Some quick stats on the impact of workplace fatigue:

• Workplace accidents/injuries are 30% more likely to occur on night shifts than day shifts.
• Working 12 hour shifts? Your risk factor increases by 37% of accident or injury.
• Fatigue accounts for an estimated loss to employers of $136 billion in health related lost productivity.
• More than 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder.

So what can we do to help ensure safety in the workplace?

• Increase headcount to lower the need for extended hours worked during a shift.
• Whenever possible, schedule employees on a regular and predictable schedule that can help build healthy sleep patterns.
• Evaluate the work environment for opportunities to increase alertness such as lighting, temperature and bright aesthetics.
• Offer regularly opportunities for employees to collaborate or work with others for interaction.
• Provide employees with education pieces on healthy sleep patterns and how to identify the symptoms of fatigue that may impact safety and performance.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 22,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

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.

In addition to the severity of this influenza outbreak, the geographical reach is far more widespread than most flu seasons. Nearly all fifty states are experiencing widespread infections according to the CDC.

For employers, this widespread outbreak is having a significant impact on business and the bottom line. Experts at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. are estimating the illness may cost US employers as much as $9 billion in losses. To minimize the impact to your business, employers are encouraged to:

• Minimize in-person meetings and opt whenever possible for conference calls or video meetings.
• Provide employees with flu vaccinations.
• Provide hand sanitizer in multiple areas of the workplace.
• Discourage employees from coming to work ill.
• Limit workplace snacks to individually packaged items.
• Make a plan to prevent interruptions to operations and productivity based on absences.
• Allow high risk employees to work from home.
• Increase workplace cleaning routines to reduce the spread of germs.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job board  for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 22,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Some of the more interesting responses to their survey included:

• Employee was taking a sponge bath in the bathroom sink.
• Employee was trying to hypnotize other employees to stop their smoking habits.
• Employee was visiting a tanning bed in lieu of making deliveries.
• Employee was looking for a mail order bride.
• Employee was playing a video game on their cell phone while sitting in a bathroom stall.
• Employee was drinking vodka while watching Netflix.
• Employee was sabotaging another employee’s car tires.
• Employee was sleeping on the CEO’s couch.
• Employee was writing negative posts about the company on social media.
• Employee was sending inappropriate pictures to other employees.
• Employee was searching Google images for “cute kittens.”
• Employee was making a model plane.
• Employee was flying drones around the office.
• Employee was printing pictures of animals, naming them after employees and hanging them in the work area.

While their responses may seem entertaining their affect on the workplace, workplace distractions is anything but. A 2010 survey by Workplace Options reported distracted workers cost an estimated $650 billion annually. With the increase in technology and social media popularity in the years following the survey, it’s safe to say that staggering figure is not decreasing.

How can you help reduce your exposure to distracted workers? Provide tips and training on time management. Providing your staff with time management training will benefit them both on and off of the clock. Encourage your staff to take regulated breaks and allowing them an opportunity to respond to personal emails, texts, and check their social media profiles. Allowing them a brief opportunity to do this mid-morning and mid-afternoon can prevent them from repeatedly checking their phones throughout the day. Provide a work space that fosters good concentration. Centrally place restrooms, kitchenettes, and water coolers to avoid staff interrupting others to visit these facilities.Encouraging your staff to take a brisk walk around the office or parking lot during their break periods can also help them re-focus and re-energize before returning to their work spaces. Keeping healthy snacks on hand can keep employees from experiencing sugar lows and losing focus.

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.

As of January 16, 2015, the CDC reported the virus as “widespread” across all but four states and the District of Columbia. The CDC recommends that everyone over 6 months of age receive the flu vaccination, reporting it as “the best way to prevent people from getting the flu”. However, reports show that the current vaccination is not effective on several strands of the H3N2 virus.

In additional to vaccination there are several ways to prevent the virus from quickly spreading through the workplace:

• Remember that those who have the flu are contagious from one day before symptoms appear up to a week after symptoms appear.
• The flu can be spread from up to 6 feet away. Experts from the CDC report far more people become ill from droplets spread through coughs, sneezes, and droplets released from talking rather than from touching surfaces that have the flu virus on it.
• Cleaning and disinfecting common areas more often is a critical to controlling the spread of the virus. Kitchen areas, break rooms, bathrooms, copy rooms, and elevator buttons should be disinfected daily during peak flu seasons.
• Encourage your staff to stay home when feeling ill and immediately following becoming sick.
• Encourage your staff to wash and sanitize their hands regularly, especially before eating, after greeting visitors, or making cold calls.

Maintaining a healthy workplace and minimizing the spread of illness can greatly reduce several health risks, medical costs, extended absences, and loss in productivity.

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.

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:

• Hypertension
• Stress
• Depression
• Cardiac Issues
• Fatigue
• Chronic Infections
• General Health Issues

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.