BS: Health and well-being at work

Subject: BS: Health and well-being at work
From: GUEST,Sooz (at work)
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 10:08 AM

I'm working on a presentation on this theme and I wondered if any of the companies you work for have innovative ideas which make your work place better for you.

Subject: RE: BS: Health and well-being at work
From: Alice
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 10:13 AM

Recently my company requested that people voluntarily watch their nutrition better and/or increase exercise.
I work in the field doing sales, so I am on the road working out of my car or when at home out of my home office.
The people at the corporate office can take advantage of a massage therapist that visits the HQ building. We don't
get that option.

Subject: RE: BS: Health and well-being at work
From: Amos
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 10:23 AM

Mine has posted lists in the canteen of foods free of transfats in the vending machines.

They also have a free brunch every Friday which kind of celebrates the accomplishments of the week. With bran muffins and croisaants, fresh fruit and so on.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Health and well-being at work
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 10:47 AM

My step-daughter worked for a company that had a closetful of over-the-counter meds of every type. If you didn't see what you liked, you were expected to supply a bottle of it and then when that went empty that wopuld prompt them to stock it. (That way you didn't have to request it and thus identify yourself as the person taking it.) There also were women's sanitary supplies of every brand, shape, size.... the idea was that they also supported staying home if you were sick, but if you needed a little something they would provide it. I'm sure that if you visited that closet too often there was a conversation about it, but I wish I'd had one like that at any number of places I've worked.

Another company that I worked for had a mini-fridge and coffee/tea setup accessible from every cubicle. If it was too far to get to the one on your floor, zap-- another one would appear. Users maintained it and made coffee as needed from provided supplies on hand. (If your row liked decaf, for instance, decaf was made, and so forth.) This was not merely a caffeine station-- lots of folks used it for hot water for herbal teas, or refrigerated protein shakes, etc.

This same company had a very nice lunchroom, smaller than a cafeteria, and with a house-sized fully functional kitchen with two ovens, staffed with food-service-trained folks who made home-style lunches fresh each day and who served you as specified as you came to the counter. (Gravy or no-gravy, Atkins meat-only, carbs high or low, etc. It got so they knew each employee's "usual.") There was a pair of daily lunch specials as well as a well-stocked salad and sandwich bar. If you had a special requirement you got extra fridge space for after-hours as long as you labeled your box; if you had special likes or dislikes they tried to add items into the meal rotation or salad bar that would work for you. The lunches were great, very nutritious, and it wasn't run as a profit-maker but only had to break even. And you got a tray-- if you preferred to take your meal back to your cubicle that was fine too. Departments were on a shift schedule for when it was your turn to go to lunch, but if you had a special need you could get that adjusted. Fulltime staff got lunch tickets from the payroll office. They started out free but became an at-cost option. There also was a self-serve breakfast bar with juice machines in case you hadn't had brekky before coming in. And snacking in cubicles was fully supported-- they didn't want low blood sugar affecting job performance.

I got them started on full spectrum lighting. The boss put them in her office and if visiting her office made you feel better in the winter, they'd put them in over your cubicle if you helped pay for them.

Hardi's office is set up with full-spectrum overhead fluorescents-- his and his secretary's. And breakfast is required-- the last sec'y got a chat about having to have it, and what kind is healthy, when her work habits proved she was working on caffeine-only on a daily basis.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Health and well-being at work
From: Wesley S
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 11:07 AM

Someone in my office had a kidney transplant. Because of her weakened immune system I had to insist that we have a policy that employees could be sent home if they had infectious deseases. That started because someone kept coming to work even after she was told she had mono.

We've also started stocking hand sanitizers at various locations around the office.

Subject: RE: BS: Health and well-being at work
From: Rapparee
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 12:19 PM

The city doesn't pay enough for nutritious foods. We just dumpster dive for lunch. 8-)

Well, really....

There's a Health Fair every October for city employees AND their families. Basic blood test and a flu shot are free if you want them; other tests have part of the cost borne by the insurance company. Both the city and the insurance co. find prevention cheaper than paying for illness.

The health fair also has tables for chiropractors, massage therapists, pharmacies, the local hospital, and other health-related enterprises -- even aromatherapists. It generally runs for two days so that as many employees and families as possible can take advantage of it -- and you're given time off to attend.

Subject: RE: BS: Health and well-being at work
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 12:47 PM

We have a good Health and Safety regime, + if you know who to contact and have all the right forms, correctly filled in, are considered too valuable to sack and know your employment rights...

