Beating the Workplace-Risk Heat This Summer

Portland, Oregon, Partner Rich Meneghello advised employers what to do to avoid workplace safety and dress code issues as the temperatures heat up in a Corporate Counsel article “Beating the Workplace-Risk Heat This Summer.” While construction, landscape and agriculture are the obvious industries needing to be concerned with hot weather, there our less obvious industries that also need to be aware. “From a hospitality standpoint – those who work in hotels and country clubs – a lot of those people could be outdoors a bunch,” Rich pointed out.

Another area where employers could get burned this summer is dress codes. Some employers choose to relax standards on employee dress once it gets warmer, and since summer is sometimes a slower time in some sectors, laxer workplace attitudes may prevail. Summer vacations could mean there are fewer supervisors around to monitor employee behavior, and more seasonal employees and interns who are less aware of what the workplace attire rules are.

“Summer presents the perfect storm of conditions for a harassment claim,” he warns.

Click here to read the full article.