Supervising your apprentice or trainee guide - Module 2

Integral to your role as a workplace supervisor is your ability to teach your apprentice or trainee how to work and behave safely in the workplace.

Their learning should occur in a safe, supportive environment that should build their awareness of risks to health and safety for themselves and others. It is timely that we review current information relating to many apprentices and trainees, particularly young workers.

As a workplace supervisor of an apprentice or trainee you should directly supervise them as appropriate for the vocation or industry, while they are doing their work, unless you have established that:

• The apprentice or trainee has been deemed competent in the task and direct supervision in this instance is not necessary.
• A lesser degree of supervision would not endanger the health or safety of the apprentice or trainee or any other person.

Make safety part of the conversation

Effective and adequate supervision and training is the best way to ensure young apprentices and trainees stay safe at work as well as producing quality work and maintaining industry standards. You must:

• Ensure work environments, systems of work, machinery, chemicals, and equipment are safe and properly used, stored and maintained.
• Provide required personal protective equipment and ensure it is used.
• Explain safe work practices, safety hazards and emergency procedures – Conduct a workplace induction including orientation, roles, responsibilities and ground rules.
• Identify gaps in your apprentice or trainee's knowledge, assess their ability to work safely and eliminate or minimise risk.
• Ensure your apprentice or trainee is directly supervised by a qualified or experienced staff member and never left alone to perform new tasks - Ensure supervisors are aware of their responsibilities concerning young learners.
• Ensure your learner isn't exposed to inappropriate behaviours, sexually explicit or inappropriate material. See: ocg.nsw.gov.au

Age-related changes to people in the workforce – managing risks for older apprentices and trainees

The workforce is ageing and more older workers are undertaking apprenticeships and traineeships. For employers and supervisors, this means maintaining constant vigilance and awareness of the safety of older apprentices and trainees.

Age-related factors can affect an individual's ability to work safely. In some people, there may be age-related wear and tear and degenerative changes to the body and ill health. There are different types of long-term physical conditions associated with older age groups, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and arthritis or osteoporosis, which may impact on a person's ability to work safely.

Employers and supervisors should review their accidents, incidents and hazard reports to identify any potential age­ related trends. These practices will support businesses to meet their duty of care responsibilities to adapt work practices according to the different needs of older apprentices and trainees.

The key to maintaining a safe workplace is matching job-task demands with an individual’s abilities and skill set

This can be achieved through various processes, including:

• Identifying workplace hazards and conducting risk assessments appropriate to the age demographic of the workplace
• Pre-placement discussions
• Ongoing consultation and communication
• Liaison with safety and health representatives
• Monitoring and reviewing workplace practices
• Conducting a survey to gain awareness of age- related factors in the workplace and using this information to develop a range of strategies
• Seeking medical advice for more complex issues
• Costs of not meeting your safety obligations.

There are severe penalties for breaches of the Work Health and Safety Act 2000 (NSW). The maximum penalty under the Act is $875,000.

There are also hidden costs involved, including:

• Hiring of replacement staff while your staff are recovering
• Damage to the workplace or work systems
• Possible increase in workers' compensation premiums
• Loss of productivity, sales, and revenue to your business whilst staff are in recovery
• Loss of business reputation as a safe workplace.

Duty of care – safety for young worker

Young workers are vulnerable. They experience injury rates out of proportion with other working age groups. They need additional guidance because they lack work experience and may not know how to protect themselves physically and psychologically from injury.

It is critical you provide a safe and positive work environment for your apprentice or trainee. You should know the range of hazards in your workplace and minimise risk so your apprentice or trainee can stay safe at work.

What is duty of care?

You must take reasonable care to ensure your workplace and the people in it are safe from injury and health risks. If you identify a likely risk of harm, it is your legal obligation to address it. You should minimise or eliminate risk by providing support, instruction, training, and on-going adequate supervision. Your inaction is a breach of your duty of care.

• Your duty of care is good for business.
• It reduces costs associated with sick leave, worker absences and staff turnover.
• It improves morale, productivity, sales, and revenue.
• Helps you avoid litigation, industrial disputes and fines.
• Helps you achieve greater staff loyalty and a reputation as a safe workplace.

Understanding and managing risk for young workers

It is essential that you manage risk around young apprentices and trainees and help them become continually aware of the risk of accidents and injury to them and others in the workplace. There are several factors which combine to put young people at greater risk of injury than other age groups.

