Watch that work pace. Picking up the pace of production is a major concern for low-wage employees in a wide range of industries, and is becoming a key issue in bargaining contracts, sometimes ahead of wages and benefits.
Especially at risk are aging baby boomers who might not be able to keep up with a bulging workload. The need for speed may be already taking a toll on employees' health - experts say it may be the cause of many musculoskeletal injuries. NIOSH recently designated job speedup and other changes in work organization as research priorities.