How Should We Handle Employment for a Machine Operator After a Serious Accident?

Dear Sirs, One of our permanent employees met with an accident outside the industry and sustained a head injury, resulting in mental distress. He is a machine operator in the underground mine. It is very risky to assign him to the same job as he now speaks irrelevantly. Prior to the accident, he was a very competent operator. Could you please advise on the best course of action for him? Can we consider terminating his employment due to his mental health condition?

Regards

Dear Khaleel Saudagar, Technical or otherwise, medical fitness for the job is of utmost importance. The medical unfitness of an employee could jeopardize the safety of others. Therefore, identify the physical fitness requirements, and if the employee does not meet those, you may terminate the services of the employee. Before termination, find out whether the employee can be transferred to any other department.

Social Obligation of Business Enterprises
However, business enterprises have a social obligation as well. To fulfill this social obligation, find out whether any other family member of the employee, such as a spouse, can be given some job.

Thanks,

Regards, Dinesh Divekar

Try to give him some clerical job, and don't send him around heavy machinery. If something bad happens during the job, your company is going to be in big trouble.

Prior to initiating the termination process for your mentally unfit employee who was involved in an accident, please ensure that he is examined by a medical panel constituted by your company. You may take action based on the recommendations of the medical professionals. Considering his length of service in your company and his permanency in the job, you may want to consider appropriate compensation for him due to permanent partial or total disablement, as applicable.

Additionally, you could consider employing another family member of the employee as part of your company's social responsibility and commitment to supporting the family of the disabled employee.