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(c) 2010-2024 Jon L Gelman, All Rights Reserved.
Showing posts with label Stress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stress. Show all posts

Monday, August 13, 2018

Reading Work e-mail After Hours Causally Linked to Employee Stress

A workers’ health is adversely impacted by the employer’s expectation that and the employee will read work-related e-mail after hours. A new study finds that an employee’s mental stress is adversely affected by such expectations.

The recent study by Virginia Tech found that “employer expectations of working email monitoring during non-work hours are detrimental to the health and well-being of not only the employees but their family members as well.”

The demands created by having work and non-work lives presents of a dilemma for employees and triggers a feeling of anxiety that adversely affects health.

“William Becker, a Virginia Tech associate professor of management in the Pamplin College of Business, co-authored a new study, "Killing me softly: electronic communications monitoring and employee and significant-other well-being," showing that such expectations result in anxiety, which adversely affects the health of employees and their families.

"The competing demands of work and nonwork lives present a dilemma for employees,’ Becker said, ‘which triggers feelings of anxiety and endangers work and personal lives.’”

“Other studies have shown that the stress of increased job demands leads to strain and conflict in family relationships when the employee is unable to fulfill nonwork roles at home -- ‘such as when someone brings work home to finish up.’”

“Their new study, he said, demonstrates that employees do not need to spend actual time on work in their off-hours to experience the harmful effects. The mere expectations of availability increase strain for employees and their significant others -- even when employees do not engage in actual work during nonwork time.”

Click here to read more, Mere expectation of checking work email after hours harms health of workers and families.

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters).

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Using Mobile Technology for Work Linked to Higher Stress

Today's post was shared by Work Org and Stress and comes from www.gallup.com

Heavier users carry more stress, but also rate lives better

by Dan Witters and Diana Liu
This article is part of a weeklong series analyzing how mobile technology is affecting politics, business, and well-being.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. workers who email for work and who spend more hours working remotely outside of normal working hours are more likely to experience a substantial amount of stress on any given day than workers who do not exhibit these behaviors. Nearly half of workers who "frequently" email for work outside of normal working hours report experiencing stress "a lot of the day yesterday," compared with the 36% experiencing stress who never email for work.


Daily Stress by Email Usage and Remote Working Habits
Daily Stress by Email Usage and Remote Working Habits

Time spent working remotely outside of working hours aligns similarly, with 47% of those who report working remotely at least seven hours per week having a lot of stress the previous day compared with 37% experiencing stress who reported no remote work time.
These data were collected from March 24 through April 10, 2014, as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index for a special Gallup study exploring the effects of mobile technology on politics, business, and well-being in the United States. Gallup interviewed 4,475 working U.S. adults, and the findings hold true after controlling for age, gender, income, education, race/ethnicity, region, marital status, and children in household.
Workers Who Use Mobile Technology Rate Their Lives...
[Click here to see the rest of this post]

Friday, January 11, 2013

NIOSH Announces the Top 10 Science Blog Posts in 2012

The list shows the vast array of topics covered by NIOSH.  Of note this year, the third and eleventh most viewed blogs were written by external partners.

  1. Help Wanted: Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation Research.  We urged you to help us collect on-site air samples during SPF installation.  The response was fantastic!  Thank you!
  2. Worker Exposure to Crystalline Silica During Hydraulic Fracturing   highlighted a newly-identified hazard in the fracking industry, provided prevention information and asked for assistance with future efforts. 
  3. Hair Formaldehyde and Industrial Hygiene, from the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology (CROET) at Oregon Health and Science University, summarized the campaign to inform stylists of the risks related to formaldehyde-containing hair straighteners and the need for proper protection. 
  4. Sleep and Work. In honor of National Sleep Awareness Week we summarized sleep and work issues in this blog and highlighted NIOSH research in the companion blog NIOSH Research on Work Schedules and Work-related Sleep Loss(#6). 
  5. Stress and Health in Law Enforcement highlighted research from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study and from related studies of morbidity and mortality among police officers. 
  6. See #4 above
  7. Brain Injury in the NFL discussed new research finding that National Football League (NFL) players may be at a higher risk of death associated with Alzheimer’s and other impairments of the brain and nervous system than the general U.S. population.
  8. Safer and Healthier at any Age:  Strategies for an Aging Workforce  presented strategies for preparing your workplace to accommodate an older workforce. 
  9. All-terrain Vehicles and Work highlighted the risks associated with ATVs and identified safe practices for use in the workplace.
  10. Respiratory Protection for Workers Handling Engineered Nanoparticles.  While this blog was technically posted in December of 2011 we included it anyway.  This blog provided an update on the science and rationale behind NIOSH’s recommendations for the use and selection of respirators against engineered nanoparticles.
  11. Sleep Pain and Hospital Workers, from colleagues at Harvard, examined the question: Does lack of sleep increase pain and limit function among hospital care workers?
  12. Safety and Health in the Theater:  Keeping Tragedy Out of the Comedies… and Musicals…and Dramas discussed the often overlooked hazards in the theater.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Are You Suffering From Symptoms Of Chronic Stress? Take the Stress Test!

