According to World Health Organization chronic ailments have become very common at workplace and it is expected to account for 89% of all deaths in Canada.Patient’s Voice (Presented its second annual survey of employees living with chronic disease at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto) conducted two surveys online in early June 2011

1. 217 patients diagnosed with serious or chronic illness and
2. 103 plan sponsors that offer a benefits plan to employees. » Continue reading “How to manage chronic pain at workplace”

In an article a developmental psychologist cited a mountain of evidence showing that IQ was one of the most significant predictors of emotional resiliency in children. The same pattern has also long been seen in the military, where it has been conclusively shown that higher-IQ soldiers show fewer signs of long-term post-traumatic stress.

Why would cognitive ability predict emotional hardiness? In truth, it doesn’t. But the tests that measure cognitive ability do. When you tell people they have 12 minutes to show whether they are smart or dumb, the ability to stay calm and focused under duress has a huge impact on the scores. » Continue reading “How Stress Can Improve Your Performance”

According to an Endocrine Society press release, there New Research indicates shift work, defined as work performed primarily outside standard working hours, at a young age is associated with elevated long-term cortisol levels and increased body mass index.

Previous studies have shown that long-term elevated cortisol levels lead to increased abdominal obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular risk. » Continue reading “Stress Hormones May Increase Cardiovascular Risks for Shift Workers”

One of the most stressful experiences an individual can undergo is being informed that he/she is no longer employed.

For those who’ve been through this, now is not the time to take a vacation. However, it’s good to take a ‘cooling off’ period to regroup and chart your plans for the ensuing job search. The immediate priority is to deal with the aftershock. Be careful about what you say or do or you may seriously damage your prospects for reemployment later on.

Things To Do Are: » Continue reading “Job Hunt: How to cope with the stress of unemployment”

These stress-busting tactics can be worth considered to tackle stress all in just 60 seconds or less, be it in the form of running small business and managing difficult situations every day, from funding issues to difficult customers, entrepreneurs have to solve everything. And the stress can lead to burnout or worse. » Continue reading “How to Stop Stress in 60 Seconds or Less”

Times of India 11^th Nov 2010 carried a news item “All four accused held guilty of ragging Aman Kachroo to death” and went on “A sessions court today convicted four medical students accused of ragging their junior Aman Kachroo to death in Himachal Pradesh last year”.

Ragging – is just a word to those who have not experienced it and hence all of us will not fathom the grief of Mr Rajendra Kachroo, father of Aman, when he expresses his disappointment on the quantum of punishment.

Let us try and understand what Ragging is like?

» Continue reading “Times of India 11th Nov 2010 carried a news item “All four accused held guilty of ragging Aman Kachroo to death.””

A few days ago (9 Feb 10), we ran a blog on sexual harassment at the workplace and stressed on the need for employers taking on a much larger role and making the working environment safe for its most valuable resource – its people.

While it is an employer’s legal and moral responsibility to ensure safety of its employees, what would one say about the scope of that responsibility when it comes to law makers and enforcers themselves?   » Continue reading “12 Feb 10, Friday: Mumbai Mirror, Thursday, 11 Feb 10: page 8 – “harassed female PSI cries foul against senior””

While our country has made significant economic progress over the years, it continues to remain way behind when it comes to sexual harassment policies and laws at the workplace.  Agreed that the apex court has framed laws that punish sexual harassment at workplaces but that’s not enough; most employers continue to have a lax attitude towards this issue.

In most reported cases, the perpetrator is either let off too easily or if he or she is a good performer then matters are often even overlooked, what is worse is that the victim is made to believe that it was perhaps his or her doing that lead to the sexual misdemeanour in the first place.
The need of the hour is not punishment; employers need to take up this issue more seriously and take concrete preventive measures to ensure the safety of its most valuable resource – the human capital.   » Continue reading “Mumbai Mirror, Tuesday, 9 Feb 10: page 4 – “Bank may sack staffer over sexual harassment charge””

Ravimohan, 52; Ranjan Das 42 – two of the recent sudden unexpected death(s) that rocked the corporate world!
Handling insurance claims, it is now common to get cases of men (yes! Only men) who succumb to a heart attack between 28 and 35! And mind you these are proven after an autopsy shows a pale patch of recent infarction and most large branches of coronary artery with large atheromatous plaques.

Such instances of sudden death(s) bring forth the question – ‘you eat well; you exercise regularly BUT are you truly healthy?’

» Continue reading “Stress related sudden deaths”

A regular adult spends maximum time of the best years of his life at work; yes, do the math; in a 24-hour day, we spend at least 8 hours or more at work and that time spent carries with it STRESS – both physical and mental.

While the physical stress is visible and thus easier to deal with it is the mental or emotional stress that is the silent killer.
And often, emotional stress manifests itself in the form of physical symptoms such as, recurring headaches, nausea, aches and pains which do not have any pathological explanation; add to that irregular eating habits, erratic sleep pattern and lack of exercise and you have yourself a recipe for disaster.   » Continue reading “26 Jan 10, Tuesday: Stress at the workplace.”