The holiday season is a busy time for retail workers. Unfortunately, during this festive season, there is also a big risk of retail employees getting hurt on-the-job. There are many different reasons why retail workers face an elevated risk of injury during the holiday season. Understanding the risks is essential for both workers and employers in order to try to reduce dangers.
If a work injury happens during the holiday season, the victim must know his or her rights under Georgia law. Georgia law doesn’t allow workers to sue employers under most circumstances, but does make it possible for a workers’ compensation claim to be made after any and all on-the-job injuries. An Atlanta workplace accident lawyer can provide assistance to retail workers who are hurt during the festive season, or at any time of the year.
Why are Atlanta Retail Workers in Danger of Holiday Workplace Injuries?
Atlanta retail workers face an added risk of injuries over the holidays for lots of different reasons including:
- Big crowds: Stores try to attract lots of shoppers in for the holiday season. This can lead to large crowds. Store employees may end up trying to control big groups of people without adequate training or experience in crowd control. This could lead to employees getting trampled, pushed, or otherwise hurt.
- In-store violence: Violence, sadly, happens at retail stores during the holidays. There have been many instances where people have been hurt or even killed in a fight for doorbuster bargains and for other special deals around the holiday season. There is also a risk of robbery or theft, as those who commit crimes are aware of large volumes of holiday retail traffic and thus have a greater potential to get a big haul if they are successful at a theft.
- Overexertion injuries: Overexertion injuries occur when too much stress and strain is put on the body. Employees loading and unloading lots of holiday stock are among those who could be at risk of overexertion causing them harm.
- Repetitive stress injuries: When your body has to do the same motions over and over, there is a risk that the soft tissues of the body will be damaged by this repeated stress placed on the same body parts. Disc problems and carpal tunnel are among the possible consequences that can come from repeatedly placing stress on the body. This is an especially big risk for retail workers during the holidays, as these workers could end up working very long shifts to accommodate holiday traffic. This means more stress on the body and a greater chance of getting hurt.
There may also be many other sources of workplace injuries affecting retail workers during this holiday season. If you are injured for any reason, you should explore the opportunity to pursue a workers’ comp claim for benefits.
The Atlanta workplace accident lawyers at Van Sant Law, LLC can represent employees or their families after a workplace injury or death. Call today at (800) 234-9556 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
