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The Importance of Hand Sanitizer in the Office
According to a 2016 paper, the typical office desk holds over 10 million bacteria – that’s 400 times more germs than found on most toilet seats.
How can you fight back against all this potential for illness?
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers have been shown as an effective tool to combat infections due to harmful germs. Those sanitizers are particularly important for convenient use in the office.
Can Pets in the Workplace Improve Mental Health?
Pet-friendly workplaces are becoming more and more common in recent years. Many larger companies, such as Amazon, Airbnb and Uber, actually have a pet policy now where employees can bring their furry friend to work.
Many people may think bringing a pet to work could be distracting not only for themselves, but their coworkers as well. So, why do companies allow pets in the workplace?
How Do Open Offices Affect Employee Health?
Is the location of your workspace affecting your health? I’m not talking about stress levels, but about the actual space you’re working in.
In the midst of the cold/flu season, you may be on high-alert for any contagious illnesses. We already know that viruses like the flu can spread with ease throughout an office and have a serious affect on productivity. And apparently if you work in an open office space, you may be even more worried about those health risks.
But how do open office spaces actually affect your health: are they good or bad for you?
Which Tea Can Help Ease Cold and Flu Symptoms?
When you’re sick with a cold or the flu, one of the first recommendations from a doctor is to drink more fluids.
While water and other drinks are crucial to your recovery, many people reach for tea to battle their illness. For employees around the world, tea can also help soothe the symptoms of an illness while on the clock.
And one of the only downsides of using tea to get over an illness is the plethora of options. There is an abundance of teas to help you, depending on your illness or need.
How Can an Office Plant Help Physical and Mental Health?
From succulents to spider plants, it’s no secret that office plants make for popular workplace décor. But, it turns out there’s more to them than first meets the eye.
Office workers may be receiving some extra perks as they water plants everyday. Office plants can have various mental and physical health benefits that may surprise you.
Do Immunity Boosters Actually Keep You From Getting Sick?
With the winter weather here and this year’s flu season making headlines, you may feel tempted to try immunity boosters for help fighting off a nasty illness at the office.
But, do these health supplements actually work? And more importantly, are they safe?
Should You Work From Home While Sick?
For many people, working from home while they are sick is a convenient option, as long as their employer allows it. Working from home may not be the best choice for someone under the weather, but that depends on how sick you are and whether you can get anything done at home.
For example, if you have a cold and you don’t want anyone at work to get it, you should probably stay home. During the flu season, that becomes much more important. Avoiding work while fighting influenza can keep the whole office healthy.
But, what if you have some other illness?
Five Items to Help Stay Flu Free at the Office
Every year influenza infection causes approximately 200,000 hospitalizations and 35,000 deaths. Even if a patient’s infection does not develop dangerously, standard symptoms include fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches and cough, making the respiratory illness one to avoid.
But, as people around you start coming down with the virus, staying flu free can be a challenge.
Luckily, there are many steps you can take to protect yourself from the infection. That’s why we have tips on five items to help you fight getting influenza at the office.
How Music Can Improve Employee Productivity
According to a survey of 1,000 office workers, 85% of those allowed to listen to music at work say that they would rather listen to songs than nothing.
But in general, do workers find music distracting or enlightening? Should managers and business owners actually encourage their employees to listen to music?
It turns out, the answer is likely “yes”.
How Can a Highly Sensitive Person Help a Business?
Many highly sensitive persons can feel underutilized and misunderstood in the world of business. In a field which often values ambition and aggression, their quiet sensitivity and sensibility can be forgotten.
Although, their aptitude for empathy and creativity is a crucial factor in business. They are just a few of the aspects that can be a major asset to companies.
So where do HSPs fit in in the workplace? And how can they play a key role in helping a business succeed?
Can Too Much Caffeine Hurt Your Immune System?
Depending on our mood, we reach for a variety of drinks at work.
There are easy options like water, or drinks that come with other needed vitamins and mineral. There’s also the much-needed pick-me-up. Employees might try energy drinks, soda, tea, coffee, kombucha, protein drinks or the many more choices to restore energy.
Many of these popular workplace drinks have one important thing in common: caffeine.
Should You Worry About Measles in the Office?
Much like influenza, malaria, cholera, and Zika virus, measles is one of the world’s most contagious illnesses and capable of causing modern-day outbreaks.
Measles has been around for centuries with a vaccine available since 1963. The disease was eliminated in many countries, but has since caused a new surge in cases and outbreaks.
