual salary.