On March 5, 2010, Dot Foods, a Modesto-based company, rewarded several employees for stellar workplace safety records in 2009. The company, which is the largest food redistributor in the United States, offered four outstanding workers either a brand new ATV (all-terrain vehicle) or a high-definition TV. Other prizes were given out to 36 warehouse personnel, drivers and support staff as well, for a grand total of $140,000 in prizes for eligible workers.
The giveaway is the result of an incentive program that measured safety incidents over the past year. More than 2,300 employees participated in the program. In order to be eligible for prizes, employees had to work for at least 1,000 hours, have no written disciplinary action and no OSHA recordable injuries. Drivers also had to meet a minimum earning requirement and have no motor vehicle accidents during the past year. The safety incentive program was so successful that Dot was able to reduce OSHA recordable injuries by 35 percent and affected workdays by 43 percent in 2009.
Companies like Dot Foods reward their employees because they value high standards of safety. Unfortunately, some companies fall short of safety goals. Each industry has its own demands and set of risks to consider, and injuries in manufacturing and production jobs are almost inevitable over time. That's why it's critical to know your rights as an employee. No matter what kind of work you do, workplace injuries should be properly reported and handled by your employer. If you've been injured on the job and aren't receiving the right treatment or compensation, contact a worker's comp lawyer to examine your case. There's no reason you should suffer unjustly, physically or financially, from a workplace incident.