Why is that? It’s because measles has infected 170 different countries in recent years. The United States is home to many recent measles cases, with 626 people testing positive for the disease across 22 states in 2019 alone.
How Much Do Wellness Programs Cost?
Employers have seen the effect that wellness programs can have on their office. From productivity in the employees to cost-saving results, there’s a reason wellness program are so popular.
A study by Rand showed that the bigger the company, the more likely they were to install a wellness program. Roughly 33% of companies with 50-100 employees used wellness programs, with the number jumping to 80% in companies with over 1,000 workers.
But, even knowing the positive effects and popularity, wellness programs are still an investment. Both in time and money, the company puts in capital for these programs.
How Do Viruses Spread Quickly Within the Office?
From bustling cities to rural communities, we have businesses and office buildings in every area of the United States.
In the current day, it’s hard to escape working in these places. Most people don’t live off the land and don’t spend their working hours outside. Instead, a majority of the population are cooped up in a small office cubicle. They may lack some needed natural light, instead stuck with heating and ventilation systems that don’t purify the air.
But, do these conditions breed viruses in our offices?
Why Do Many Workers Look for a Flexible Schedule?
Looking for every method to improve employee performance, companies are now overhauling their schedules. Some businesses are ditching the standard 9-to-5 and trying a flexible schedule.
The concept largely comes down to the time when employees start and end their days. Workers can choose those hours, helping to better manage the work-life balance.
Several company owners feel that traditional office rules are too strict, and that they may do more harm than good to employees.
What Does a Biometric Screening Measure?
Whether it’s a part of wellness programs or general healthcare options, many companies now offer biometric screenings for employees.
Now, depending on who you ask, a biometric screening could go by many names. Often called a health screening or biometric assessment, no matter the name, it does the same things. Rather than asking what it’s called, the important question is what does a biometric screening measure?
A biometric screening offers a clinical evaluation of a patient’s important health scores.
How to Prevent Burnout in Employees
What happens when your employees are stressed?
We already know that mental health can completely alter a business. Along with the expected irritability, overworked employees may have some other issues. They may suffer from physical ailments, like high blood pressure, chronic pain, as well as other health problems.
Burnout happens for several reasons and can occur with your best employee. Sometimes life circumstances or a physical illness contribute to burnout, but what are other reasons? Work overload, lack of praise or feedback, lack of proper equipment, and favoritism in the office to name a few.
Is Telemedicine a Viable Option at Your Business?
The telephone may have been invented in the 19th century, but it took almost 80 years for doctors to treat patients with the machine.
Telemedicine was introduced in the 1950s and used in a select few hospitals. Those hospitals shared patient images through the telephone line. Back then, telemedicine was intended to connect a patient with a specialist outside of their local vicinity. Thanks to the internet, digital cameras, and physician telecommunications software, sharing patient information is easier than ever before.
Within the last few years, the practice gained some ground.
How Does Mental Health Affect Work Performance?
According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety alone cost global economy approximately one trillion dollars annually due to lost productivity.
But, how and why do such seemingly personal issues affect work performance so much? And what can we do to counteract this growing struggle?
Mental Health’s Tremendous Impact
Benefits and Drawbacks of a Pet-Friendly Office
Pet owners can rejoice as pet-friendly offices are on the rise.
Although it may seem like an idea ripe for start-up companies (it is), some of the world’s biggest corporations are also allowing pets. Businesses like Google, Amazon and Etsy have elected for the idea.
Back in 2015, only about 8 percent of businesses had a pet-friendly policy. In only three years, that figure has increased to approximately 20 percent. Some companies have an office cat or two, while others allow employees to bring Fido into work with them.
How Can You Continue Working While Sick?
During flu season, every person should show some caution if they’re experiencing flu symptoms. That means skipping out on that trip to the movies or a restaurant, but also using a sick day at work.
Staying home while sick is the best way to keep your fellow employees free of the virus you’re battling.
But, many workers don’t have the option to stay home from work while sick without the luxury of sick pay. They simply can’t afford to miss time at work, whether due to money or the duties of their job.
Do Standing Desks Actually Improve Health in the Office?
Standing desks are becoming increasingly popular, not just in the United States, but all over the world.
What is a standing desk?
The name says it all; it’s a work desk that you use while standing instead of sitting in your chair. Sounds like a fantastic alternative to sitting all day, not to mention burning some extra calories, right?
How Does the Flu Hurt Office Productivity?
The flu season can be a company’s worst nightmare.
While many employees feel pressured to carry on with their jobs as if they’re weren’t sick, that’s not always for the best. According to Globe and Mail, many now think a sick employee who’s still working may be making things worse for the company.
