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Archive for category: Worker Wellness News

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights September 18

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of September 18, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics on how a young lady’s suicide attempt has changed the lives of people far and near to how Native Americans seeking treatment for substance use disorders are being deceived by service providers to how organized shoplifters are placing retail workers’ lives in peril. Today, I wish to shed some light on how each one of us can play an important role in reducing suicides in this nation by limiting the access to lethal means. US stats indicate that over 50% of recent suicides involved firearms. While a closer look at the veteran community reveals that more than 70% of suicide deaths are gun-related. Putting time and distance between your loved one and his/her firearm is essential. This can take the form of temporary offsite storage or the use of gun safes and/or gun locks. In closing I have 3 asks: 1) Make a safety plan now with your loved ones who have access to lethal means (i.e., firearms, medications, poison, etc.) in their living space; 2) Contact your local VA…they often supply free gun locks; and 3) Take the CALM training course linked below.

 

Sources: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/veteran-gun-shop-stored-firearms-started-saving-lives/

https://zerosuicidetraining.edc.org/enrol/index.php?id=20

 

LiUNA & Mental Health (10:40 mark)

 

Talent / MH / Benefits

 

Emma’s Ascension

 

Vet stores firearms for others

 

Suicide Prevention: Reframing gun control

 

The 4th Wave: Polysubstances & Fentanyl

 

Fentanyl & Black Men

 

Sober homes & Fraud

 

Kroger’s Opioids Settlement

 

Cocaine production on the rise

 

Winter foods & Depression

 

On helping depression

 

Loneliness & Friendships

 

Weight loss & Laxative shortage

 

Adding psyllium?

 

Unions / Workers / Supply & Demand

 

Construction labor shortage

 

A look at the UAW picket line

 

CA restaurant union’s new deal

 

Marvel’s artists unionize

 

Legal History of Slaves in America?

 

Shoplifting & Worker Safety

 

AI & Workplace stress

 

Is AI good for Green?

 

The 85% rule

 

Baby-boomers & Homelessness

 

More on student loans

 

NFL’s influence on High School Football

 

More on CTE & Youth Athletes

 

More on CTE & Youth Football (1)

 

More on CTE & Youth Football (2)

 

More on CTE & Youth Football (3)

 

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

National Farm Safety Week

 

Recovery & Peer Support as Suicide Prevention

 

CALM (Communication on Access to Lethal Means) Training

 

Living Works (90-minute, interactive) Virtual Suicide Prevention Training

 

 

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.

 

September 18, 2023/0 Comments/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-09-18 17:06:022023-09-18 17:06:02Wellness & Well-being Highlights September 18
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights September 11

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of September 11, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics on how death rates for people under 40 have increased to how women will play a critical part in the infrastructure bill’s success to how AI (artificial intelligence) might impact the future of education, work, and society. Today, I wish to shed some light on the fact that this month is National Suicide Prevention (SP) Month.

PLEASE let us keep in mind the following significant designations:

  • Sept 4-8: SP Week for the US construction industry;
  • Sept 10: Worldwide SP Day; and
  • Sept 11-14 National SP Week.

 

As many of you may know, this topic is near and dear to my family. In March 2017, we lost my oldest son, John Jr, to suicide. (It is suspected that repetitive head impacts—including no less than four concussions—from high school football and soccer played a part in his demise.) Upon John’s death, the Concussion Legacy Foundation research team at Boston University identified that my son suffered from Stage 1 CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). As noted in the CTE article linked below, Dr. Ann McKee has been a pioneer on this topic…taking on the likes of the NFL, NHL, etc. has been no easy task! (Disclaimer: John Jr’s findings were included in her recent research on CTE & youth athletes.)

 

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) has identified the construction sector as #2 when it comes to deaths by suicide. It also found in a study covering 2003-10, that more than 2200 construction workers died from TBIs (traumatic brain injuries)…representing 25% of ALL construction fatalities. While Dr McKee and her team work on moving the correlational link of CTE and suicide to a causal link, there is work we can do as an industry to prevent suicide. Please see the first 4 of 5 links at the end of this week’s blog for more info on what YOU can do NOW to help.

