Young people entering the workforce for the first time in 2019 are being given access to free help and advice for workplace challenges.
Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said the SafeWork Young Workers eToolkit is a great resource for the more than half a million young workers across NSW.
"Starting work for the first time is often daunting and many young people don’t know their rights when it comes to dealing with workplace health and safety issues like harassment or bullying," Mr Kean said.
"That’s why we’ve developed this toolkit, which is free to access and has loads of real life stories and advice.
"It’s often hard enough for older workers to have confidence when dealing with workplace health and safety issues, let alone young people entering the workplace for the first time.
"That’s why SafeWork created the toolkit, which helps with all sorts of issues, including what to do if you’re being bullied, abused by customers, injured at work or struggling with a mental health challenge."
In 2017, six workers under the age of 25 died in NSW. In 2015–16, there were more than 13,000 temporary disability and three permanent disability claims made by young workers.
"These statistics are devastating. We want to make sure young workers, their supervisors and employers have the best information possible to avoid tragedies in the workplace," Mr Kean said.
"The last thing we want to see is new workers being put in dangerous situations, especially if it’s the first job they’ve ever had.
"It’s essential that businesses provide refresher training and adequate supervision all year round. This should include things like induction programs and safety training, so young workers understand safety policies and procedures.
"I also want to see businesses encouraging their young workers to speak up about any safety issues they may identify."
The SafeWork NSW Young Workers eToolkit can be found at www.safework.nsw.gov.au or by calling 13 10 50.
