Category: Stress
An Urgent Call to Address Work-related Psychosocial Hazards and Improve Worker Well-being
Work-related psychosocial hazards are factors in the work environment that can cause stress, strain, or interpersonal problems for the worker. This has the potential to cause physical and psychological harm. Work-related psychosocial hazards are on the verge of surpassing many other occupational hazards in terms of their contribution to poor health, injury, disability, and Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsWant to Improve the Well-Being of Health Workers? The System Itself Must Change
The pandemic has brought attention to the safety, health, and well-being of workers in healthcare. Recent efforts to address these issues include, the Office of the Surgeon General’s Addressing Health Worker Burnout,(1) an “Advisory on Building a Thriving Health Workforce,” from the National Academy of Medicine’s National Plan for Healthcare Workforce Wellbeing (2) and Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsHelp for the Holidays: Preventing Fatigue, Violence, and Stress in Retail
The holidays can be the most stressful time of the year—especially for retail workers who often work long hours and irregular shifts. These workers might also deal with crowds, violence, and robberies. This blog highlights the risk of fatigue, violence, and stress for workers in retail stores and provides strategies for making retail work Read More >
Posted on byNew Burnout Prevention Training for Public Health
A new free online training, Understanding and Preventing Burnout among Public Health Workers: Guidance for Public Health Leaders will help managers and supervisors prevent burnout in the public health workers they lead and in themselves. The course, from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is part of a health worker mental health Read More >
Posted on byNational Correctional Workers Appreciation Week 2023
May 7-13, 2023, is National Correctional Officers Week also referred to as Correctional Workers Week. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 393,000 correctional officers and jailers worked inside correctional facilities in the United States in 2021.[1] The total number of correctional workers is likely much higher as facilities may also employ chaplains, Read More >
Posted on byPrecarious Work, Job Stress, and Health-related Quality of Life
Quality of work is a central issue in understanding worker well-being [1]. Work is changing due to several factors including technology and demographics and so is the way work is organized and designed. These changes have led to non-standard work arrangements, like gig work, resulting in an increased prevalence of precarious work [2]. While there Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsSupportive Leaders Drive Organizational Improvements and Employee Health and Well-Being
Job stress has significant impacts on the short and long-term health and well-being of the U.S. workforce. Interpersonal conflict, lack of supervisor support, low job control, task overload, and work-family imbalance are examples of job stressors that can have detrimental health effects and interfere with the ability of employees to function optimally both in Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsWorking from Home: How to Optimize Your Work Environment and Stay Healthy
Many workers continue to telework during the pandemic. While some may be fortunate to have a designated home office, others are competing for workspace with family members. A makeshift desk at the kitchen table or a temporary bedroom office are common. These new work arrangements combined with the additional stressors of working at home Read More >
Posted on by 13 CommentsThe Role of Organizational Support and Healthy Work Design
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of Americans’ lives and has had a significant effect on the well-being of workers (APA, 2020; Kaiser, 2020; Nigam et al., 2020). As the nation aims to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19 cases and protect public health, employers are working to keep their businesses Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsCOVID-19 Stress Among Your Workers? Healthy Work Design and Well-Being Solutions Are Critical
Experiencing an infectious disease outbreak can cause fear, anxiety, and stress.1-5 Along with overwhelming uncertainty and new behavioral ‘norms’ (e.g., cloth face covering or mask wearing, physical distancing), the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we meet our daily needs, how we socially interact, and whether, how, and where we work.1,3 Millions of workers have lost Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsReducing Fatigue and Stress in the Retail Industry: Workplace solutions
Workplace fatigue and stress is a growing topic for worker safety and health research. For instance, workplace studies have shown that the nature of retail industry work may cause fatigue and stress. Nonstandard work schedules such as irregular and extended shifts, long periods of standing, and reduced staffing are a few reasons for health issues Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsExploring Individual and Organizational Stress-reducing Interventions across Industries
Physical and mental job stress are critical drivers of individual health problems and organizational and societal costs. Health effects of stress lead to higher absenteeism, turnover, and loss of productivity for organizations, as well as higher healthcare expenditures. Long-term impact of stress on employees leads to chronic health conditions. Workplace interventions can help working adults Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsHealth for the Holidays: Risks and Recommendations for the Retail Industry
It’s finally here—the most wonderful time of the year… for shopping. People will visit retail stores to buy a variety of goods: the cleaning supplies they will use to prepare for holiday celebrations, the food and beverages they will serve at holiday gatherings, the holiday gifts they will give loved ones, and much more. Economic Read More >
Posted on byNaomi Swanson, PhD: Advancing Worker Health Through Improved Organization of Work and Ergonomic Design
During Women’s History Month, NIOSH will highlight several female researchers and their contributions to NIOSH and America’s workers. Naomi Swanson has served as the Chief of the Organizational Science and Human Factors Branch (OSHFB) in the NIOSH Division of Applied Research and Technology since May 2008. She received her M.A. in Experimental Psychology (specializing Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsRetail Worker Safety and Health during the Holidays
The practice of American shoppers looking for a deal on the Friday after Thanksgiving has evolved into a four-day retail event ending with Cyber Monday. This shopping bonanza leading off the holiday shopping season has implications for workers who may have long workdays and expanded work schedules. The approaching season offers an ideal time for Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentWhat Works Best to Prevent Stress Among Healthcare Workers: Changing the organization or educating staff?
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) professionals have to make many decisions on a daily basis. These decisions can involve risk assessment methods, preventive workplace measures, workers’ health surveillance or even rehabilitation or return-to-work practices. According to the principles of evidence based practice, such decisions should be guided by high-quality scientific knowledge (van Dijk et Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsA Health and Safety Evaluation at an Airline Catering Facility
The airline industry predicts that more than 24 million people will fly during the Thanksgiving holiday this year. If you are one of those passengers, chances are that you’ll have a snack or a soda on your way to your destination. Before reaching your seat, those snacks, beverages, and meals are prepared, assembled, and Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsWomen’s Health at Work
This week is Women’s Health Week. With over 58% of U.S. women in the labor force[i], the workplace must be considered when looking at women’s overall health. We must keep in mind that susceptibility to hazards can be different for men and women. Additionally, women face different workplace health challenges than men partly because men Read More >
Posted on by 62 CommentsHypertension and Low Wages
If workers earning low wages didn’t have enough stressors in their lives, they can now add hypertension to the list. Our new research finds that low wages are a risk factor for hypertension among working people. The research was recently published in the European Journal of Public Health, “Are Low Wages Risk Factors for Hypertension?”, Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsStress and Health in Law Enforcement
Earlier this month the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health released a special issue highlighting research from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study and from related studies of morbidity and mortality among police officers. The BCOPS study is an investigation of the early or subclinical health consequences of stress in police officers and Read More >
Posted on by 10 Comments