It goes without saying that work-related accidents should be avoided at all cost,  because they always leave negative effects behind. Nevertheless, some of these consequences may be less visible than the others. Today, we want to talk about the mental and psychological effects of work accidents which affect employees. What are these consequences and how to deal with them?

In this article you can read about:

• Post-accident mental problems
• Relations with the employer after an accident at work
• Other consequences of accidents

Employees who have suffered an injury related to an accident at work may exhibit a range of symptoms that are indicative of their poor mental state. These include depression and anxiety, which significantly degrade productivity and efficiency. Studies show that more than a half of the workers who have had accidents have experienced anxiety, while depression has affected a quarter of them – and in some cases, even as much as a half as well.

Therefore, it is worth remembering that the consequences of accidents extend beyond work. They affect the private life of employees, relations with the family, etc. All this affects their willingness to work and how they perceive their workplace.

Another very important factor affecting the quality of an employee’s work after an accident is his relationship with the employer. An employee who has suffered an accident and is convinced that it was a fault of the employer, who did not properly secure the working environment, will feel resentment. Hence, they may go to court and sue the workplace.

In each of these situations, as an employer, you risk losing an employee – even if they stay at work. They may work with much less enthusiasm, which affects productivity. Furthermore, they might no longer show any willingness to develop professionally.

On this topic, it is worth mentioning the remaining negative consequences for the company related to work accidents. These include:

• Potential litigation,
• Damaged company reputation,
• Decreased customer satisfaction,
• Problems with finding new employees,
• Downtimes.

As you can see, it is in the interest of the employer to minimize the risk of the serious accidents and to properly protect employees in the event of a dangerous situation. Some accidents are unavoidable, but if the employee is aware that his employer has made an effort to ensure their safety, the morale will not be drastically reduced. So their mental well-being will be much better.