Today's post comes from guest author Kit Case from Causey Law Firm.

Signs of Chronic Stress:
Cognitive symptoms
•          Memory problems
•          Inability to concentrate
•          Poor judgment
•          Pessimistic approach or thoughts
•          Anxious or racing thoughts
•          Constant worrying
Emotional symptoms
•          Moodiness
•          Irritability or short temper
•          Agitation, inability to relax
•          Feeling overwhelmed
•          Sense of loneliness and isolation
•          Depression or general unhappiness
Physical symptoms
•          Aches and pains
•          Diarrhea or constipation
•          Nausea, dizziness
•          Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
•          Loss of sex drive
•          Frequent colds
Behavioral symptoms
•          Eating more or less
•          Sleeping too much or too little
•          Isolating oneself from others
•          Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
•          Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax

Take the Stress Test for Adults:
Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe in 1967, examined the medical records of over 5,000 medical patients as a way to determine whether stressful events might cause illnesses. Patients were asked to tally a list of 43 life events based on a relative score. A positive correlation was found between their life events and their illnesses.
Their results were published as the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), known more commonly as the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale.
To measure stress according to the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, the number of "Life Change Units" that apply to events in the past year of an individual's life are added and the final score will give a rough estimate of how stress affects health.
Note: the table, below, is from the Wikipedia page on this subject.  For a fee of $5.00, you can go directly to Dr. Rahe's website and obtain the full test materials as well as background information and details of this and other products and services available.
To measure stress according to the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, the number of "Life Change Units" that apply to events in the past year of an individual's life are added and the final score will give a rough estimate of how stress affects health.
Life eventLife change units
Death of a spouse 100
Divorce 73
Marital separation 65
Imprisonment 63
Death of a close family member 63
Personal injury or illness 53
Marriage 50
Dismissal from work 47
Marital reconciliation 45
Retirement 45
Change in health of family member 44
Pregnancy 40
Sexual difficulties 39
Gain a new family member 39
Business readjustment 39
Change in financial state 38
Death of a close friend 37
Change to different line of work 36
Change in frequency of arguments 35
Major mortgage 32
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan 30
Change in responsibilities at work 29
Child leaving home 29
Trouble with in-laws 29
Outstanding personal achievement 28
Spouse starts or stops work 26
Begin or end school 26
Change in living conditions 25
Revision of personal habits 24
Trouble with boss 23
Change in working hours or conditions 20
Change in residence 20
Change in schools 20
Change in recreation 19
Change in church activities 19
Change in social activities 18
Minor mortgage or loan 17
Change in sleeping habits 16
Change in number of family reunions 15
Change in eating habits 15
Vacation 13
Christmas 12
Minor violation of law 11
Score of 300+: At risk of illness.
Score of 150-299+: Risk of illness is moderate (reduced by 30% from the above risk).
Score 150-: Only have a slight risk of illness.

Recommended methods for relieving chronic stress include exercise (which can be modified to accommodate physical restrictions after an injury), meditation, music therapy, breathing techniques, and such simple things as companionship - from a pet, friend or family member.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

If You’re Going Out To Eat Check Out “Behind The Kitchen Door”

For many celebrating the holiday season is inggo out to eat for an enjoyable experience. Unknown to many restaurant patrons are the problems of restaurant workers and include:  low wages, occupational stress and lack of medical benefits that requires restaurant workers to go to work sick.

