MANAGING BEST PRACTICES: At your wits end (part 2)
What if nothing can be found in the workplace that would make someone sick, but one or more of your employees nonetheless feels your workplace is causing them ill health?
In last month’s column, we briefly explored how our thoughts may cause or aggravate an illness. In this column we’ll explore the concept of “idiopathic environmental intolerance†(IEI).
“Idiopathic†means “of unknown origin.†IEI is the newest term for the concepts of “multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS),†“environmental illness,†“sick building syndrome,†“universal allergy†or “clinic ecology.†All of these terms attempt to attribute illness causation, usually subjective health complaints, from the slightest amount of a chemical, biological, or physical exposure.