There is an Occupational 'nurse' available on request* - see + above and we're allegedly risk assessed once a year, to check we're all sitting properly and not subject to bad lighting, bad seating, poor ventilation/heating, or in need of specialist equipment. All these things can be changed... see + above.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Health and well-being at work
From: Sooz
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 01:39 PM

Thanks for all of these posts - keep them coming.
My working environment has around 600 bacteria and virus carrying children, so we tend to build up a great immune system! I'm really interested in emotional health, handling stress and work life balance so any thoughts in these areas would be particularly welcome.

Subject: RE: BS: Health and well-being at work
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 08:47 PM

I've recently retired from a Federal Govt Agency that is concerned with staff welfare. All staff have ergonomic chairs (standard & special chairs as needed), regular assessment of desks & setup by trained staff & occupational therapists, regular eye & hearing tests, wrist rests, paperwork holders, etc, training courses, warning signs around machinery, etc & a Healthy Life Team.

Staff volunteer to join the team & meet in work hours with full management support (time & money). Extra money is raised by raffles (eg. Valentines Day, Easter, etc) of different things, eg. fruit baskets, seasonal stuff, champagne, choccies, gift vouchers ...

Regular activities include lunchtime walks, *healthy morning teas for different reasons (eg. Salvos Red Shield appeal, **Bad Taste Tie Day), talks by health organisations (Cancer Council, Nutritionist, Drug & Alcohol, Mental Health, Ageing etc) & Information fairs (healthy morning tea, & leaflets/representatives from health organisations)

Staff pay a few dollars towards the morning teas, and a bit extra (+ any donations) for the charity teas.

The organisation also funds a confidential Employee Counselling Service, available 24/7 for staff & dependents.

Yet with all this, a confidential Staff Survey a few years back showed a major concern of employees was bullying by colleagues/bosses. So now the agency has compulsory training courses to identify & stop bullying, Harassment Officers in all offices & a heavy emphasis on proper management of staff.

sandra

* Healthy Morning tea - no fried stuff, no excessively sweet stuff, or gooey cakes etc. Fruit - fresh & dried, nuts, dip, tomatoes, celery, carrots etc, crackers, scones, jam & cream, fruit juice, water & tea/coffee

** Bad Taste Tie is held on the birthdate of a long dead Director famed for his appalling taste in ties. While he was working staff wore similar ties on his birthday & he never noticed! 2 current staff members with almost equal taste judge & a great time is had by all. Some folks wear real ties, other create masterpieces. Categories include Red or Green blindness, Tie worn in Public and there are awards for males & females.

My colleague Murray won with a last minute entry one year - he used a piece of very elegant floral embossed toilet paper, properly knotted & tucked under his collar & torn into points at each end.

I won last year without even entering! I was wearing a pirate-style shirt with a laced neckline & the eagle-eyed judges noticed it, so I got the Wearing-tie-to-work award as no-one could prove they had worn their tie into the office!

Subject: RE: BS: Health and well-being at work
From: Bee
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 08:58 PM

Worked in child care a long time, Sooz, but not in the school system. As time passed, we instituted personal days for stress relief, installed full spec lighting, played music, had a nice peaceful mural painted in the staff room.

One extremely effective thing we did was call in a specialist group who analyzed(sp?) the environment and its likely impact on the children. We instituted as many of their suggestions as possible and it was a real success, reducing conflict among the children greatly, and making them appear generally happier and more satisfied with their experience in the setting.

Subject: RE: BS: Health and well-being at work
From: Alice
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 09:52 PM

"I'm really interested in emotional health, handling stress and work life balance so any thoughts in these areas would be particularly welcome. "

Well, Sooz, we have an annual company mandatory meeting that is one week at a location the company flies us to. This year it was in Seattle. There are awards, meetings, motivational speakers, etc. That is the only pep-talk to help us handle stress. The rest of the time, we are cold calling in person on people who are sometimes so mean you wonder what they would do if they could see a video of themselves. The stress of being away from home most of the year, working on straight commission, driving a lot... it's a tough job that few people can stick with for long. I have not had a vacation since I started the job 16 months ago. Because I don't get paid vacation and my income is based 100% on sales, I can't take time off yet. The health care plan will cover counseling, but not in the state I live in. My deductible is $1000. and our state doesn't have doctors on our company health provider list. Stress? Ah, yes.