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Workplace smoking can cost you your job

April 17, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Apr 17 (ANI): If you really love your job, then quit smoking, for some employers Down Under are cracking down on “ciggie breaks” and others opting to hire only non-smokers.

According to research, smoking costs businesses nearly 800 million dollars in absenteeism each year, reports the Couriermail.

“There”s a developing trend amongst some employers to hire a non-smoker over a smoker, if possible, because of a perception that a non-smoker is a more productive employee,” says workplace relations and safety lawyer Brad Petley.

Research shows smokers are 1.4 times more likely to be absent from work than non-smokers, says Cancer Council Queensland tobacco programs team leader Emma Dalglish.

Petley, principal of Acumen Lawyers, says: “Unfortunately at many workplaces, smoke breaks can turn into an unproductive social get-together where groups of employees take pre-arranged smoke breaks, favourite coffee mug in hand, and usually get involved in a gossip fest about the latest workplace goings-on.

“Many non-smoking employees are likely to say: ”Why should I work hard when the smokers can walk outside for a break any time they want?”.” (ANI)

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”Presenteeism” – the new workplace problem

March 27, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Mar 27 (ANI): Presenteeism is emerging as the new workplace scourge, which is eating away at company profits and costing Australian businesses almost 6 billion dollars in lost productivity each year, according to a new study.

The opposite of absenteeism, when workers take sick days for being unwell, presenteeism is when employees continue turning up to work but their productivity and effectiveness is reduced.

Depression, anxiety and other psychological stresses have been found to be the biggest contributors to lost productivity among workers.

In the study, researchers monitored the work productivity of more than 60,000 full-time employees for chronic and acute physical and mental health conditions.

Out of 20 different physical and mental conditions, the research found mental health was the single largest contributor to lost productivity, followed by musculoskeletal problems.

University of Queensland professor of psychiatry and population health Harvey Whiteford, who helped conduct the research, said 9.6 per cent of employees had moderate psychological distress and a further 4.5 per cent had high psychological distress.

He said that the more severe the worker”s mental health issue, the more productivity was lost.

He added that companies should extend their physical examinations of workers to cover mental health as well, and counsel any workers in need to seek professional help.

“A significant number of people respond to short-term face-to-face or telephone counselling when you get to them early,” the Courier Mail quoted him as saying.

The study has been published in the Australia and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: absenteeism, australia and new zealand, australian businesses, company profits, courier mail, depression anxiety, mental health conditions, Mental Health Issue, Musculoskeletal Problems, physical examinations, population health, psychological distress, Psychological Stresses, sick days, study researchers, Time Employees, university of queensland, Whiteford, Work Productivity, Workplace Problem

India will have world”s most educated people by 2030: Sibal

March 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Mar 19 (ANI): Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal has said that India will have the most educated people by 2030, thereby stressing on the use of technology to spread education to dispossessed areas of the country.

Sibal said the government is giving weightage to the use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) to increase access to education among people residing in rural and geographically disadvantageous places.

Technology is going to play a major role in the education sector in the 21st century, said Sibal, adding that the government has put in place an ICT mission.

He asked the states, civil society, parents and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to move in the right direction.

Sibal also came up with the idea of providing mobile phones to the teachers to check the problem of their absenteeism, saying the mobile phones will specify the exact place where the teacher is positioned at any given point of time. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: 21st century, absenteeism, Educated People, Education sector, Exact Place, Governmental Organizations, human resource development, India, information communication, kapil sibal, Mobile Phones, New Delhi, parents, right direction

Employees take more sickies when issues at home interfere with work

August 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug 13 (ANI): Office-goers who feel issues regarding their home and family lives are interfering with their work happen to take more sick leaves than others, reveals a new study.

Led by Dr. Els Clays, of Ghent University, Belgium, the researchers assessed different types of work-family conflict in a sample of nearly 3,000 workers.

It was found that absenteeism was more pronounced among employees who reported problems with home life interfering with work-for example, those who agreed with the statement, “Because of the demands I face at home, I am tired at work.”

It was observed that such workers with high “home-work interference” were more likely to have at least three sick leave episodes per year, and to take 10 or more sick days per year.

The relationship remained significant after adjustment for other factors related to sick leave.

The opposite problem of work issues interfering with home life (“work-home interference”) was more common, and the two types of conflict were related to each other.

However, high levels of work-home interference were not related to sick leave.

In families where both partners are employed, many people face the challenges of combining a professional career with home responsibilities.

Work-family conflicts can have negative effects on both aspects of life, as well as on general health and well-being.

