Sep 22, 2025 | Accident prevention, Work Injuries
When getting ready for your bartending shift, you might pull out your makeup, uniform, and those trusty non-slip shoes. While being uniformed is absolutely a requirement of the job, there are also a few other steps you might consider taking to keep your body in check. Bartending can be a pretty physically demanding job to have; you’re on your feet, moving around, and maybe lifting heavy objects from time to time. Not to mention, the hours can be pretty long. For these reasons, among many others, we highly suggest a pre-shift stretching session to help limber you up and ward off some of those unwanted lower back pains that come later in the evening.
Pre-Shift Stretching: Bartending Essentials
Preparing for physical activity
It’s just work. Therefore, many of us prepare for it by throwing on clothes and walking out the door. However, your job is pretty physical. From lifting kegs, to mopping floors, and tending to twenty patrons at a time. In short: you’re the savior of every bar-goers Friday or Saturday night. Bartending is athletic performance, and a pre-shift stretching session will help you prepare for such. Loosen those muscles, get them warm, and improve your range of motion before you take on that 14-hour shift.
Tend to those problem areas
If you’ve ever bartended a day in your life, you can probably point out the areas which hurt most at the end of it all. From the soles of your feet, to your lower back, hips, neck, and so forth… When you do your pre-shift stretching, target those areas specifically with certain stretches and yoga poses. While targeting those specific areas is important, a full body stretch is never a bad idea.
Mind your body when it needs rest
We live in a society that pushes the idea of pushing your limits. Not to mention, a majority of bar and restaurant culture operates on the idea that being able to work your shift is more important than mental and physical health. In times of crisis, such as a winter storm or an injury of some sort, you might feel guilty (or even incapable) when it comes to calling out or getting your shift picked up. Pre-shift stretching won’t necessarily keep you from getting a cold, especially after a long few days behind the bar. However, the idea we are stressing here is self-care. Minding the needs of your mind and body is important in any profession.
Self-care in any profession…
If you find yourself injured on the job for any reason, please feel free to give us a call. We can discuss your case, your healing process, and any benefit you might be entitled to. Your body, and healing process, is important to long-term health. Don’t let it go unnoticed.
Sep 21, 2025 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
Most worker’s injuries that you come across are physical. A broken bone, a concussion, a bad slip… There are plenty of ways to receive an injury on the job. However, one means of injury, is illness that you contract on the job site. Just like a physical injury, workplace illness can look plenty of different ways. As many of you know, the flu has been running rampant in the Carolinas over the past few weeks. It seems like between the weather change, and kids getting back to school— most families can’t seem to catch a break.
However, what you might not realize, is that schools are not the only place where illnesses spread like wildfire. In fact, work spaces are just as common. So, what can you do? Workplace illness prevention tactics are actually quite simple, and as an employee— or employer, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your workplace sick-free.
Workplace Illness Prevention Tactics: Fighting Flu Season
Disinfect your spaces
One of the most obvious steps you can take to prevent workplace illness, is to keep your spaces clean and disinfected. You’d be amazed how many germs can make their way into your workspace throughout the day. Shuffled papers, trips to the coffee maker, door knobs… No matter where you go, it is likely that someone with sickness has also been there at some point within the day or week. While this certainly heightens the risk of contracting a workplace illness— disinfecting those high-traffic areas can make a big difference.
So, wipe down your desk, your keyboard, phone, even the communal coffee pot. Contributing the those spaces that you use, and share, goes a long way.
Don’t take flu season lightly
We all think that we’re immune to the sickness, and workplace illness, everyone else faces every year. However, many (or even most) of us find ourselves bedridden at the hands of that infamous ‘something going around’. The flu, along with those pesky colds we pass around, are highly contagious. In fact, a statistic published by the NORC stated that 41 percent of Americans have not, and will not, get a flu shot. Many claimed a lack of effectiveness, and nasty side effects which keep them from participating.
However, when you’re working in group settings— you might be risking your own, or someone else’s, chance of contracting a workplace illness.
Know your limits
We all know how important it is to not miss work. However, the importance of not going to work when you’re sick— is also essential to understand. While we appreciate that you have a strong work ethic, consider the risk of workplace illness in doing so. Many of us have the capability to do some amount of work from our homes. So, if you are sick but still have the ability to work— consider asking your boss to be put on light duty, or remote work duty, until the illness passes.
Jul 13, 2025 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
Restaurants can have many hazards for employees. From waiters and busboys and kitchen staff and chefs, there are many ways to get hurt. If you work in a restaurant, you have to be careful so that you do not get into an accident at work. Restaurant staff safety is something that all restaurants should ensure.
How-to Ensure Restaurant Staff Safety: Safe at Work
Waitstaff
Being a waitress or waiter has its risks. Restaurant floors can be slick, so make sure to wear appropriate shoes. Comfortable, non-slip shoes are a good option. This could keep you from falling. A way to help ensure restaurant staff safety is to make sure floors are not wet or slippery. Non-skid floor mats can help prevent someone from slipping and falling. Placing mirrors on blind corners can lower the risk of employees running into each other in a busy kitchen and work environment. Another risk that waitstaff face is walking with heavy trays full of food or drinks. These trays could actually block the view while the person carrying it is walking, not to mention strain put on your body. The heavy tray could actually fall and hit the employee or someone else on the head.
Kitchen Staff
The kitchen staff is around many dangerous things while working. For example, they work with very sharp knives. There will also be very hot objects like stoves, deep fryers, and ovens. This increases the risk for burns. Knives and sharp tools should be in good condition and also sharp. An important part of ensuring restaurant staff safety is to make sure that employees are all trained on the equipment. They should also know how to properly handle and store sharp objects.
