Employees with Legal Concerns May Suffer Decreased Productivity at Work
In addition to all the stress that comes along with handling legal concerns, employees with personal legal problems may face another consequence: lower productivity levels at work...
People Who Volunteer Might Live Longer
It turns out that by doing the right thing and volunteering, people also are doing the right thing for their health. A new study finds that people who volunteer may live longer than those who don’t, as long as their reasons for volunteering are to help others rather than themselves...
10-Minute Screening Could Reduce Drowsy Driving in Commercial Drivers
Professional drivers who suffer from sleep apnea and subsequently become sleepy behind the wheel may pose grave safety concerns to our nation’s highways. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health recently considered whether a 10-minute screening method could be effective in pinpointing the professional drivers at risk for sleep apnea...
Teamwork Can Help Conquer Occupational Fatigue
A construction worker operating heavy machinery. A pilot navigating a flight through stormy weather. A surgeon operating on a patient. If any of these people become fatigued on the job, they may find themselves in a life or death situation. According to a new study, teamwork may be the best way to combat the dangerous effects of occupational fatigue...
Green Initiatives Can Create a Healthier, More Productive Work Force
Companies that incorporate eco-friendly initiatives aren’t just helping save the Earth – they also can create a healthier, more productive work environment for their employees...
How Rude! Incivility in the Workplace Has Widespread Effects
The stress that results from rude, hostile or otherwise unfriendly interactions between coworkers can seep into an employee’s personal life and affect his or her relationships outside of the workplace, according to a Baylor University study. Stressed-out workers even can “infect” their spouses, who in turn may take that stress into their own workplaces...
Don’t Try to Be a Hero: Working Moms with “Supermom” Attitude Are More Depressed
New research reveals that working mothers who believe they can “do it all” both at home and at work have more depression symptoms than moms who anticipate that a solid work-life balance will be more difficult to attain...
The Simonton Survivors Celebrate Fitness
More than 800 Simonton employees nationwide exercised, trained and overcame a variety of obstacles to participate in the Simonton Survivor program this past spring. Some 77 employees completed all 6 weeks of the program, completing six different challenges...
Pedaling Toward Productivity
Bicycling to work is the healthy, economical and fun alternative to highway traffic, rising gas prices and stressful commutes...
Don’t Separate Workplace Wellness Initiatives from Safety and Health Programs
Some things are meant to work together. Just as you wouldn’t wear only one protective glove and leave the other sitting on the toolbox, incorporating workplace wellness initiatives into safety and health programs may result in a healthier, more productive workplace, new research reveals...
Does Your Workplace Snack Culture Jeopardize Your Waistline?
It might look innocent at first glance, but that vending machine in the employee break room might wreak havoc on workers’ eating habits and waistlines – not to mention productivity...
Like Your Coworkers? You Might Live Longer.
Getting along with your fellow coworkers might not only be good for your career and job satisfaction levels – new research indicates it could also help you live longer...
Study: Wellness Incentives Can Contribute to Reduced Health Care Costs
According to a new study, offering employees incentives as part of wellness programs can spell better health and reduced corporate health care costs...
Obesity, Blood Pressure Rates Higher for Frequent Business Travelers
People who travel extensively for business – 20 or more nights away from home per month – have increased rates of obesity, higher cholesterol levels and higher blood pressure than employees who are away from home one to six nights per month...
Older Workers Benefit from Health Behavior Programs with Personal Coaching
A combination of personal coaching and Web-based risk assessment may help engage older employees in health behavior programs...
Heart Attacks, Acceptance of Risk Contribute to Increased Firefighter Fatalities
Cultural factors in firefighters’ work environment that promote getting the job done as quickly as possible with whatever resources available lead to an increase in line-of-duty firefighter fatalities, according to researchers at the UGA College of Public Health. The researchers also determined that cardiovascular events, and not smoke inhalation, represent the leading cause of death for firefighters...
Researchers: Job Loss May Increase Risk of Premature Death
A team of researchers at Stony Brook University found that the risk of premature death was 63 percent higher in people who experienced an episode of unemployment compared to those who did not...
Workplace Workouts: Combating Employee Obesity
As the obesity epidemic continues to take a toll on our nation’s health, smart companies are recognizing that active, fit employees also are happy, productive employees...
The Warning Signs of Workplace Violence
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics more than 570,000 Americans are impacted by workplace violence annually. There are behavior indicators often exhibited in the workplace that have been linked to workplace violence situations...
Domestic Service Workers Vulnerable to Occupational Hazards
Domestic service employees who perform tasks such as cleaning, cooking, childcare and care of the elderly may be exposed to occupational health risks such as harsh chemicals and musculoskeletal injuries all while having limited workplace safety rights, an employment law expert explains...
Receiving Work-Related Communication at Home Takes Greater Toll on Women
While communication technologies that help people stay connected to the workplace often are considered helpful in balancing work and family life, a new study suggests these technologies may have implications for workers’ health – particularly for women...
Hearing Loss Rate in Older Adults Climbs to Over 60 Percent
According to a new study led by Johns Hopkins and National Institute on Aging researchers, nearly two-thirds of Americans age 70 and older have hearing loss, but black Americans in the same age range seem to have a protective effect against this loss...
Study: Shoveling Snow is Risky Business
In addition to being a dreaded wintertime chore, shoveling snow can be hazardous and is associated with many serious, even fatal events among both adults and children. A recent study found that an average of 11,500 snow shoveling-related injuries and medical emergencies were treated in U.S. emergency departments each year from 1990 to 2006...
AIHA: Workplace Exposures Should Be Included in National Prevention Strategy
In a Jan. 11 letter to the National Prevention Council, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) commented on the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy, raising “deep concerns” about the lack of consideration for medical conditions caused by workplace exposures...
Report: We Spend More Time Sick Now Than A Decade Ago
Increased life expectancy in the United States has not been accompanied by more years of perfect health, reveals new research published in the December issue of the Journal of Gerontology...
