More Than A Quarter Of Employees Think More Employees Are Calling In Sick With Fake Excuses Due To Stress Tied To The Recession, Finds CareerBuilder’s Annual Survey

October 20th, 2009 in Health    No Comments

A new nationwide CareerBuilder’s survey points to the economy as a major factor in workplace absences in 2009. Among the findings discussed in this article:

• 32 percent of workers have called in sick at least once when they were well.
• Some employers (29 percent) responded to this phenomenon by checking up on sick employees, with 15 percent having fired an employee for missing work without a legitimate excuse.
• 63 percent of surveyed companies let employees use sick days for “mental health” days, finding that it leads to more productive employees.
• While 12 percent of workers played hooky to catch up on work-related projects, more were found that needed to go to doctors appointments (31 percent), needed to relax (28 percent) or to catch up on sleep (16 percent).

Source: Science Letter (Atlanta); Oct 20, 2009

Workers’ Ailing Health Problematic; ‘Presenteeism’ Bigger Problem In Tough Times, Experts Say

August 23rd, 2009 in Health    No Comments

This article addresses “presenteeism,” the productivity lost by employees who are on the job but accomplishing little because they are distracted or suffering from fatigue or depression. The author believes this issue is particularly important now that many employers are financially unable to invest in infrastructure enhancements, making worker productivity more important than ever before. A recently completed multi employer study measured the total costs of employee illnesses. (more…)

Fresh Approaches To Indoor Air Quality (Keeping It Green)

August 11th, 2009 in Green, Health    No Comments

Good air quality is an important factor in maintaining a healthy and comfortable office environment. This article takes a look at the latest techniques to marry the best of ventilation and air filtration systems with low emission, environmentally friendly furnishings to enhance the health and performance of employees and bolster the organizational bottom line. Notable efforts discussed include:

• The use of low-emitting carpets, low-volatile organic paints and urea-formaldehyde-free wood products;

(more…)

Our Gadget Of The Week: Wrist Watcher

March 30th, 2009 in Health    No Comments

In today’s workplace there are few injuries more debilitating than repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) that range from office-based carpal tunnel syndrome and Blackberry thumb to home-based iPod finger, Nintendinitis and Wiinjuries. More than 5 percent of office workers suffer from RSIs, some to the point of hardly being able to work. (more…)