March is Nutrition Month in Canada and this year’s theme is “Eating 9 to 5.” The food choices you make during the day can affect your productivity and the quality of your work. The following from Eat Right Ontario provides helpful tips for eating well at work.
Eat Right Ontario: Packing Healthy Lunches and Snacks for Work
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
“There is no health without mental health.” –World Health Organization
This quote from the World Health Organization really drives home the importance of a holistic health approach. When it comes to health and safety in the workplace, we are often quick to think of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and other physical injuries, but just as with health in general, we also need to make mental health in the workplace a priority. Psychological health in relation to work is comprised of the ability to think, feel, and behave in a manner that allows employees to perform effectively in work environments, as well as in their personal lives and society at large. As an employer, here are some starting points to consider to help you promote mental wellness in your work environment.
Learn to recognize potential or existing problems: Stress is often thought to be a typical part of any job. However, excessive stress can lead to mental health problems. Take a critical look at your work environment. Do your employees face high demands? Excessive pressure? Do they have low control or say in how things are done? These can create unhealthy work conditions that lead to increased levels of work-related stress, which can lead to increased risk for mental illness.
Talk about mental health: People who experience mental health issues often face stigma, shame and misunderstanding. Often times, employees who are experiencing mental health challenges are fearful to approach their employer and thus keep their issues private. Whether you are already aware of employees dealing with mental illness or not, voicing your support for mental wellness at work helps to foster a trusting and open environment. This can make all employees feel more comfortable to discuss problems, or ask for help. Try posting a sign in the staff room or regularly mention that you support mental wellness. Leading by example sets a strong standard and helps develop a healthy work culture of acceptance.
Know your responsibilities: Do you know the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues such as depression or anxiety? Do you understand how these conditions impact an employee’s performance on the job? Are you aware of your legal responsibilities to your employees dealing with mental illness such as accommodations? Do you know what resources are available to you and your employees to support mental health at work? You need to be aware of all these factors to be able to promote and support mental wellness.
An ounce of prevention: Implementing preventative measures in relation to mental wellbeing at work can be achieved in a variety of ways and when done well, these can have a significant impact on improving productivity, reducing absenteeism, presenteeism, and employee turnover and associated costs. Look at creating a workplace wellness program that addresses all aspects of your employees’ well-being, especially mental health. Show your employees that you value their health and make this a standard component of your business decisions. Mental wellness also needs to be reflected in workplace policies and procedures and show that employee wellbeing is a core value of your organization.
Occupational therapists’ knowledge and skill set allows them to help employers and organizations with each of the four areas listed above and more. From providing education and training programs, assessing problem areas, supporting communication and developing policies, occupational therapists can provide essential information and assistance to enable you to support mental wellness at work.
Check out more of our healthy workplace posts here.
Each January we participate in the annual Bell Let’s Talk Day, a campaign to raise awareness and funds to reduce the stigma around mental illness and to help promote awareness and understanding. This campaign has been at the forefront of promoting awareness about mental health, and with the majority of Canadian adults spending most of their waking hours at work, it is begs consideration of mental health in the workplace.
Here are some quick facts about mental illness and its impact on Canadian workers:
A strong link can be drawn between an unhealthy workplace, work-related stress and unhealthy lifestyles. If left unaddressed, mental health issues can have a significant impact on work outcomes. This can include increases in presenteeism and absenteeism, decreased productivity and a slew of other financial implications. The good news is that evidence suggests investing in effective programs can make a difference to improve mental health problems and illness, and can reduce the associated costs and burdens on people, businesses and the economy.
Occupational Therapists are optimally positioned to help employers develop and implement programs to address mental health at work. Stay tuned for another upcoming blog with more information about strategies for employers to help promote mental health in the workplace.
Resources
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
Wrist injuries and corresponding pain are common work-related musculoskeletal disorders that can have detrimental consequences. Repetitive hand movements completed on the job is often a key culprit, however, improper positioning of the wrists, forearm and shoulder can also be a factor. Keyboarding, use of a mouse and extended periods of sitting at a computer in one position can lead to symptoms like wrist and forearm pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in the fingers and in some cases, development of cysts or nodules around the wrist joint and tendons.
