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When Chris Suppa was a teenager, he started working for a photography retail store and processing lab in Etobicoke, Ontario. His early experiences were marked by challenging physical tasks, complex duties such as maintaining the photo printer (“it would need water and/or various chemicals at different times, and would sometimes jam and require servicing”), and handling customer complaints.
“(The store was) notorious for awful customers that often mistreated employees if their photos didn't turn out correctly or if we were out of stock of certain items,” says Suppa.
Despite the store’s reputation for difficult customers, extensive training and repeated practice eventually helped Chris become confident and comfortable as both a sales associate and lab technician.
“I was pretty much a one-man show,” he says. “It took about a year or so, but I was given the autonomy and the training to run things by myself, and that was pretty rewarding for a teenager.”
Through repetition and high-quality workplace health and safety training, Chris quickly learned the safest and healthiest methods, making initially daunting tasks feel like second nature.
Your teen should always listen to health and safety instructions at work
Learning to approach tasks the right way, from the beginning, couldn’t be more vital for young workers, says Suppa.
“(It’s important to) follow instructions, especially when the tasks are challenging and/or potentially dangerous and look for learning opportunities that foster greater comprehension of your duties,” he says.
A study conducted by the Institute for Work & Health found that workers with less than a month of job experience had four times as many injury claims as those who had been in their current roles for more than a year.
The study also found that the effects of short tenure were more pronounced for men. Men in their first month on the job had a claim rate five times higher than those with over a year's tenure, while for women, the figure was still significant at 3.3 times. Experience proved to be a critical factor, with claim rates dropping sharply as workers gained more time on the job.
How to help your teen develop healthy on-the-job habits
New workers are at a higher risk of on-the-job injuries. Part of the reason is that they haven’t repeated tasks enough to become familiar with them. Repetition is a great safety tool, but it only works when tasks are learned the right way. If you want your teen to develop good habits, their training is crucial. You can play a role by helping to ensure they receive the necessary training to cultivate healthy and safe habits.
A Threads of Life survey indicates that nearly 20 percent of Canadian businesses fail to provide legally mandated safety and orientation programs for new workers in many regions of the country.
In Ontario, all workplaces are obligated by law to deliver worker health and safety awareness training to their employees. This training covers information about workers' rights and responsibilities and emphasizes the significance of workplace safety. It’s an essential first step in ensuring young workers start their jobs on the right foot.
What to do if your child hasn’t received the proper training? Encourage them to speak to their manager, supervisor or a member of their joint health and safety committee (or health and safety representative if they work in a smaller business). Here are some tips to share with your teen so they feel confident talking to their supervisor.