The Issue of Employee Safety in Health Care Institutions and Legal Regulation
Purpose:
An in-depth analysis of the legal regulation of the safety of employees in medical institutions is presented, mainly from the point of view of the employer’s obligations. The paper argues that the existing regulatory framework is deficient. The currently proposed changes to the regulatory framework are also deficient.
Design/Methods/Approach:
In the theoretical part, a normative method and a review of professional literature dealing with legal acts in the field of occupational safety and health, which presented the current regulation in the Republic of Slovenia. Proposals for laws were also presented, which are put into the process and related to the topic under discussion. The strategic documents of the Republic of Slovenia in this area were reviewed and the case law of the Higher Labor and Social Court was explained.
Findings:
Employees in healthcare institutions are exposed to many conflict situations, they do not feel safe in their work environment. Legal regulation should uniformly regulate safe and healthy work for health workers and set uniform standards for employers in this area. Employees should be trained in conflict situations as part of mandatory training.
Research Limitations / Implications:
The research does not include empirical research within individual health institutions, but is based on media reporting and research conducted by various institutions, primarily the Medical Chamber of Slovenia and the National Institute of Public Health.
UDC: 331.45/.47:614.2
Keywords: safety and health at work, employee safety, employer’s responsibility for safe and healthy work, workplace harassment, safety in medical institutions