Injuries to the wrist are particularly troublesome as we heavily require use of our hands throughout the work day. Barr, Barbe and Clark (2004) reported that work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the wrist and hand cause the longest absences from work and as such, are associated with greater losses in productivity and wages than injuries in other body areas. This research was also supported by a more recent study, which found that lost productivity costs related to hand and wrist injuries was roughly $411 million dollars per year and this was the highest among any other injury type studied (de Putter, Selles, Polinder et al., 2012). There are some strategies that can be used to prevent and address wrist pain, but it is essential to keep in mind that as with any other potential for injury at work, the worker, work station and job demands must all be considered. Some great strategies to address wrist pain at work include:
Many other great solutions to address wrist pain at work can be recommended by an Occupational Therapist, with solutions ranging from low to high cost. For more information, check out Entwistle Power’s free Office Ergonomic E-Book or contact an Occupational Therapist to help meet the ergonomic needs of your organization.
Resources
Barr, A., Barbe, M. & Clark, B. (2004). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the hand and wrist: epidemiology, pathophysiology and sensorimotor changes. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. Oct 2004, 34 (10), 610-627.
de Putter, C., Selles, R., Polinder, S., Panneman, M., Hovius, S. & van Beeck, E. (2012). Economic impact of hand and wrist injuries: health-care costs and productivity costs in a population-based study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012, 94:e56 (1-7).
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/mouse/mouse_problems.html
According to statistics Canada, about 2 in 5 Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime. In 2014 alone it was estimated that 191,300 Canadians developed cancer (Canadian Cancer Society, 2014). The effects of cancer can be vast and at times, devastating. However, with early detection and new treatments, the five-year relative survival ratio has been found to be up to 63% (Canadian Cancer Society, 2014). Considering that almost half of cancer survivors are diagnosed at working age, as an employer it is important to understand your role and responsibilities should an employee require your support to manage a cancer diagnosis or recovery (Mariotto, Yabroff, Shao et al, 2011).
There are a number of responsibilities employers have regarding employee illness. It is important that employers are familiar with both provincial and federal legislation, such as The Employment Standards Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It is also key that employers and human resources professionals have clear policies and guidelines on insurance supports, along with any unique company operations related to health and illness. For example, if your company offers private health, dental or vision insurance, or short and long term disability insurance, can you assist an employee to access these? Do you know your vacation and sick day policies? Are you familiar with your responsibilities to them regarding their medical leave and a reasonable accommodation process?
Related to this, is also being aware and mindful of where your employee is in their diagnosis or treatment stage. When an employee discloses their diagnosis to you, it is important that you are open, accepting and maintain non-judgemental. Is the diagnosis recent? Or are they in the rehabilitative stage, or are preparing to return to work? It is important to be aware of this so that you can ask the right questions, provide support, and work in collaboration with them to address any issues or needs they may have.
Depending on your employee and their unique situation, it can also be helpful to have a sense of how the type of cancer and the associated symptoms are impacting their ability to complete their job demands. Cancer can lead to physical changes, like changes to muscle strength, impaired mobility and fatigue, cognitive changes like reduced ability to concentrate or forgetfulness as well as emotional changes such as low mood and (understandably) increased levels of stress. However, with certain changes to the environment and/or job demands, your employee can still be a productive member of your team. Recruit the assistance of an Occupational Therapist to work with you, your human resources professionals and your employee to explore and implement ways for them to remain at work as long as their symptoms and course of treatment allows. An OT can help them to be comfortable at work while maximizing productivity and helping to foster a positive work environment.
References and Resources
Mariotto AB, Yabroff KR, Shao Y, Feuer EJ, Brown ML. Projections of the cost of cancer care in the United States: 2010-2020. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2011 Jan 19;103(2): 117-28. Epub 2011 Jan 12
Cancer + Careers
http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/at-work
Canadian Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.ca/~/media/cancer.ca/CW/publications/Canadian%20Cancer%20Statistics%202014/Canadian-Cancer-Statistics-2014-EN.pdf
University Health Network
http://www.uhn.ca/docs/HealthInfo/Shared%20Documents/Returning_to_Work_after_Cancer_Treatment.pdf
An earlier feature in our Workplace Wednesday series highlighted the issue of back pain at work and discussed the importance of prevention. One strategy that is essential in preventing injuries to our backs at work involves exercise. Many people know that exercising has important overall health benefits but may not make the connection that the physical conditioning that comes with exercise can have an important impact on preventing and managing back injuries and back pain at work.
An important part of developing a healthy back involves stabilizing the spine by strengthening the muscles in our core. The major muscles involved in stabilizing our core include our back extensors, lateral obliques (muscles along our sides) and our rectus abdominis (known as the ‘six-pack’ muscles). But just because we know that we should exercise to strengthen our backs, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we know which exercises we should do. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety have a great resource for exercises that can be completed at work to help strengthen your back and prevent back injuries at work.