Behind The Kitchen Door exposes the working conditions in the restaurant industry.
 “How do restaurant workers live on some of the lowest wages in America? And how do poor working conditions—discriminatory labor practices, exploitation, and unsanitary kitchens—affect the meals that arrive at our restaurant tables? Saru Jayaraman, who launched a national restaurant workers organization after 9/11, sets out to answer these questions by following the lives of ten restaurant workers in cities across the country - New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Houston, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, Detroit, and New Orleans. Blending personal and investigative journalism, Jayaraman shows us that the quality of the food that arrives at our restaurant tables is not just a product of raw ingredients: it’s the product of the hands that chop, grill, sauté, and serve it, and the bodies to whom those hands belong.

“Behind the Kitchen Door “ is a groundbreaking exploration of the political, economic, and moral implications of eating out. What’s at stake when we choose a restaurant is not only our own health or “foodie” experience, but the health and well-being of the second-largest private sector workforce—the lives of 10 million people, many immigrants, many people of color, who bring passion, tenacity, and important insight into the American dining experience.

Download the 2012 National Diners Guide – See how your favorite restaurant ranks

Read more about "food" and "workers compensation"

Sep 04, 2012
What kind of corporate man was Eastwood when he owned his restaurant, “Hog's Breath Inn,” in Carmel, California, when he was mayor? How did he treat his workers and what did he think about unions? It turns out Eastwood ...
Jun 21, 2010
"So if a Boston restaurant says, 'We're losing business in our restaurant because we can't get shrimp from the Gulf,' let's take a look at Massachusetts law. Would Massachusetts law recognize that claim? If it would, I will.
Jan 13, 2010
"The New York City Health Department is coordinating a nationwide effort to prevent heart attacks and strokes by reducing the amount of salt in packaged and restaurant foods. ...Subscribe To Workers' Compensation. Posts ...
Apr 20, 2011
Having gained experience fighting hotel and restaurant unions, Levitt sent out seminar brochures across the country marketing his expertise and spreading fear. He included newspaper clippings from a Las Vegas strike, and ...

Friday, September 14, 2012

Job Stress A Risk For Heart Attack

Map of Heart Disease Death Rates in US White M...
Map of Heart Disease Death Rates in US White Males from 2000-2004 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Lancent reports that stress at work posses and increased risk for a heart attack. Workers' Compensation benefits are payable if work-related stress is a material cause of a heart condition.

"30 214 (15%) of 197 473 participants reported job strain. In 1·49 million person-years at risk (mean follow-up 7·5 years [SD 1·7]), we recorded 2358 events of incident coronary heart disease. After adjustment for sex and age, the hazard ratio for job strain versus no job strain was 1·23 (95% CI 1·10—1·37). This effect estimate was higher in published (1·43, 1·15—1·77) than unpublished (1·16, 1·02—1·32) studies. Hazard ratios were likewise raised in analyses addressing reverse causality by exclusion of events of coronary heart disease that occurred in the first 3 years (1·31, 1·15—1·48) and 5 years (1·30, 1·13—1·50) of follow-up. We noted an association between job strain and coronary heart disease for sex, age groups, socioeconomic strata, and region, and after adjustments for socioeconomic status, and lifestyle and conventional risk factors. The population attributable risk for job strain was 3·4%."

....

For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman 1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered work related accident and injuries.

Read more about "heart disease" and working conditions
Sep 11, 2012
"More than 80 million people in the United States have some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD)—for example, coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, or heart failure—and millions of others are at increased...
Apr 06, 2012
The occupational exposure to asbestos fiber has now been linked to fatal heart disease. A recent report associates asbestos exposure at work to a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease ...
Jan 30, 2012
In the general population, high BMI generally correlates with high body fat, and we know that high body fat is a risk factor for death (mortality) and heart disease. Is the same true for elite athletes, for whom high BMI may relate ...
May 19, 2010
New studies just published establish the causal relationship of overtime work with an increased risk of heart disease resulting in a greater risk of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and angina. Workers who ...

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Workplace Stress Labeled Black Death of the 21st Century

Mental stress in the workplace has been labeled as the Black Death of the 21st Century in a recent report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. In most jurisdictions, workplace stress is a compensable workers' compensation condition and benefits for temporary disability, medical treatment and permanent disability are available.