Young workers are often at risk of workplace injury due to:

• Limited workplace experience
• Inexperience with new situations which may require developing new skills, they are unable to recognise when something becomes unsafe
• Still developing psychologically and socially: the area of the brain related to these functions is still developing in young people into their twenties
• Overconfidence in their ability and a sense of invulnerability
• Afraid to speak up
• Peer pressure: young people are often motivated by the short-term gain of impressing their mates and peer acceptance rather than longer-term concerns of health and safety.
• Desire for thrill seeking and experimentation, including inexperience with alcohol and drugs.

Workplace bullying and harassment can happen to anyone. It involves a more powerful person or group of people oppressing a less powerful person or group, often because they're different. Bullying and harassment are unreasonable behaviours that cause humiliation, offence, intimidation or distress, and affect an employee's ability to work.

Harassment toward another person or group in the workplace may include:

• Physical harassment
• Verbal abuse and threats, whether it is face-to-face or written, including notes, email or graffiti threats
• Humiliating them with comments or behaviour
• Intentionally excluding them from work-related activities
• Intrusive personal inquiries
• Any action that may cause humiliation, offence, intimidation or distress.

The behaviour does not have to be repeated or ongoing to be deemed harassment.

An employer may be liable for the actions of employees if they have not taken reasonable actions to prevent or respond to the harassment or any complaint or evidence of harassment. Reasonable actions can include acting on bullying or harassment issues, implementing policies and procedures and training programs for all staff.

Bullying is another form of workplace harassment that many employers and employees face. Examples of bullying behaviour include:

• Unfair and excessive criticism
• Publicly insulting victims
• Ignoring their point of view
• Constantly changing or setting unrealistic work targets
• Undervaluing their efforts at work
• Behaving with cultural insensitivity.

Bullies usually use power attributed to their status, skills or position in the workplace, and both men and women can be the targets and/or the perpetrators. Workplace bullying can occur between a worker and a manager or supervisor, or between co-workers. Workplace violence can include assaults, threatened assaults and harassment.

Bullying and harassment can be identified under categories such as:

• Physical (hitting, kicking, pinching)
• Verbal (name-calling, teasing)
• Psychological (stand over tactics, gestures)
• Social (social exclusion, rumours, putdowns)
• Sexual (physical, verbal or non-verbal sexual conduct)

It may be motivated by jealousy, distrust, misunderstanding or lack of knowledge, have an element of threat and can continue over time. It is not always the case that bullying and harassment is obvious. It can be seen as the 'workplace culture'.

It may also be reinforced by a group dynamic: 'don't dob'. Workers who experience bullying can suffer anxiety, post­ traumatic stress disorder, ill health, and even commit suicide. That's why workplace bullying and harassment are against the law. Many victims won't speak up because they think it's 'workplace culture' and they'll be called a 'troublemaker'.

Failure to prevent or respond to workplace bullying and harassment can result in breaches of equal opportunity, Work Health and Safety and anti-discrimination laws.

Victimisation

Anti-discrimination law provides protection against discrimination so that people are protected and encouraged to exercise their right to make a complaint about bullying or harassment.

Victimisation can take the form of:

• Taunting about the complainant
• Downgrading, demoting or dismissing the complainant or witness
• Pressuring the complainant to drop the complaint or threatening punishment if the complaint goes ahead
• Ostracising the complainant or witness.

Preventing and reducing workplace bullying and harassment

 To avoid being accused of bullying and/ or harassment, you could follow these guidelines:

• Don't do anything that can be perceived as personally invasive or offensive
• Do not encourage anyone to bully or harass anyone else
• If you would not like it done to you, don't do it
• If someone bullies or harasses you, don't bully or harass them back.

Additional information can be found at: www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au and in our resources section checklist for identifying signs of workplace bullying.

Strategies to reduce workplace bullying and harassment include:

• Publishing a zero-tolerance policy
• Reviewing your policy annually or when an incident occurs
• Making sure your work environment is free of sexist, racist or other types of stereotyping, offensive or belittling materials (posters, screen savers, etc.)
• Including bullying and harassment training in your induction
• Establishing clear behaviour and communication ground rules at induction.
• Ensuring everyone (including you) treats all staff with the same courtesy and respect as you wish to be treated
• Ensuring everyone undertakes bullying and harassment training annually
• Committing to early intervention: ensure any symptom or complaint of bullying and harassment is taken seriously. If you're unsure what to do, consult a third party.
• If you witness or hear bullying or harassment, act immediately and follow policies and procedures
• Encouraging two-way communication. Continually support your apprentice or trainee to talk about what's going on, how they're feeling and progressing.
• If an employee's behaviour changes and you believe they may be experiencing bullying or harassment, talk confidentially with them to find out what's happening.

