Planking in the workplace: When do employees go too far?
June 8, 2011
The grocery giant, Woolworths has recently sacked employees across Australia for ‘Planking’ in the workplace on the basis of breaching the Company’s Health and Safety Policies.
“Planking” is the act of lying flat, face down, across objects and being photographed. Participants then post these photos online and are “judged” on the level of difficulty and the object used to support them.
Woolworths has claimed that employees, who were lying across shelving units and milk crates, on top of trollies and even a meat mincing machine, created an unsafe situation where the employee or a customer could have been seriously injured.
In order to avoid any workplace injuries to either employees or customers which could result in compensation, employers need to know how to prevent planking and when this conduct becomes a dismissible offence.
Planking at work may be a breach of workplace health and safety. An employer would need to assess whether the act endangered the health and safety of an employee or a customer and the severity of the offence. Each case must be determined on its own merits and may lead to a disciplinary process which may involve a written warning through to termination.
Ideally, an employer should be pro-active regarding this fad and advise employees upfront that the act is not acceptable at work. Ensure your workplace health and safety policy is up to date and that employees are aware of it and have been appropriately trained.
Due to the risks that planking at work can cause for employers, Livingstones has developed a ‘Planking Policy’ which can be customised for your Company. This policy attempts to restrict employees planking at work or in a work uniform outside the workplace.
For more information regarding the Planking Policy or a review and update of your current policies, please contact your Livingstones Consultant.
A link to the article can be found here:
Plankers sacked by Woolworths
