Some 800,000 furloughed federal employees – along with government contractors and business owners who rely on federal workers – are feeling increasingly stressed out by the partial government shutdown, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).
Sexual harassment claims are on the rise, with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) reporting more than 7,600 in 2018 (based on preliminary data). Training is a company’s first line of defense against harassment; however, studies show traditional sexual harassment training is ineffective.
People who were exposed to the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center (WTC) have elevated rates of alcohol- or drug-related death, reports a study in the October issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. "Following a major disaster, alcohol- and drug-related mortality may be increased," according to the new research by Jim Cone, MD, and colleagues of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Employers would do well to address social determinants of health (SDH) when deciding upon health insurance and wellness plans, according to a "fast-track" paper in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
The United Kingdom’s (UK) Trade Union Congress (TUC), the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and other European trade unions are calling for a reduced working week, which ETUI researchers argue would deliver benefits of less stress, higher worker satisfaction and increased gender equality.
At its annual Congress earlier this month, the TUC’s Director General, Frances O’Grady, said that advances in technology mean that a four-day work week by the end of this century was a realistic goal for most people.
September 9-15th, 2018 was National Suicide Prevention week. Workplace suicide and mental health in general are often underrepresented in workplace health and safety discussions. However, globally, more than 300 million people suffer from depression, the leading cause of disability (WHO, 2017). In the US, the suicide mortality rate increased by 24% from 1999 to 2014, particularly among middle-age adults.
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most common permanent and preventable occupational injury impacting workers today. And unlike most injuries it is painless, progressive, permanent and preventable.
Are firefighters who show symptoms of burnout less likely to follow safety procedures? A team of researchers recently set out to learn if burnout impacted a firefighter’s ability to follow required safe work practices, care for and safely use personal protective equipment (PPE), and communicate and report safety concerns.
The recent deaths of designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain “reflect a growing national crisis,” according to the American Psychological Association (APA) – and one that needs to be addressed with a multifaceted approach.
Did the latest challenge at work bring on a tightening in your stomach? Does constant worry about a loved one’s health make you physically ill yourself?
Everyone at some point feels the effects of stress. Not everyone deals with stress in the best way, though.
“Often stressed-out people seek relief through alcohol, tobacco or drugs, but that just makes matters worse,” says Richard Purvis, a health and wellness practitioner.
