Employment often comes with a degree of risk. Workers can suffer a variety of different injuries or even occupational illnesses because of their job responsibilities.
Typically, people who work in high-risk sectors such as construction receive training to teach them about known risks and safety standards. Occasionally, employers put workers in difficult situations where they expect them to work in an unsafe environment or to ignore current safety regulations. They may even threaten them with terminations or other workplace penalties for refusing to comply.
Can employers force workers to perform unsafe job tasks or punish them for refusing to do so?
Employees can refuse unsafe work
Federal regulations allow employees to decline job tasks that put their safety at risk. Especially in cases where the employer’s demands directly contradict safety regulations, workers likely have the right to refuse to do work.
In the construction sector, they may even be able to stop work at the job site completely until the employer addresses their safety concerns. Unfortunately for those worried about workplace safety, businesses might retaliate against those who decline to perform unsafe work or act as whistleblowers. In such cases, the affected workers could have grounds for a lawsuit.
Those fighting back against employer retaliation or seeking to invoke their workplace safety protections may need to get experienced legal guidance. Support and insight can prove invaluable when navigating a safety-related matter in the workplace. Workers may need help communicating with their employers or taking legal action in cases where they experienced unlawful retaliation for refusing orders to perform dangerous tasks.