 

THANK YOU!

 

Sources: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/woman-discovered-cte-disease-athlete-brain

https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/disparities-in-suicide.html

https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2016/03/21/constructiontbi/#:~:text=From%202003%20to%202010%2C%202%2C210,fatalities%20during%20the%20same%20period

https://www.cpwr.com/news-and-events/informational-webinar-series/

 

Fight against Fentanyl

 

Death rates / Under 40 / Fentanyl

 

Marijuana: Pros & Cons

 

MH / Schools / Cabinet

 

Bipolar’s effects: Women v Men

 

5 Wake-up Tips

 

Morning Yoga

 

Your Power to Decide

 

Joy in Sadness?

 

Food & Addiction?

 

Foods & Heart Health

 

Foods & Reducing Anxiety/Depression

 

Memory & Dementia

 

Hoarding & Aging

 

Social Isolation / Cognitive Decline / Aging

 

Wellness & Sleep Schedule

 

Weight Loss After 50

 

Menopause Retreat

 

On Handling Conflict

 

TX / Heat / Water Breaks

 

Farmworkers & Heat

 

On Union Membership

 

Labor Day Update

 

UAW Prosperity

 

Possible ULP: Heading South?

 

Labor / Detroit / Big Disruption

 

Creating an Equal WF

 

Infrastructure / Women / Help Wanted

 

Degreed Apprenticeships?

 

Spain / Women Soccer / Wage Dispute

 

Turkey / Women Vball / Social Divide

 

Construction / Women / Harassment

 

Special Forces / Women / Sexism

 

Fempreneurs & Coaching

 

New Nursing Home Standards?

 

Shortage of HC Workers

 

AI & Learning

 

AI: Employers & Employees

 

AI / Change / Jobs

 

STL Vet Village opening soon

 

More on student Loans (1)

 

More On Student Loans (2)

 

Is College Worth It?

 

CTE / TBIs (Traumatic Brain Injuries) / Youth Athletes

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry

WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) Training

CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means) Training

 

Living Works (90-minute, interactive) Virtual Suicide Prevention Training

 

How to Organize Your Workplace

 

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.

 

September 11, 2023/0 Comments/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-09-11 15:32:412023-09-11 15:32:41Wellness & Well-being Highlights September 11
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights September 4

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of September 4, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics on a resurgence of miners’ Black Lung to how COVID may now be making a comeback to how a new study revealed that young, amateur athletes are posthumously being diagnosed with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). Today, I wish to shed some light on how you can help confront this nation’s opioid epidemic. NOTE: This coming week, Narcan will be available as an OTC (over-the-counter) drug in most pharmacies for about $45 per 2-pack. As noted below, a local library district is now providing free Narcan to the public. This is known as a harm reduction strategy. The fact is that you cannot save a dead person but you can help save one who is experiencing an opioid overdose. How? Know the signs, get trained (this takes less than 30 minutes), obtain doses of the free Narcan now available, and be prepared to act when necessary. The vast majority of us know someone close who either has OUD (opioid use disorder) or has died from an opioids overdose. Make no mistake, OUD is considered a disease…no different than diabetes or hypertension. Now is the time to act! Please insist that your workplace, place of worship, sport venue, etc. carry Narcan next to its First Aid kit and AED.

 

Sources: https://www.kmov.com/2023/08/30/st-louis-county-announce-partnership-with-libraries-effort-fight-opioid-epidemic/?outputType=amp

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/29/health/narcan-reverse-overdose.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

 

MH / Stigma / Construction

 

More on Black Lung

 

Preventing Post-Vacation Burnout

 

Stress/Anxiety Relief Products

 

Dealing w/ Anxiety

 

MH Crisis & Schools

 

Using unlicensed school counselors

 

MH Therapist Shortage

 

Silent Walking

 

Kids / Eyes / Screens

 

PTSD & Writing Therapy

 

More funding to fight opioid epidemic

 

One Life Too Many

 

How to use Narcan

 

STL Co Library & Narcan

 

OTC Narcan’s Pricing

 

Sober homes & Scams

 

Will marijuana become a downgraded drug?