The new study is one of the first to look at how work-family conflict affects health-related absences from work.

The results suggest that home life interfering with work is specifically related to increased sick leave.

Companies looking for ways to reduce absenteeism might want to consider “family-friendly employment policies or specific strategies that enable a better harmony between private and work life, such as flexible work schedules,” according to researchers.

However, more research will be needed to determine whether such policies are truly effective in reducing sick leave and other outcomes.

The study has been published in the August Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). (ANI)

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Pacific Building Care Janitorial Services Certified by Green Seal

April 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

COSTA MESA, Calif.–(Business Wire)–
Pacific Building Care (PBC) has recently achieved the major distinction of being
the first commercial janitorial company in California to be awarded Green Seal
(GS-42) Certification for their green cleaning programs and practices. This
program ratifies the PBC comprehensive sustainability services platform and its
practice of green cleaning that PBC performs, providing healthier workplaces
with a lower environmental impact across all types of commercial properties.

PBC successfully completed the rigorous and comprehensive application and audit
process administered by the Green Seal Organization. Green Seal, based in
Washington DC, is a third party verification provider that is recognized as the
standard bearer for green cleaning and environmental best practices in the
United States. “PBC`s success in achieving the Green Seal (GS-42) certification
differentiates the Company from competitors that claim green cleaning programs
but fail to deliver the highest standard and rigorous credibility imposed by the
green seal certification,” said Ian Bress CEO of PBC. “Our customers and others
in the property/facility management community can leverage PBC as a leader in
greening commercial real estate to position their facilities with green cleaning
programs that truly deliver a comprehensive sustainable solution.”

The GS-42 certification validates PBC`s services platform integrating all
meaningful aspects of a Green Cleaning Initiative into site specific customized
programs. Industry-recognized best practices for the safe application of Green
Seal certified cleaning products, dust containment systems, use of EPA
recommended environmentally preferred products, and high-performance vacuum
cleaners are each strategically orchestrated in the overall Green Cleaning Plan.

The PBC GS-42 Certified program drives cost savings that actually deliver
cleaner more productive workplaces. It is designed to contribute towards LEED
certification initiatives as well as improving indoor air quality, lowering
employee absenteeism, providing safer working conditions, while enhancing
employee morale and performance. The fully integrated PBC approach includes
lighting retrofits, water conservation, and energy consumption strategies that
drive significant cost savings in all types of commercial properties.

PBC is a leading commercial janitorial services company in the Western United
States, delivering green cleaning and lighting solutions to commercial,
municipal and industrial buildings. PBC employs over 3,200 associates servicing
over 105 million square feet focused on the goal of “greening commercial real
estate” through a comprehensive green cleaning approach that includes LEED
certification consulting and related environmental best practices. By achieving
the GS-42 Certification, PBC continues to rank as one the most innovative and
advanced companies in its environmentally sustainable practices which are
increasingly being demanded by the commercial real estate industry.

Pacific Building Care
Dana Holladay, 949-261-1234 x251
dholladay@pbcare.com

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Unruly behaviour wastes precious parliament time: report

April 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Around 22 percent of the 14th Lok Sabha’s time was lost because of the unruly behaviour of parliamentarians and unnecessary disruptions, according to a report by civil society organisations released Monday.

The report is titled ‘Citizens’ Report on Governance and Development 2008-2009′ and was released by National Social Watch Coalition, a conglomerate of various civil society organisations active in 14 states.

‘In the 14th Lok Sabha, which commenced in June 2004, 22 percent of its time was lost due to interruptions arising out of various political controversies. A shocking waste of time considering the fact that each minute of parliament costs the exchequer Rs.26,035,’ the report said.

The report reflected that the amount of time lost due to such concerns had gradually increased since the past decade.

‘The 11th Lok Sabha (1996-98) lost 5.28 percent of its time due to pandemonium. In the 12th Lok Sabha it went up to 10.66 percent in the 13th Lok Sabha it was 22.4 percent,’ the report said.

The report detailed the time lost in many sessions: ‘The 11th session of the Fourteenth Lok Sabha, for instance, lost a huge chunk of its legislative time with 65 percent lost due to adjournments, interruptions and disorderly scenes. The 10th session lost 55 percent of its total time, 9th session lost 21 percent and the 12th session lost 22.6 percent. The time lost was somewhat less in the 13th Session of Lok Sabha with only 17.17 percent being lost due to pandemonium.’

Mentioning the shoddy state in the upper house of parliament, the report further said: ‘The Rajya Sabha lost 36 percent of its time in the 209th session, 22 percent in its 205th session and 12 percent in its 207th session, respectively.’