For more details, including step by step instructions and photograph demonstrations, visit the CCOHS website or talk to an Occupational Therapist.
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
It’s a new year and with anything new comes a time for change. What changes will you make to better yourself as an employer, your employees and the overall culture of the business you run?
Here are some reflective personal suggestions from one business owner to another:
1. Boost your biggest asset – your employees: It’s better for business, and the bottom line, to retain talent instead of having to replace this with new hires. Putting a focus on the mental and physical health of your employees will help to ensure lower rates of absenteeism and higher satisfaction, allowing you to retain your talent long term. How you do this will depend on of course the type of business you run, the nature of your culture, and the size of your organization. But in the end, remember that people are just that – people – and they have wants, needs, ideas, interests, struggles…take an interest in them and this will help them to shine.
2. Wellness is key: The term “wellness” was all over the news in 2014 and seems to be a continuing trend. However, do you really know how to create “wellness” at your business? If not, seek the assistance of a professional, like a wellness specialist or occupational therapist, to help you to evaluate your current situation, to put a plan in place to increase employee health (both mental and physical), and to implement this and evaluate its effectiveness over the long term.
3. Model the behaviours you want to see: How do you implement change? Your employees won’t create the positive changes you want themselves! Modelling the behaviours and activities you wish to see from the top down will help employees to take part themselves. Practice what you preach and lead by example. If you are grumpy, miserable, unapproachable and difficult to talk to, your employees will be the same. Yet, if you are enthusiastic, engaging, caring and productive, their behavior too should follow.
4. Cultivate a better culture: For anything to become commonplace in the long term, it needs to be fully integrated into your corporate culture. Think strategically about how the changes you seek can be part of your long term business plan and can become ingrained in your daily work life.
5. Show gratitude: Don’t take anything for granted. If an employee is going above and beyond take time to sincerely thank them for all they’ve done. The same is especially true for clients, suppliers and referral sources — make sure you know you are thankful for their support and business!
6. Focus on flexibility: Offering flexible arrangements for workers, such as telecommuting and flex hours can increase employee satisfaction, reduce stress, help you attract top talent and to retain your staff long term!
7. Listen Carefully (to your staff): Do you take the time to actually listen to what your staff has to say? Setting aside time to check in, hold brainstorming sessions and solicit suggestions from your employees will help them to feel more empowered and could lead to your next big product or service!
8. Plan for the future: When running a successful business it’s important to ensure you think both in the short and long term when looking to make change. Take time to regularly plan, evaluate and revisit goals to ensure your short term actions will lead to long term success.
9. Take time for team-building: How well do you know your staff and how well do they know each other? Studies show that employees who feel they belong to a team are more loyal and dedicated to their work. It’s important to schedule regular team building activities, both inside and outside of work hours and that you get involved in these yourself.
10. Make time for yourself: Running a business is no easy task and it’s definitely not a 9-5 job! I often find myself working in the evenings, on weekends and checking email during time when I should be focused on myself or my family. Resolve to give yourself some daily “me time” so you too can enjoy life outside of work. Taking time for yourself will help keep you focused, reduce stress and actually increase your productivity, patience and is another way to lead by example. No one wants to come into the office at 8:30am to 10 emails from the boss that were sent the night before. Discipline yourself to not add to the chaos by structuring your own time accordingly.
Creating change is not easy. Remember to start small and build overtime for success! Whatever your choice of resolution I wish you the best of luck for success in 2015!
Guest Blogger: Samantha Langan, MSc. OT, Occupational Therapist
In 2010, back pain was found to be the single leading cause of disability world-wide according to the Global Burden of Disease. It has been estimated that 186 million work days are lost each year to back pain alone which greatly impacts workplace productivity and costs. The Mayo Clinic has found that a number of factors can contribute to back pain and back injuries at work. The four most common factors include:
1. Force: Job demands that require lifting or moving heavy objects exerts force on our back which can lead to injury.
2. Repetition: Repetitive movements leads to muscle fatigue and in turn can lead to injury, particularly if these movements involve stretching our back near the limits of our range of motion or using awkward body positions.
3. Posture: Posture is a critical component in preventing fatigue and injury. Slouching or sitting in awkward positions alters the natural curves in our back, increasing fatigue and can lead to pain and injury.