 

Cannabis Use Disorder

 

Hemp products & Loopholes

 

Air pollution & Shorter lifespans

 

New COVID surge & masking up

 

New COVID variant for Fall 2023

 

Is this a new COVID mini-wave?

 

Pandemic distrust is eroding healthcare

 

Sweat & Heat

 

Is diabetes drug curbing other cravings?

 

Innovative Wellness Start-ups

 

Romance & Alcohol

 

Repeat Firearm Injuries

 

11 Headache triggers

 

Americans approve of unions

 

SLU Hospital Nurses set to strike

 

STL Boeing supplier layoffs

 

UAW claims ULPs

 

Summer of Strikes

 

NLRB on Avoiding Elections

 

Labor shortages across the board

 

OSHA’s Walkaround rule change

 

Salaried workers & OT pay

 

Return to office: Smuckers

 

Female surgeons getting better results

 

The unwanted kiss

 

Child care prices continue to rise

 

ILO Youth: Seizing a brighter future

 

Jugaad & India’s Moonshot

 

On losing local hospitals

 

More on student debt (1)

 

More on student debt (2)

 

On new NFL helmets & Concussions

 

Football coach confronts a terrible truth

 

On younger athletes & CTE

 

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Suicide Prevention Training

 

OSHA Sept 2023 Suicide Prevention Stand Down

 

 

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.

 

September 5, 2023/0 Comments/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-09-05 15:29:522023-09-05 15:29:52Wellness & Well-being Highlights September 4
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 28

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of August 28, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics on how some communities are handling 911 calls with Mental Health experts vs Police to why HR professionals should prioritize Mental Health issues to how and why a construction union in KC, MO is calling on local, state, and federal officials to improve and ensure worker safety on the job site. Today, I wish to shed some light on a newly published study that indicated child gun deaths in the US have hit a record high. In 2021, nearly 4800 kids died by gunfire…of which nearly two-thirds were Black children while white children made up almost 80% of gun-assisted suicides. I, like many of you, am a gun owner. However, upon reflection, I cannot support the NRA’s rhetoric concerning 2nd Amendment Rights at the expense of our kids’ futures. Yet, here we are at the dawn of another election year, publicly debating the value of one’s rights vs a child’s life…while Rome is burning!

 

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/number-us-children-killed-by-guns-hit-record-high-2021-study-2023-08-22/

 

Kids killed by guns hit record number

 

AZ / 911 employees / MH

 

Police / 911 Calls / MH

 

Highest OD deaths in construction

 

Politician/Vet calls out opioids profiteers

 

Vets / MH / PTSD / App

 

Spending on pharma & MH to rise

 

MH @ Work Poll

 

Workplace Safety

 

Tonic Immobility: On the Trauma of Rape & Freezing

 

On Black Americans & Depression

 

On Spirituality & Despair

 

Anxiety & Supplements?

 

MDMA: Pros & Cons

 

On Transgender Inclusion

 

Stretches & Stress Relief

 

MLK’s Dream Revisited

 

Finding Meaning: Wheelchair Football

 

UK Nurse & Infant Deaths

 

Update: Teamsters & UPS Contract Vote

 

FedEx Pilots Concerned

 

AZ / Chip Mfg / Foreign Labor Issues

Tipping: The New Battleground

 

Minimum Wage In Hot Markets

 

Wages: The Bidding War is Over?

 

Mallinckrodt Hides Behind Bankruptcy to Avoid Settlement Payments

 

The End of ESG Investing?

 

Is AI Coming After White-collar Jobs?

 

Laborers Speak Out In KC After Needless Jobsite Death

 

Fed Warns About Construction Worker Fraud

 

College Students & Construction Careers

 

Cobalt / Batteries / Child Labor

 

More on Student Loans

 

Upcoming seminars, etc.:

Eat Smart/Be Active

 

Step for Fitness

 

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.