Sick employees tend to still come to work and can barely do the minimum amount of their work. Making things worse, they also have a high potential to infect those around them. Altogether, it’s not the sick days that do the most damage during flu season.
How to Plan an Employee Wellness Program
More employers are making a conscious effort to create an enjoyable workplace for their employees. While this can include physical improvements throughout the office, it also means a better mentality throughout the office.
Employee wellness programs are an easy solution to improve the workplace. This kind of program encourages staff to make healthy changes in their lifestyle. Employees can earn rewards for regular exercise or healthy eating. Not only can it create camaraderie in the office, but can help a person establish a balanced lifestyle.
When Should We Schedule Our Onsite Flu Clinic?
The 2018-19 flu season is almost upon us, which means it’s time to start thinking about getting ready to protect yourself this year.
For business owners, that means keeping the debilitating virus out of your office.
Any employer knows how the flu season can affect the office.
How Do I Explain the Flu Shot to My Employees?
Summer is quickly coming to an end, bringing on the cooler weather of autumn. But, with those lower temperatures also comes the dreaded flu season.
Anybody who works in an office knows the effect that flu season can have on business. At the peak of the season, the virus makes it’s way all throughout the company.
How to Plan an Onsite Flu Clinic for Your Office
Every year the flu season takes a toll on employee health, company productivity, and on total health care costs. The components of the flu vaccine change each year, making an annual flu shot a necessity.
Need a way to make sure your employees stay healthy during the dreadful flu season? Workplace flu shot clinics are an easy, cost-effective way to protect your employees from the flu.
Will the 2018-2019 Flu Shot Protect My Business?
Every year the flu shot’s composition is adjusted to help fight the new season’s predicted strains of viruses. While the flu activity in the United States is currently low, it’s expected to pick up very soon.
Currently, the CDC recommends being vaccinated with the current flu shot by the end of October to ensure you’re protected.
What is a Wellness Holiday?
Hard-working employees looking to clear their mind are creating a trend in wellness travel. The new form of travel is being fueled by workers wanting to look better, feel better, and prolong their lives.
With the word wellness in the name, you can probably guess that these trips address health.
But, it’s not only one form of health that wellness travelers are treating. General problems like stress and anxiety can be relieved from a wellness vacation. Other travelers can find aid with physical ailments, like weight management or detoxification.
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergies in the Office
Did you know that at least 20-50 million people in the United States have seasonal allergies?
Surprisingly, many of these allergies are associated with the workplace. Individuals can become sick because of the allergens present at their job everyday. Once that happens, employees become tired, have trouble breathing, and are less productive in their work activities.
How to Make Travel Easier on Your Employees
Traveling for work can sometimes feel like exactly that–work. But, that doesn’t mean your employees can’t enjoy their business trips.
Here are some things that you can do as a boss to make sure your employees (and you) are having enjoyable experiences while traveling for work:
7 Tips for Getting Back to Work After Vacation
Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to get back into the mainstream of your work life after a long vacation? Some people will even take it to the extreme and schedule another short getaway after their vacation.
As you can imagine, returning to work after a long vacation can be a daunting task. After soaking up the sun on the beach or exploring a foreign city for days, the last thought in your mind are those coming hours at work.
Making the Most of Your Next Stopover
A layover is already annoying, but somehow made worse when it’s extended. Throwing in a whole day between flights? Travelers often have good reason to dread a stopover.
But, if in the right city, that stopover can turn into a short vacation. Instead of thinking of a layover as something you’d like to avoid at all cost, try turning it into something that you can enjoy. Instead of feeling like you’re being held hostage by a layover, treat your next layover as an extended vacation while you enjoy a little time off.
Backpacking and the Benefits on Your Mental Health
The physical benefits of a backpacking or hiking trip are hard to miss. It’s exhausting and incredible exercise to trudge uphill for a few miles.
Of course, we’re all familiar with the physical benefits of hiking, but we often overlook some of its mental help as well.
Eight Tips for Working While on Vacation
You’ve been working hard for the past year, and now you’re in the middle of planning a well-deserved, worry-free vacation. After all, that vacation is an enticing goal for most people.
In February 2017, AAA conducted a survey and concluded that over 35 percent of American families plan a vacation every year. It’s the time of the year when families across the country start planning a getaway for spring break, summer vacation, or a long holiday weekend.
Does Alcohol Increase the Risk of Cancer?
After some studies and speculation for years, a recent study proves that liquor increases the risk of cancer. The study, published in Nature, shows that alcohol can bring the disease by damaging the DNA in stem cells.
