Being in an unsafe working environment can make your job increasingly difficult. Employers must provide a safe workplace, with proper training, supervision and equipment. This duty includes identifying, assessing and managing hazards in the workplace, and investigating health and safety incidents in the workplace.
Employees must take reasonable care to keep themselves safe and to avoid causing harm to other people by the way they do their work.
Employees may refuse work likely to cause them serious harm and employees have the right to participate in improving health and safety.
If you feel that you are working in an unsafe environment you should raise the issue with your employer. Wherever possible, you should raise the issue in writing, via email, and ask for a response. If your employer is unwilling to discuss or resolve the issue – contact us, our company can assist you in dealing with your concerns.
Please provide a timeline of events, and any evidence of you making your employer aware of the situation.
Bullying and harassment is also a health and safety issue. See our page on bullying here: Bullying In The NZ Workplace.
Can you be fired for refusing to work in unsafe conditions?
Read our reviews:
Thank you for the understanding and guidance.
Sheryl was fantastic helping me in a very stressful situation with my employer. I would highly recommend her services if you are having issues with an employer. Thanks so much Sheryl for your understanding & guidance. 🙂
Sandy is dedicated!
I cannot recommend Sandy highly enough. From the very beginning, she was incredibly professional, knowledgeable and supportive throughout the entire process. Sandy went above and beyond to make sure I understood everything clearly and always made me feel heard, respected and genuinely supported. Her communication was excellent, she was responsive when I had questions, and she handled everything with a high level of professionalism and attention to detail. What stood out to me most was how dedicated and reassuring Sandy was. She gave me confidence when I needed it most and always made me feel that I was in capable hands. Her expertise, preparation and commitment were exceptional, and I truly felt that she cared about achieving the best possible outcome for me. I am extremely grateful for the service Sandy provided and for the way she handled everything with such professionalism, compassion and determination. If you are looking for a Advocate who is knowledgeable, approachable, thorough and genuinely committed to her clients, I would absolutely recommend Sandy.
Honest, excellent support when navigating tough workplace issues.
I highly recommend Sandy for employment law representation. From the moment I contacted her, she handled my case efficiently, achieving a result through employment mediation. She was exceptionally well-prepared, thorough, and presented my case brilliantly. Throughout the entire stressful process, Sandy was incredibly reassuring, encouraging, and supportive, which put me completely at ease. I truly valued her compassion and down-to-earth personality. You can trust her to give you honest, excellent support when navigating tough workplace issues.
I'm incredibly grateful.
Sandy was an absolute gem! I feel so lucky to have been connected with her. She supported and guided me through an incredibly difficult situation with such understanding, compassion and care. She supported me every step of the way and i am incredibly grateful. I couldn’t recommend her highly enough!
Thank you for a great outcome.
Sandy was a breeze to work with, her approach to discuss and come up with the best solution was the outcome we wanted. Thanks again Sandy.
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Statistics prove that legal representation for employees by an employment lawyer or employment law advocate improves your chance of a successful outcome.
You have nothing to lose by having a free consultation with an Employment Law Advocate.
You can email us using the form below. When you receive the automated reply to your email please reply and attach any correspondence you have received from your employer.