 

August 28, 2023/0 Comments/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-08-28 14:46:092023-08-28 14:46:09Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 28
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 21

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of August 21, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from Tik-Tok brain to how Canada is addressing its worker shortage by supporting older workers to how some parents in Missouri may now be put in jail for their children’s truancy. Today, I wish to shed some light on the new movement of holding 3rd grades back who fail standardized reading tests. Experts suggest that students who cannot read at grade level by 4th grade are more likely to face incarceration. As such, I do not support the concept of social promotion. However, I also do not support politicians who short-change school funding via tax incentives to big businesses (i.e., Walmart, etc.). As someone who devoted nearly his entire career to workforce development, I find it very disturbing when politicians hide behind employers under the guise of “employers demanding a better educated workforce”. Meanwhile, many of these same squeaky-wheel employers are funneling campaign funds to those very politicians for future favors. It never ceases to amaze me how the people in “control” fail to see that these backroom deals can contribute to a community’s race to the bottom. I often shake my head when reading stories like the WSJ article linked below knowing that those parties complaining are at the root of the bigger problem. Yet, society’s solution is to punish our struggling kids…because of the shortcomings of unethical adults!

 

Source: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/more-states-threaten-to-hold-back-third-graders-who-cant-read-19f9765

 

Parents / College Students / Legal Docs

 

Students & Adderall shortage

 

Kids & Tik-Tok Brain

 

Kids / Summer Camp / MH

 

Winning w/ Honor

Sober living in Milwaukee

 

More on Sacklers’ bankruptcy

 

Are opioids settlement funds being (mis)used?

 

Few people w/ SUD/OUD getting help

 

Workers / Narcan / Saving Lives

 

Binging on alcohol & marijuana

 

On treating depression

 

Workers / Injuries / Cannabis

 

Ukraine soldiers & MH

 

Ukraine soldiers & Trauma

 

Canada / Worker shortage / Older workers

 

More on menopause benefits

 

Do Blue Light Glasses work?

 

Brazil’s vax & Crack epidemic

 

On sex drive

 

Stay at home dads

 

The gym office

 

Fall COVID Booster (1)

 

Fall COVID Booster (2)

 

Sleep & Insulin resistance

 

Tarmac safety?

 

STL Metro’s contract

 

Sharecropping & Slavery

 

Construction’s unpaid wages

 

Davis-Bacon Seminars coming

 

3rd grade / Reading

 

Math: Does 1+ 1= 2?

 

School Bus Drivers Needed

 

Kids & School / Parents & Jail

 

More on Child Care

 

Lifestyle Benefits

Do Whistleblower programs work?

 

Maui’s failed warning system

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Youth & Adult MHFA

 

Suicide Awareness Month Toolkit

 

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.

 

August 21, 2023/0 Comments/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-08-21 15:42:092023-08-21 15:42:09Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 21
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 14

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of August 14, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the launch of a new mini-series on the US opioids crisis (“Painkiller” on Netflix) to how police are testing high drivers to why younger workers in China, India, and Vietnam are avoiding factory jobs. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of the college “arms race”. For the past couple of decades, many universities have been on a spending spree: Building more specialized labs, rec centers, stadiums, etc. Some administrators have claimed they needed to do this to recruit the best and brightest students. In the end, it is the students and their families who paid for these amenities…but at what cost? In an era of “college for all”, too many parents pushed their kids to attend tertiary education—often aimlessly—and, now, more than a few graduates are claiming to have worthless degrees. It is no secret that: 1) Universities, for the most part, were one of a few industries in the US that continued to raise their prices, year after year, during the Great Recession (2007-2012); and 2) Student debt is one of the few types of debt, in general, one cannot file for bankruptcy. With these points in mind, is there any wonder why:

  1. student debt ($1.6t) now exceeds the sub-prime mortgage debacle in 2007 ($1.2t); and
  2. young adults are putting off traditions like marriage and home-buying?

Some of us may have friends who have “joked” about their 28-32 yo children living in their basements. Recent surveys reveal that too many of these young adults are now convinced their lives will not be better than that of their parents. With respect to the so-called American Dream, one might ask how the related actions of Congress, bankers, and universities have done more harm than good?