Stress is, for the first time, the most common cause of long-term sickness absence for both manual and non-manual employees, according to this year’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)/Simplyhealth Absence Management survey.

A link between job security and mental health problems is also revealed in the survey. Employers planning to make redundancies in the next six months are significantly more likely to report an increase in mental health problems among their staff (51% compared with 32% who are not planning redundancies).

For manual workers, stress is now level with acute medical conditions and has overtaken musculoskeletal problems to become the top cause of long-term absence. While among non-manual staff, stress has moved ahead of acute medical conditions.

There is a particular increase in stress-related absence among public sector organisations, with 50% of these respondents reporting an increase. Public sector respondents identify the amount of organisational change and restructuring as the number one cause of stress at work, highlighting the impact of public sector cuts to jobs, pension benefits and pay freezes. Job insecurity is also reported as a more common cause of work-related stress in the public sector this year (24%) compared with last year (10%) and is higher than in the private (14%) and non-profit sectors (14%).
Unsurprisingly, given the significant budget cuts, more than two-fifths (43%) of public sector organisations report they will be making redundancies over the next six months (compared with 17% in the private sector and 24% of non-profits).

Dr Jill Miller, CIPD Adviser, says: “The survey this year shows that stress is for the first time the number one cause of long-term sickness absence, highlighting the heightened pressure many people feel under in the workplace as a result of the prolonged economic downturn.

“Stress is a particular challenge in the public sector where the sheer amount of major change and restructuring would appear to be the root cause. To a large degree, managing stress is about effective leadership and people management, particularly during periods of major change and uncertainty.

“Line managers need to focus on regaining the trust of their employees and openly communicating throughout the change process to avoid unnecessary stress and potential absences. They also need to be able to spot the early signs of people being under excessive pressure or having difficulty coping at work and to provide appropriate support.”

Gill Phipps, HR spokesperson for Simplyhealth, comments: “Stress can often have a negative effect on the workplace, which can result in loss of productivity and disengaged employees. It’s therefore encouraging that almost half of employers have a wellbeing strategy in place, with 73% offering counselling services and a further 69% providing an Employee Assistance Programme. These benefits allow employees access to information and advice on workplace issues, as well as emotional, psychological and personal issues, and can be a huge help during difficult times. Employers need to ensure that benefits such as these are communicated effectively to staff in order for employees to get the most from them.

“With many organisations looking for ways to save money, employee health and wellbeing shouldn’t be over looked and should remain at the heart of the company. Benefits that engage employees do not have to be expensive. By introducing a recognition scheme or equipping leaders with the skills they need to care for the health and wellbeing of their teams, employers can make small, affordable changes that make a positive difference.”

Overall employee absence levels have remained static at 7.7 days per employee per year. Public sector absence has decreased from 9.6 days per employee per year last year to 9.1 days this year and private sector absence has increased from 6.6 days in 2010 to 7.1 days in this year’s survey. The trends in absence levels appear to reflect the relative fortunes of these sectors. Although overall absence levels show little change, the proportion of absence that is stress-related has increased. Nearly four in ten (39%) employers report an increase in stress-related absence, compared to just 12% reporting a decrease.

Other findings include:
• Absence levels are lowest among manufacturing and production organisations at 5.7 days per employee per year (6.9 days in 2010) while among non-profit organisations absence has increased to 8.8 days (8.3 days in 2010)
• Over a quarter (28%) of employers report an increase in the number of people coming to work ill in the last 12 months
• Organisations that were expecting redundancies in the coming six months were more likely to report an increase in presenteeism (32% compared with 27% of those who were not expecting to make further redundancies). They were also less likely to report they had not noticed an increase (48% compared with 66%) and less certain (20% report they didn’t know if there had been an increase compared with 7% of those not making redundancies)
• Organisations that had noted an increase in presenteeism over the past year were more likely to report an increase in stress-related absence over the same period (49% compared to 33% of those who did not report an increase in people coming to work ill)
• Over a quarter of organisations (29%) report they have increased their focus on employee wellbeing and health promotion as a result of the economic context. Over two-fifths of the public sector report an increase in focus compared with just over one-fifth of the private sector.

View the Absence Management survey

For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.