The report in a way quantified the scenes often witnessed at parliament sessions.

On many occasions, interruptions led to pandemonium on the floor of the house. Unruly members enter the well of the House, shouting slogans, even indulging in physical attacks like throwing microphones, chairs, interrupting others from speaking and totally disregarding and insulting the chair, causing forced adjournment of the scheduled business resulting in loss of the precious time of the house.

According to the report: ‘There was not a single session of parliament, during these two years, which did not lose valuable man-hours on account of unruly incidents.’

The report also found that absenteeism among parliamentarians was increasing.

‘On examining the attendance records of the 11th and 12th Sessions of the 14th Lok Sabha, it was seen that more than 75 percent members are below the median point of 16 or more days of attendance… most of the MPs attended between 11 and 15 days in total,’ the report said.

‘This report is not about shining India but about whining india. This report is from the lens of the people,’ said John Sammuel, one of the authors of the report adding that it was the ‘apt time’ to release the report with the 15th Lok Sabha elections less than a fortnight away.

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Insomnia can be long lasting

March 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar 10 (ANI): Insomnia can be a chronic problem lasting more than a year, a new study has found.

Insomnia is a symptom of a sleeping disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity.

Several factors such as being female, increasing age, having anxiety or depression and experiencing pain from medical conditions have been associated with insomnia.

The condition has been linked to higher health care costs, work absenteeism, disability and higher risk of hypertension and depression.

For the study, Charles M. Morin, Ph.D., of Université Laval and Centre de recherche Université Laval-Robert Giffard, Québec, Canada, and colleagues evaluated insomnia persistence, remission and relapse in 388 adults (average age 44.8) over a course of three years.

Individuals with an insomnia syndrome (insomnia symptoms at least three nights per week for at least one month causing substantial distress or daytime impairment) at the beginning of the study were compared to those with insomnia symptoms to examine the course of initial severe sleep difficulties.

“Of the study sample, 74 percent reported insomnia for at least one year and 46 percent reported insomnia persisting over the entire three-year study,” the authors write.

The group with initial insomnia syndrome had a higher persistence rate than the group with symptoms of insomnia (66.1 percent vs. 37.2 percent), respectively.

About fifty-four percent of participants went into insomnia remission; however, 26.7 percent of them eventually experienced relapse.

“Individuals with subsyndromal insomnia [insomnia symptoms] at baseline were three times more likely to remit than worsen to syndrome status, although persistence was the most frequent course in that group as well,” the authors said.

Of the 269 individuals with baseline symptoms of insomnia, after one year 38.4 percent were classified as good sleepers, 48.7 percent still had insomnia symptoms and 12.9 percent had insomnia syndrome.

Results were similar after the second and third year of follow-up. Of the 119 participants with insomnia syndrome at the beginning of the study, 17 percent were good sleepers after one year, while 37 percent had symptoms of insomnia and 46 percent remained in the insomnia syndrome group.

The study has been published in the March 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals (ANI)

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Kate Moss snubs BAFTA over dress choice!

February 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Feb 12 (ANI): English model Kate Moss’ absenteeism from the Baftas has been revealed to have been due by her inability to decide on which dress to wear to the event.

Moss was due to attend the event with her boyfriend Jamie Hince, but changed her mind at the last moment as according to her pals she was could not find a dress to shine out in.

“Kate’s friends were waiting for her to turn up, only to be told she’d settled into her favourite Sunday-night TV,” the Daily Express quoted a pal as saying.

“But then Kate had a change of heart and said she’d be on her way after she’d picked the right dress.

“Just when everyone thought she’d be joining them, Kate called back to say she’d changed her mind as she wasn’t happy with how she looked in anything. It’s quite incredible when you think how many fabulous outfits she must have,” the pal said.

It seems with the likes of Angelina Jolie and Kate Winslet present there, Moss, 35, wasn’t prepared to risk being upstaged on the night.

“With the likes of Angelina Jolie turning up, Kate knew she’d be alongside a long list of beautiful women in amazing outfits,” the pal stated.

“She wasn’t her usual confident self and eventually decided she’d prefer to give it a miss rather than risk looking very much second best.

“In the end she and Jamie just crawled into bed instead and had an early night,” the pal added. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: absenteeism, Angelina Jolie, Bafta, Baftas, beautiful women, change of heart, daily express, english model, fabulous outfits, jamie hince, kate moss, Kate Winslet, last moment, london feb, model kate, night tv, pals, snubs