 

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/state-university-tuition-increase-spending-41a58100?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1

 

MO Moms / Pregnancy / Death

 

MH Tool Kit for Schools

 

Business of Well-being

 

New CDC data on Suicides

 

OD Deaths & Xylazine

 

Xylazine in Maine

 

MH Tool Kt for Construction

 

Supporting Injured Workers

 

Coal Miners & Silica

 

Black Women & Opioids

 

Lolla & Narcan

 

Meth / Money / Motivation

 

PAINKILLER Movie / Opioids / Sacklers

 

US Supreme Court & Opioids Settlement (1)

 

US Supreme Court & Opioids Settlement (2)

 

Fentanyl’s Path from Mexico

 

OD deaths in Mexico

 

Police / Testing / High Drivers

 

Heat Inequity

 

Facing Your Fears

 

Emotional Health & Mondays

 

AI & Babysitting?

 

Impact of Social Connections

 

On Happiness

 

Drug Trials & Suicide Death

 

New Rules on Donating Blood

 

Retirement / Illness / Money Planning

 

Kimchi & Fermented Foods

 

Your Brain & Language Apps

 

Trucker & Pilots are Fed Up

 

Update: Davis-Bacon Law

 

Starbucks Diversity Policy Challenged

 

The Real Cost of College Tuition

 

College Students & Money Mistakes

 

When workers make more than managers

 

WFH era fading?

 

Gen Z & Benefits

 

Graying of US Prison Population

 

Younger Workers & Asian Factories

 

Germany / Time / Trains

 

Canada & Free Construction Training

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

ASIST Training

Impact of Suicide in Construction Industry

  

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.

 

August 14, 2023/0 Comments/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-08-14 19:08:272023-08-14 19:08:27Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 14
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 7

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of August 7, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from a new pill for postpartum depression to how costs are causing employers to limit employees access to weigh loss drugs to how pandemic-related student learning loss has negatively impacted new workers’ skills. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of unintended consequences. For several years, Portugal has been held up as a model country for decriminalizing drugs. And, a couple of states have adopted/adapted that model to fit their needs (i.e., Oregon). Truth be told, SUD/OUD rarely is JUST about illegal drug use. Too often, other aspects of mental health play concurrent key roles…not to mention joblessness, homelessness, etc. To debate whether or not the “War on Drugs” has failed our citizens only seems to further entrench opposing sides. In my opinion, we must recognize that the scourge of Fentanyl has touched ALL of our lives…directly or indirectly. Stats for 2022 reveal that nearly 110k people in the USA died from drug overdoses, of which ~70% were due to Fentanyl. In other words, US Fentanyl-related deaths equate to approximately 77k people in 2022 or almost 211 per day. So, no matter which side you are on, someone near and dear to you may very easily be part of that daily 211. Isn’t it time we set our differences aside and work together to reduce these numbers…at least back to 2016 figures: 160 per day? To this end, I respectfully have 2 asks: PLEASE don’t wait till this tragic issue hits your dinner table. PLEASE do consider what you might do on the upcoming International Overdose Awareness Day (August 31) to help break the stigma and maybe save a life of a friend or family member. Thank you!

 

Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/07/portugal-drugs-decriminalization-heroin-crack/

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/31/health/portland-oregon-drugs.html?searchResultPosition=1

https://ncapda.org/ioad/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwib2mBhDWARIsAPZUn_n6hyPksWH3F1WIJRb0W0x3Pz2b7KgDAunvUBqVd3V2y1sU5sVsfCgaArLcEALw_wcB

 

Heat & Age

 

International Overdose Awareness Day

 

Facts About Fentanyl

 

Portugal & Drug Decriminalization

 

Portland & Drug Decriminalization

 

Homeless Camp / Oakland

 

Boston / Opioids Settlement / Spending

 

Wasting opioids settlement funds

 

Addiction & Involuntary Treatment

 

Women & Postpartum Depression

 

Postpartum Depression Pill

 

50% of Population w/ MH Issues

 

~90% of Teens: MH Challenges

 

Bipolar Disorder: Women v Men

 

Women / Alcohol / Deaths

 

MLB Pitcher / Alcohol Rehab

 

Hangovers

 

More on Trauma

 

Employers / Access to Weight Loss Drugs

 

Abolishing Medical Debt?