Since restaurants are usually very fast-paced work environments, they are at higher risk for accidents to occur. As an owner or manager, do not over-expect and push workers to go faster than they should. If someone feels rushed, they are more likely to make a mistake. This is when an accident is more likely to occur.
As you can see, there are many hazards that can come along with working in a restaurant. By wearing the appropriate attire, not rushing, and being properly trained, there is a lower chance of an employee injury and a higher chance of restaurant staff safety.
Mar 16, 2025 | Personal Injury, Work Injuries
The days, weeks, or even months following a work injury can be particularly difficult on the person facing injury and recovery. They’re dealing with financial stress, loneliness, and a loss of life quality. For these reasons, and many others, having a solid support system post-injury makes a big difference in how your loved one copes and recovers. So, what can you do to help get the people you love through this difficult time?
Support System Post-Injury: Lifting up Loved Ones
Give them your company
Sure, you can cook meals, clean, run errands, or do other chores and it will be greatly appreciated. But, more than anything you set aside time for, keeping them company is at the top of the list. When facing an injury of any kind, you quickly begin to realize that the world is going on around, and without, you. Your friends are going out, playing sports, shopping, your place of work is still moving along… When you consider the fact that time hasn’t stopped, your condition can begin to feel quite lonely.
This is where a support system post-injury comes in. Depression, anxiety, and general loneliness are extremely common amongst injured workers. Therefore, taking some time to sit with them, have a conversation, or watch a movie, can brighten someone’s day.
Check in
You have a busy schedule, and we understand that. You have family, work, and maybe you even live in a different city or state. Therefore, when you can’t be there physically— be there in another way. Checking in with your loved ones can be as simple as sending a text and saying, ‘I’m thinking of you’. A support system post-injury can look plenty of different ways.
Encourage them to ‘let it out’
There are a lot of feelings that come along with a work injury. Not to mention, on top of that, you’re spending more time alone than you’re used to. No to mention, when you have no one to listen, and no way to exert injury? It’s easy for those feelings to bottle up. So, whether you go for a visit or just a phone call, encourage them to speak freely. It doesn’t matter if you’re three hundred miles away. Doing a little, and listening, can go a long, long way.
Mar 9, 2025 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
Vocational rehabilitation is a form of worker’s comp. In short, this set of big words just means getting back into the work field. And that is what this form of worker’s comp does. When someone must stop working due to injury, this benefit helps them get back into the work field when the time comes.
Vocational Rehabilitation: How Does It Work
When you suffer from an injury at work, it is possible you will not be able to return to that same job. Whether your injury keeps you from preforming that job or the job is no longer available, you may not return. However, you will most likely need to work again. And in that case, that means you will need to find a new job. But sometimes that can be tough.
Therefore, worker’s comp offers vocational rehabilitation benefits. Under these benefits you can receive training for a new job. In the case that you want to change fields completely, these benefits also tuition reimbursement. By that standard, you may decide to go back to school and see a different area of work. In which case, these benefits will cover the cost of school.
Furthermore, you can still receive wage loss benefits during this time as well. So while you are receiving job training or going to school, benefits can also cover a portion of your previous wages.
How Long Does It Last?
These worker’s comp benefits can last for up to 2 years. Since transitioning back to work can be hard, these benefits help make the transition easier. Under these benefits, you can take the time you need to find a suitable new job. In addition, you can be sure that you prepare yourself either through training or education. Furthermore, these benefits take away the worry of finding a new job too quickly without feeling you can or want to do it.
In short, vocational rehab is a means of getting you back into a suitable position after a work injury. These benefits can come in the form of wages while you’re facing new job training, tuition reimbursement, and other mean that can allow for you to make the same amount of money, if not more, than you were making before the injury. Facing a work injury is difficult enough without the worry of making ends meet when it’s all said and done. For this very reason, vocational rehabilitation benefits exist.
Jan 26, 2025 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
Depending on the conditions under which you work, you might find that you’re facing a handful of occupational hazards, or resulting injuries. While some may not be very serious, others can have a life long impact. If you work in factories, or construction sites, you might be exposed to loud noises on a daily basis. For this reason, among others, hearing loss can be a potential lifelong work injury that you receive. If you find yourself suffering from any degree of hearing loss as a result of the workplace, it might be a good idea to speak with an attorney about what actions you can take to compensate for your loss of quality of life.
Hearing Loss as a Work Injury
The state of North Carolina has some guidelines in place for how to deal with these cases. Like many other diseases and injuries, your hearing issues can be a direct result of your work environment. Therefore, employees may be able to receive workers comp for this. But there are some stipulations in these cases.
Total vs partial hearing loss. Permanent sensorineural loss of hearing in both ears would result in workers comp. In short, all that means is permanent deafness due to damage in the ear caused by exposure to a loud noise. In this case, an employees may receive up to 150 weeks of workers comp. That means around 2/3 of the employees weekly salary paid out for 150 weeks.
Partial hearing loss. In the case of partial hearing loss, the employer will only pay for any hearing lost while working at the company. For instance, most companies will ask a new employer to take a hearing test before beginning work. Therefore, they will compare the pre-test to a current test.
Loss in both ears. In order to receive workers comp, an employee must suffer loss in both ears. If an employee only experiences a loss of hearing in one ear, then he will not be eligible for workers comp.
Like many other injuries, hearing loss can leave you eligible for workers comp. However, having an attorney in place can help you make that determination. We wish you luck in facing this issue, and offer our condolences for you loss of quality of life.
