Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of July 30, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how big pharma is using the US legal system to skirt their obligations to assist the communities that they helped destroy to how the songs of birds can aid in easing your anxiety to the importance of creating apprenticeships across all industrial sectors in order to address today’s workforce shortages. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of Recovery Friendly Workplaces (RFW). On August 10, 2023, University of Missouri- Extension will be holding a summit in Columbia, MO (live and virtual) showcasing the work they have accomplished in this arena over the last ~3 years. As noted in related articles below, people who are in MOUD (Medication for Opioid Use Disorder) recovery have proven to be some of the most loyal and productive employees. In Missouri alone, we have nearly 29,000 working-age people in MOUD recovery (of which approximately 3800 are people with construction skills) and yet industries across the spectrum continue to ring the “workforce shortage” warning bell. The aforementioned event will allow interested employers to network with firms that have created safe environments for workers in MOUD recovery. The bottom line: Isn’t about time we consider giving people a 2nd, 3rd, or maybe even a 4th chance?
Sources: https://extension.missouri.edu/events/recovery-friendly-workplace-reimagining-today-s-workforce
https://fortune.com/2023/07/27/opioid-recovery-friendly-workplace-culture-tips/
https://fortune.com/longform/drug-addiction-recovery-workplace-support/
New proposed rules for MH parity
Recovery Friendly Workplace Tips
Workplace & Managing the opioid crisis
Portland / Homeless / Fentanyl
$1b end run on opioids settlement obligation
Purdue Pharma’s win & US Supreme Court’s failure
Ozempic: Losing weight & Suicidal ideation?
Farmworkers / Visa / Labor shortage
Update: Military sexual assault
50% employees looking to leave
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
Opioids crisis & Ethnic communities
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.