Scientists at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, conducted the study. They performed a test by feeding diluted alcohol (known as ethanol) to mice.
Can a Specific Seat Keep You Healthy on a Plane?
Are you worried about catching a cold or the flu on a plane?
Like most people, you probably don’t want that vacation or business trip ruined by an illness. It also may not come as a surprise to hear that air travel makes it much easier to catch a contagious disease.
While there are some tricks you can use to avoid getting sick on the plane, there is another key solution: your seat.
Is it Possible to Meditate While at Work?
In the busy workplace, it’s difficult for business people to stop and take the time needed for mindful meditation. Those who practice meditation on a regular basis already know that mindfulness is a great way to unlock your potential at work and do your very best.
Those same people also know the struggles of clearing your mind while on the job.
Any attempts at full-blown meditation aren’t entirely possible in the work place. In a normal day of work, the mere thought of meditation is far reaching.
Why is Airbnb So Popular in Business Travel?
Seasoned travelers know how tiresome hotels can get. Unless you’re an avid fan of the continental breakfast, the impersonal sleeping quarters can get old. When combined with the rising costs of hotel rooms, travelers are looking for alternatives.
Enter Airbnb.
The website hosts property owners who are looking to rent out a room, apartment or their house to travelers. According to Bloomberg, over 250,000 companies have embraced the online marketplace for their business trips.
How Does a Lack of Sleep Affect Work Performance?
Have you ever spent some of your waking hours wondering whether you got enough sleep the night before?
If you’re like most adults, you don’t get enough sleep. But how much sleep is enough?
Sleep requirements vary from person to person, but most healthy adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep to function at their best. Because of their active lifestyles, children and teens need even more.
How Does That Work Commute Affect You?
Whether it’s a daily commute or a long road trip, we spend a lot of time in our cars. Unsurprisingly, minutes spent driving can add up and have an effect on you.
According to the Washington Post, Americans spend about 26 minutes commuting one way to work every day, adding up to over 200 hours every year. Round-trip, that’s nearly an hour spent in the car every day. Any way you look at it, that’s a lot of time on the road.
Five Tips to Reduce Stress While Traveling
Whether you realize it or not, traveling can take a mental toll on you. The stress mounts, from packing to navigating an airport and finally making it to your new lodgings.
It certainly isn’t anyone’s intent, but planning and implementing a trip can be a stressful venture for most of us, especially when we don’t plan and organize well. The good news is that you can reduce the amount of stress and anxiety you feel while planning that getaway. After all, travel doesn’t have to only produce stress. Whether for a vacation or business, that trip should create some enjoyment.
How to Keep Your Office Free of the Flu
The influx of cold weather across the country has created a bad flu season that doesn’t seem to want to go away.
The office environment is often the main offender for passing the flu virus from worker-to-worker. Although people belong at home while they’re sick, many sacrifice their health and head to work. The problem with the flu is that it’s easy to catch, but very hard to shed.
What Does My Business Need to Know About Shingles?
Health is key for employees that are hopping between destinations for work. Each environment brings new bugs and new people that can spread viruses.
That’s why every new advancement in disease prevention is crucial. Whether it’s your employees or yourself who’s hitting the road, new vaccines can change that business. It’s hard to work when battling some chronic and painful disease.
One of those debilitating illnesses is shingles.
How to Stay Healthy While Traveling for Business
For many people, a business trip can mean leaving reality behind. That often includes healthy eating and exercise habits.
Travelers with a relaxed mindset while on a work trip tend to gain weight and feel unhealthy when they return home.
Unfortunately, what many don’t realize is that their diet and exercise routines don’t have to suffer. Many of their healthy habits at home can go anywhere.
Other Posts
- How to Get Remote Workers Involved in Wellness Programs
- How Can a Walking Meeting Improve Office Productivity?
- How to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder at the Office
- Can the Office Vending Machine Affect Work Performance?
- Four Ways to Encourage Employee Wellness in the Summer
- Do Corporate Wellness Programs Actually Save Money?
- Five Ways to Encourage Employee Wellness in the Fall
- How Can Employers Encourage More Sleep for Workers?
- Small Changes to Improve Employee Wellness in the New Year
- Why Are Many Companies Opting for Pre-Employment Physicals?
- How Does Overworking Affect Physical and Mental Health?
- How Does Natural Light Affect Health in the Office?
- The Importance of Parental Leave Policies in the Workplace
- What Are the Most Common Office Illnesses and Ailments?
- How Can I Help Highly Sensitive Persons in the Workplace?