4. Stress: While we often think of the negative impacts stress can have on our mental well-being, it also impacts our physical well-being. High levels of pressure at work or increased stress leads to muscle tension and tightness, which can contribute to or worsen back pain.
If back pain is something you or someone in your workplace experience, there are some strategies you can use to help minimize existing problems and even prevent issues before they arise:
· Ensure that your feet are flat on the floor, as this helps stabilize our pelvis and lower back
· If you have an adjustable chair, alter the settings so that your lower back has increased support
· Get a colleague to take a photo of you sitting at your desk or workstation and examine your posture. Can this be adjusted?
· Take regular breaks to stretch, stand up and walk around the office to complete other tasks
For more information, take a look at our FREE downloadable resource on office ergonomics and stay tuned for more Workplace Wednesday blog postings highlighting stretches and exercises to help address common work-related concerns such as back pain.
Resources
http://www.inthefaceofpain.com/content/uploads/2011/09/factsheet_Workplace.pdf
Neck and back pain are common complaints for people that are sitting to work all day, or who lift heavier things repetitively as part of their job. While these certainly are common injuries with detrimental consequences, eye strain and headaches is another common complaint. In fact, the American Optometric Association has found that eye strain impacts nearly 70% of working Americans. The amount of time the collective workforce spends looking at computer screens each day has increased exponentially in recent years. Not only does eye strain (also known as visual strain) lead to headaches, it can also contribute to neck, upper back, and shoulder stiffness and pain, all of which can impact our efficiency and productivity on the job.
Common symptoms associated with visual strain include burning and stinging sensations, redness or “tired” eyes, headaches, blurry vision, difficulty focusing as well as neck and shoulder pain. Eye strain has been found to be related to certain factors in the work place such as:
· poor lighting in the work space,
· glare from computer screens and/or nearby lights,
· maintaining a fixed or close visual distance from screens for extended periods
of time
· unsuitable work stations
· declining vision or inadequate prescription strength not yet diagnosed
Using task analysis skills and closely examining the fit between the worker, job, and unique work environment, occupational therapists can play a key role in addressing visual strain and headaches at work. Here are some great low cost solutions that you can try:
· Change the lighting at your work station, ensuring it is not too bright or dim
· Alter the contrast of your computer monitor
· Increase font size to reduce the need to squint
· If you find office lighting too bright but are unable to alter it, wear sunglasses
· Remove overhead florescent bulbs and replace with desk lamps
· Purchase an anti-glare screen or monitor cover
· Purchase light-reducing window dressings
· Use a larger monitor to increase options for size and document configuration
· Consult with an optometrist to see if your vision is changing as you age and to ensure your prescription (if you have one) is suitable for your work environment.
For more information see Entwistle Power’s FREE DOWNLOADABLE office ergonomics e-book or contact an Occupational Therapist for more information.
In one of the previous blogs we spoke about how to conquer “sitting disease” since so many people are required to sit for long periods for part of their job. Today we want to talk about something related:
Sloppy shoulders – are you guilty? Take a second to freeze at your desk and notice how your body is positioned. If you are like most people, your shoulders are slumped or rounded and you are bending over your desk. Many people’s work stations consist of their computer or laptop, keyboards, phone and mobile devices, requiring them to switch back and forth between devices while still spending extended periods of time in a seated, slumped position.
Being in this position for an extended period causes strain to the upper body, particularly the shoulders and upper back. At first, you may feel achy or tired in these areas, but this goes away at night or during days off work so it doesn’t impact your work performance. However, over time you may start to notice that your aches and pains begin earlier in the day, your muscles feel tight, and this starts to hamper you even when you aren’t at work. This impacts your productivity, quality of life and can lead to more serious and long-lasting injuries.
Here are some great tips to help address these issues before they start to impact your daily function, or if they do exist, to stop them from worsening:
• Lower your keyboard so your shoulders are not elevated when typing.
• Adjust your posture so you are sitting up straight in your chair, with your shoulders pulled away from your ears and your feet are flat on the floor with your knees directly over them.
• Alter your position so that you are not reaching forward to your keyboard or mouse.
• Adjust your chair so that your arms reach your desk at a 90 degree angle.
• Take regular breaks to stretch or stand up to relieve tension in your upper body.
• Stick out your chest to bring your shoulders back and down. Do this several times per day and hold this position.
Want more strategies to address pain at work? Check out our free e-book “Cost Effective Ergonomic Solutions” to learn additional strategies for addressing shoulder and upper back pain, among others, while you are sitting at your desk.