 

Workouts over 40

 

Vacation Sex

 

Schizophrenia & Turmeric

 

Latest Suicide Data

 

Construction rep to push MH w/ OSHA

 

OSHA & Workplace Stress

 

Peer Support in STL Construction Industry

 

Teamsters’ SOB

 

Hotel Workers & Affordable Housing

Amazon & OSHA

 

More on Apprenticeships

 

Infrastructure & Training Incentive

 

Learning Loss & Workplace Skills

 

Poaching Workers Across Borders

 

MO Hospitals Closing

 

Pensions & Religion

 

NJ Student Suicide

 

Stanford Goalie / World Cup / Legacy

 

More on TBIs

 

CTE Caregiver Guidebook

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Protecting Your Brain

 

Eat smart / Be active

 

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.

 

August 7, 2023/0 Comments/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-08-07 18:22:122023-08-07 18:22:36Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 7
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 30

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/

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/workplace-support-plays-a-critical-role-in-managing-the-opioid-crisis/article_0c6383ba-1511-11ee-a1c1-7743f660e7e5.html

 

MH worsening for employees

 

New proposed rules for MH parity

 

Help for domestic violence

Recovery Friendly Workplace Tips

 

RFW Support

 

Workplace & Managing the opioid crisis

 

Celebrating RFW

 

Fentanyl & Murder charges

 

Portland / Homeless / Fentanyl

 

$1b end run on opioids settlement obligation

 

Purdue Pharma’s win & US Supreme Court’s failure

 

On combating Tranq Dope

 

Social media & Student harm

 

Screening for anxiety?

 

Workplace resilience

 

Grief as a spiritual practice

 

Cost of weight on career

 

Ozempic: Losing weight & Suicidal ideation?

 

Pain management

 

Your brain needs a vacation

 

Birds & MH

 

COVID’s next vaccine

 

Depression & Personal hygiene

 

How to chill out

 

Wellness & False claims

 

Craft projects & Strangers

 

2023’s best exercises?

 

Making friends as an adult

 

A “smart” gun?

 

Public pools & Drowning

 

Update: UPS & Teamsters

 

Farmworkers / Visa / Labor shortage

 

Update: Military sexual assault

 

OSHA / Injury data / Exposure

 

Hard hat / Job openings

 

Govt jobs / Wage wars

 

On presenteeism

 

50% employees looking to leave

 

China’s youth unemployment

 

HR & Child care

 

NY crane collapse

 

Baking on a plane

 

Dealing w/ record heat

 

Why Apprenticeships?

 

WC / Concussions / Collar

 

WC / Head injury

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Opioids crisis & Ethnic communities

 

Recovery Friendly Workplaces

 

 

 

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.

 

July 31, 2023/0 Comments/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-07-31 17:33:552023-07-31 17:33:55Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 30
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 23

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of July 16, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how the food you eat can impact your mood to the importance of including “play” in your daily routines to how establishing a brief, regular mindfulness practice can settle your mind by connecting you to the present. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of the ongoing worker shortage. As noted in one article below, public infrastructure funding has been secured but is the US construction industry positioned to answer the call? Meanwhile, another story below focuses on our country’s reliance on foreign workers to pick crops your and my family rely on. Finally, the third article below explains how our neighbors to the north are strategically attracting skilled talent to address their workforce needs. As a nation of immigrants, one would think we would take a more proactive stance on this issue not unlike Canada has. Whether it is tech, farmwork, lawn care, or roofing, it begs the question: When will the US stop “using” these foreign workers as disposable/replaceable parts and start developing the very people who have been vital to our economy for decades?