The prevention and reduction of workplace bullying and harassment requires regular consultation, monitoring and evaluation via the following actions:

• Create awareness
• Develop a policy
• Inform, instruct and train
• Identify risk factors
• Control the risks
• Encourage reporting.

Anyone can experience mental health concerns, affecting their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. One in five people experience a mental illness each year, and two in five people have experienced a mental illness in their lifetime.

Supporting people experiencing mental health concerns is an all- of­ community issue and there is a role to play for every workplace. By addressing mental health in the workplace, you can reduce costs associated with absences, achieve greater staff loyalty and a higher return on training investment, avoid litigation and fines for breaches of health and safety laws, and improve employee morale and wellbeing.

What is mental health?

Mental health refers to our ability to manage thoughts, feelings and behaviours so that we can:

• Experience satisfaction and happiness
• Cope with stress and sadness
• Achieve our goals and potential
• Maintain positive connections with others.

What influences our mental health?

Structural: safe working conditions, housing, employment and financial security, inclusive workplaces and good work design.

Community: sense of belonging, connection with others, access to social and peer support and freedom from bullying. 

Individual: ability to bounce back from challenges, good physical health, sleep and rest and effective coping strategies.

What influences our mental health at work?

Risk factors

• High workload or not enough work
• Tight deadlines
• Bullying
• Discrimination
• Conflict at work
• Lack of support
• Unclear work role.

Protective factors

• Effective policies and programs
• Good leadership
• Strong team morale
• Involvement in decision making
• Flexibility working conditions
• Social activities
• Effective training.

What are the signs that someone may be experiencing mental health concerns?

• A recent change in behaviour
• Obsession with parts of the job and neglect of others
• Working longer or fewer hours than usual
• Disengagement or low morale
• Increased unplanned absences
• Increase in use of negative language or workplace conflict
• Physical symptoms such as appearing tired or experiencing headaches
• Reduced levels of performance.

How to have a conversation about mental health?

People can avoid conversations for fear of saying the wrong thing. If you are worried about someone it is better to fumble through the conversation than avoid it all together. If you know someone who has been affected by mental health concerns or suicide it is better to reach out than avoid the person or the discussion. Avoiding the discussion can lead to people feeling more isolated.
If you are worried about someone or noticed changes, then ask R U Ok? Using A L E C
Ask: if you are worried someone is thinking about suicide, then ask directly and be prepared for the answer.
Listen: do this without judgment and don’t try to fix the situation. People want understanding rather than solutions.
Encourage action: talk to the person about who else to involve so they can be supported and encourage them to seek help.
Check-in: stay in touch and check back in.
Tips for improving mental health and wellbeing:

• Sleep and rest, take time out
• Be active and eat well
• Connect with others
• Learn to manage stress
• Get involved
• Build confidence
• Accept yourself and others
• Set realistic goals
• Reach out for help.

If someone is in immediate danger, please call 000. 

Local support: Their GP or TAFE Counselling Service (call 131 601 -option 5, then option 2).
Access a list of free support services

Tailored support

Mental health prevention and promotion strategies are beneficial to every workplace, with data showing a return on investment of up to $18.50 for every $1 invested.
Everymind can tailor support to your unique needs including:

• Presentations, training and workshops
• Co- designed mental health resources
• Research and evaluation services

Physical and psychological safety in the workplace

Directly supervise your apprentice or trainee while they're working unless you know they're deemed competent in the task or if less supervision won't endanger the health or safety of your apprentice or trainee or other workers.

You must know the range of hazards in your workplace and apply necessary control measures to ensure young apprentices and trainees aren't injured or made ill at work. Manage risk by providing information, supervision and training so they're aware of the risk of accidents and injury and work in a safe manner.

Review your accidents, incidents and hazard reports to identify any age-related trends so you can adapt work practices to suit the needs of older apprentice or trainee.

The key to safety is matching job/task demands with an individual's abilities and skill set. Conduct pre-placement discussions and ongoing consultation to monitor and review workplace practice.

Bullying and harassment are against the law. Ensure your workplace has a zero-tolerance policy. Ensure it’s included in inductions, established as part of your ground rules of behaviour and that your team reviews your policy every year. Make sure you and your team undertake bullying and harassment training regularly. If no training has been completed at your workplace, add it to your action plan and make it happen soon. It's a risk to your business if something goes wrong.

Be aware of mental health conditions in your workplace. Depression and anxiety may impact the work or attitude of your apprentice or trainee, affecting your relationship, their attendance or their quality of work. Indicate you've noticed a change in their behaviour and refer them to resources such as employee assistance programs or their GP.