First Impressions from My First Day
By Claire T.
What strikes you most about your workplace?
I think what strikes me most about the workplace at Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is how much work goes into accomplishing what seems to be a simple mission: Keep Washington Safe and Working. It is a great mission statement, very direct and indisputably important. However, in order to accomplish this mission endless work is done to ensure that employers are keeping their workers safe. Part of what L&I does is work as a big insurance company. Their job is to insure the workers. It would seem that employers and employees combined would be grateful to have this system in place. However, the reality is that too many people think of L&I and they think of citations, regulations, and a lot of extra work to avoid fines. They do not always think of the countless lives that are saved, the moms, dads, brothers, sister, and spouses that get to go home to their families every day because of the regulations and worker standards that are set in place. The reward of doing this hard work shows in the statistics. At the annual DOSH Symposium that I was able to attend, they showed worker related statistics involving worker injuries and deaths. I am sure seeing those numbers was reassuring to all the L&I employees that they are making a difference.
What strikes you most about your colleagues?
What strikes me most about my colleagues, not just my colleagues in consultations but all the people who work in DOSH, is their attitude. I admire their attitude and work ethic to continue the state’s mission to Keep Washington Safe and Working.
What are you excited about?
I am excited to continue my time at L&I and get a well-rounded feel for how the organization works. I am trying to reach out to as many people as I can to understand their function within their departments. I am excited that everything I am learning here is very transferable once my internship is over. All the knowledge that I accumulate here will help me in the future whether that be with L&I, another state agency, or somewhere in private industry. I look forward to gaining more work experience and developing my knowledge as much as I can during my time here as well as after.