What are line management’s obligations regarding well-being at work?
The employer and internal prevention service jointly define the well-being policy. Their goal is to eliminate or minimise work-related risks from unsafe working conditions to psychosocial problems. But the Welfare Act also assigns specific obligations to managers – those in line management – and to each individual employee.
Who in your organisation is part of line management?
The Welfare Act does not define ‘line management’. It generally refers to everyone with a managerial position in your organisation, such as managers, department or team leaders, project or site managers, supervisors, etc.
Implementing the well-being policy: what are the obligations?
Managers investigate accidents and incidents within their team or department and propose measures to the internal prevention service to prevent these in the future. So, line management actively collaborates using a planned prevention approach.
They oversee the correct use of work equipment, collective and personal protective equipment, and products within their team. They also check that all safety and health instructions are properly complied with.
If needed,managers seek timely advice from the internal prevention service.
They divide tasks within their team according to competence. Specifically, a person who performs a task has received the required training and/or appropriate instructions.
They look out for work-related psychosocial risks and ensure these are addressed appropriately.
They organise individual discussions with their team members about staff obligations and measures needed to perform their job safely and healthily. The Welfare Act does not impose a minimum frequency for those discussions.
They mentor new staff and/or designate an experienced team member to do this task.
Finally, the Welfare Act also explicitly focuses on staff to ensure the well-being policy is successful. Each individual employee actively participates by safeguarding their own safety and health and that of others, namely, colleagues and third parties.
Do your managers know their duties and obligations regarding well-being at work?
A manager does not need to have the same skills or knowledge as a prevention advisor, yet both contribute to well-being at work.
A prevention advisor provides advice and support. They analyse risks and formulate specific, preventative measures to manage them.
A manager implements policy, ensures that instructions are followed and addresses staff, identifies risks and also takes action where necessary (in consultation with the in-house health and safety department).
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