📖 REAL STORY A young Mongolian student working part-time at a university library in Leeds thought she had finally found the easiest job possible. No heavy lifting, no harsh conditions — just books. She was young, strong, and a little impatient with all the health and safety guidelines she had to read before starting. She already knew how to lift a book. Or so she thought. Six months later, her right wrist had locked up. She could not lift a single book with one hand. The diagnosis: Repetitive Strain Injury — caused by lifting heavy medical textbooks incorrectly, without the trolley she had been told to use, in the way she had been told not to. The safety instructions she had dismissed as obvious turned out to be the exact instructions that would have saved her. |
Most Mongolian students working part-time abroad take jobs in warehouses, restaurants, cafés, retail, cleaning, or hospitality. These are not dangerous jobs in the dramatic sense. But they carry real risks — risks that build quietly over weeks and months until something breaks.
The health and safety system abroad exists precisely because people were hurt doing exactly what you are about to do. The rules are not bureaucracy. They are someone else's injury, written down so that yours does not have to happen.
1. The Induction - Do Not Skip It
Every workplace in Europe is legally required to give you a health and safety induction before you begin work. This covers:
Emergency exits and what to do in a fire or evacuation
Who your first aid contact is and where the first aid kit is
How to safely perform the physical tasks specific to your job
How to report an accident or near-miss
Any hazardous materials or equipment in the workplace
🚨 If no induction is given: An employer who puts you to work without a safety induction is breaking the law. You are entitled to ask for one. You are also entitled to refuse to do a task you have not been trained for — without fear of losing your job for asking. |
💡 SMART MOVE Read the Health and Safety Guidelines document given to you at any new job — even if it seems obvious. It is written in plain language for a reason. The specific instructions for your exact workplace are in that document, and they are there because something went wrong for someone before you. |
2. Manual Handling - The Most Common Student Injury
Manual handling — lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling — is the number one cause of workplace injury for part-time workers. It does not matter whether you are moving boxes in a warehouse or shelving books in a library.
The correct way to lift anything heavy:
Stand close to the object — do not lean forward to reach it
Bend your knees, not your back
Lift with both hands, keeping the object close to your body
Never twist your spine while carrying — turn your whole body by moving your feet
Use a trolley, cart, or colleague for anything above the recommended single-lift weight
If something is too heavy to lift safely alone, ask for help. This is never a weakness.
⚠️ Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is silent and slow. Unlike a broken bone, RSI does not happen suddenly. It builds over weeks or months of small repeated movements done incorrectly — lifting with one hand instead of two, twisting each time slightly, reaching in the wrong direction. By the time it hurts enough to notice, the damage is already done. |
💡 SMART MOVE If your wrist, shoulder, elbow, or back starts to ache regularly after a shift — even mildly — report it to your manager immediately. Early-stage RSI can be treated with rest and adjustment. Advanced RSI can require surgery. The difference between those two outcomes is how quickly you speak up. |
3. If You Are Injured at Work - What to Do
Many student workers hide injuries from their employers. The reasons are understandable — fear of losing the job, not wanting to be a burden, uncertainty about their rights. But silence is always the wrong choice.
If you are injured at work, do this immediately:
✅ Report it to your manager or supervisor on the same day, verbally and then in writing
✅ Ask for the incident to be recorded in the workplace accident book — this is a legal requirement in most countries
✅ See a doctor as soon as possible, even if the injury feels minor
✅ Keep all medical documents, receipts, and correspondence related to the injury
✅ Do not return to the task that caused the injury until it has been assessed
🚨 Do not hide an injury to protect your job. An employer who fires you for reporting a legitimate workplace injury is breaking employment law in every European country. You have the right to report. Your employer has the legal obligation to respond. |
Your rights after a workplace injury:
Sick pay during recovery — check your contract for details
Adjusted duties while you recover — the employer must make a reasonable accommodation
Workers' compensation or insurance claims — your employer's liability insurance covers genuine workplace injuries
In serious cases: legal support through a trade union or student union
4. Mental Health is Also Health and Safety
European health and safety law increasingly recognises stress, anxiety, and burnout as genuine workplace health issues — not personal weaknesses.
Signs that your workload is affecting your health:
Difficulty sleeping because you are thinking about work or studying
Persistent tiredness that does not improve with rest
Feeling unable to concentrate on either your studies or your job
Anxiety or dread before shifts
Feeling that you cannot say no to extra hours even when exhausted
The student trap:
Many international students feel they must take every available shift to cover rent and living costs. This is understandable. But working more than you can sustainably manage while studying full-time does not produce more money in the long run — it produces lower grades, health problems, and eventually an inability to work at all. The degree is a long-term investment. The part-time job is a short-term bridge. Do not sacrifice the former to protect the latter.
💡 SMART MOVE Most European universities have free counselling services, student wellbeing teams, and financial hardship funds specifically for international students. These exist because student burnout is common and known. Find out what your university offers before you reach the point of needing it urgently. |
5. Your Rights - The Short Version
Wherever you work in Europe, these rights apply to you — regardless of your visa status, nationality, or whether you are part-time or full-time:
✅ The right to a safe working environment
✅ The right to a health and safety induction before starting any new task
✅ The right to refuse work you believe is unsafe — without penalty
✅ The right to report an injury or near-miss without fear of dismissal
✅ The right to appropriate rest breaks during shifts
✅ The right to protective equipment when your job requires it — provided free by the employer
✅ The right to sick pay if a workplace injury prevents you from working
⚠️ Being an international student does not reduce these rights. Some employers treat international or student workers as though they have fewer rights because they seem less likely to complain. This is incorrect and often deliberate. Your rights are the same as those of any other worker in that country. |
6. Common Part-Time Jobs and Their Specific Risks
Different jobs carry different risks. Know yours before your first shift.
Job Type | Common Risk | What to Do |
Warehouse / Retail | Manual handling injuries, back and wrist strain | Use the equipment provided. Never rush a lift. Report repetitive pain early. |
Café / Restaurant | Burns, slips on wet floors, RSI from repetitive food prep | Wear non-slip shoes. Use oven gloves. Report hot surface hazards. |
Cleaning / Hospitality | Chemical exposure, repetitive strain, and slipping | Read labels on all cleaning products. Wear gloves. Use correct posture. |
Library / Admin | RSI from lifting, eye strain from screens | Use trolleys. Follow the two-hand rule. Take screen breaks every hour. |
Care / Childcare | Physical strain, emotional stress, and infection risk | Follow moving and handling training strictly. Use PPE where required. |
Delivery / Cycling | Road accidents, physical exhaustion, and weather exposure | Know your rights around weather and safe hours. Wear all safety gear. |
Your Workplace Safety Checklist
✅ | I received and read the health and safety induction for my workplace |
✅ | I know where the fire exits and the first aid kit are in my workplace |
✅ | I know who to contact if I am injured or witness a safety issue |
✅ | I use the correct technique and equipment for lifting and carrying |
✅ | I report any physical pain or discomfort to my manager early — not after it gets serious |
✅ | I know that I can refuse an unsafe task without fear of dismissal |
✅ | I know my university's counselling and wellbeing service contact details |
✅ | I do not work more hours than I can sustain alongside my studies |
✅ | I understand that my rights as a worker are the same as those of any other employee in this country |
A Final Thought
When I was a student in Leeds, I thought I was too young and too strong for the safety rules to apply to me. I was wrong — and I paid for that belief with months of pain and physical therapy. The rules were not written for someone else. They were written for exactly the person I was: young, confident, busy, and not paying attention to what my body was telling me.
A workplace injury can end a semester. A serious one can end much more. Know your rights. Follow the rules. Speak up early. |
