As if the holidays weren’t a whirlwind enough on their own, the new year always brings with it a renewed list of projects, tasks and responsibilities no matter what your line of business is. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that more than 40% of U.S. workers are sleep deprived. What’s worse? Nearly 13% of all workplace injuries in the U.S. may be attributed to fatigue. With stats like that, here’s what you need to know to stay safe in the workplace and help your colleagues do the same.
Does it seem like your workplace is running a little shorter staffed these days? It likely is. The influenza outbreak that has left millions of people across the nation ill, is the most widespread outbreak since public health authorities started tracking this information more than a decade ago.
The Center for Disease Control is reporting infections caused by H1N1 strain with a larger number of infections of the H3N2 strain being predominate this time around. The H3N2 strain is best known for it’s resistance to vaccinations that are typically most effective against other flu strains. The H3N2 strain is also known to cause more severe symptoms than more common flu strains.
Do you really know what is going on in your workplace? In a 2015 survey by CareerBuilder, employers revealed the strangest non-work related activities that they’ve caught their staff engaging in on the job. You don’t want to miss these!
If your workplace has avoided this season’s flu outbreak, consider yourself lucky. Thousands of hospitals nationwide have made changes to their visitor policies, patient intake procedures, and more to help decrease the spread of this season’s flu viruses.
Has being understaffed cost you a bundle in overtime? The increased costs of wages may be the least of your concerns if you are consistently running overtime or extended shift hours. Statistics show that prolonged overtime can cause serious health and performance issues for employees.
Overtime including extended shifts and work weeks extending beyond 40 hours worked, are common in many industries including construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and administration. Some industries including the logistics industry, have set forth strict policies to protect employees from the dangers of overtime. What do they know that others don’t? The undeniable costs.
A University of Massachusetts Medical School study found that those working with overtime schedules were associated with a 61% higher injury rate in comparison to those with a standard work schedule excluding overtime. Over 54% of the work related injuries that were observed during the 13 year study, included extended weekly hours, extended commute times, extended working hours in a day, or overtime.
In addition to work related injuries, those working extended shift hours or extended hours in a work week are more likely to experience the following:
Reducing the amount of overtime and extended shifts that your staff works can greatly decrease their risks for injury and illness. Adding temporary staff, decreasing overtime hours, and encouraging healthy lifestyles can reduce the chances of your staff experiencing serious health issues and injuries.
Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of top level talent?Contact us today! If you are a stand out in your profession and seeking contingent or long term career opportunities, visit our job seekers section for more information!
Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.