 

Sources: https://www.constructiondive.com/news/the-infrastructure-act-was-historic-now-we-need-workers-to-get-the-job-do/688212/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202023-07-18%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:52698%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

https://www.npr.org/2023/07/16/1187992791/the-u-s-s-increased-reliance-on-farmworkers-from-other-countries-is-drawing-conc

https://www.wsj.com/articles/canada-is-coming-for-our-lottery-winners-h-1b-tech-talent-immigration-e18213b5

 

Good Foods & Good Moods

 

Student MH Podcast

 

Teens & Firearms in the US and Beyond

 

Fentanyl & Texas

 

Contractors & Narcan

 

Employers & Stress Management

 

Saying NO

 

Showing yourself Self-compassion

 

How a women’s WC team revamped their program

 

Update: Teen suicides during COVID

A student’s suicide & School’s liability?

 

Well-being washing

 

Mindfulness practice (1)

 

Mindfulness practice (2)

 

Mindfulness practice (3)

 

Play’s impact on your MH

 

Mortality & Maternity

 

Working Grandparents’ benefit: Time Off

Moving beyond a broken friendship

 

Sugar & Cancer?

 

UFCW in STL avoids strike

 

AI: Business & Labor

 

How will shifting demographics change the world?

 

OSHA / Women / PPE

 

Job site harassment

 

OSHA & Heat Safety?

 

TX worker dies from heat

 

New funding = More work…but we NEED workers

 

US relies on workers from other countries

 

Canada attracts skilled workers from other countries

 

Is it time to bring back asylums?

 

More on student loans

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Adult MHFA Training

 

Youth MHFA Training

July 24, 2023/0 Comments/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-07-24 20:03:372023-07-24 20:03:37Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 23
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 16

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of July 16, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how well the new Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Crisis Lifeline (988) is working one year on to the dangers of using Kratom for pain relief to how work-related trauma negatively impacts organizations. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of how the WSJ recently broke an article pertaining to telecommunication workers and their decades long exposure to lead via the cables they worked with on a daily basis. Once again, we see big corporations not only ignoring the health & welfare of their workers in the field but their customers as well. With respect to the latter, the lead from these cables, etc. leaches into the environments where we live, work, and play. The science is clear: Lead is especially harmful to children! These children are those telecommunications companies’ future customers. Labor unions for years have fought to ensure safer workplaces. And, for the most part, have held firms to higher standards by balancing safer productivity with reasonable profits. However, the case herein goes beyond the workplace. At the very least, it should raise questions about the societal harm of unfettered capitalism! It was “people at the top” who made these poor decisions…and, yet, because our supreme court treats corporations as people, the only people who will seemingly pay will be those who unknowingly and/or unwillingly are/were exposed to this toxic metal.

 

Sources: https://www.wsj.com/articles/lead-cables-exposure-workers-ca6d67f0?reflink=integratedwebview_share

https://www.wsj.com/articles/att-verizon-lead-cables-telecom-5e329f9?mod=Searchresults_pos6&page=1

 

988…One year later (1)

 

988…One year later (2)

 

NYPD & Mental Illness Hotline?

 

Wall Street & MH

 

Students’ podcast on MH

 

More Americans seeking MH care

 

Teens / Girls / Depression & Suicide

 

Your morning routine & Depression

 

Update: PTSD

 

Opioids settlements: So far, so little

 

Opioids: Post Civil War

 

Crypto & Fentanyl

 

Opioid ODs / STL / Black Men

 

WI / Opioids / Harm Reduction

 

When crack was king

 

Kratom’s dangers

 

Biden’s plan for Xylazine

 

Pet Vets & Xylazine

 

Plans for Work-Life Balance

 

Getting rid of Menopause?

 

Treating Loneliness

 

Sunscreen & Aging

 

Gum disease

 

Longevity Clinics?

 

Mindfulness & MH

 

Mindfulness & Vacationing

 

Workouts & Vacations

 

OTC Birth Control Pill

 

BIPOC MH Tool Kit

 

Trauma in Organizations

 

Farmworkers / Heat / Safety

 

Telecom Workers & Lead Poisoning

 

FL & Public Unions

 

States & Average Salaries

 

More on student debt

 

OSHA Fines Q2-2023

 

Safety Helmets v Hard Hats

 

CPWR: Construction workers’ wages & benefits

 

Can AI crack healthcare?

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Recovery Friendly Workplaces Seminar

 

Ticks & Lyme Disease

 

Coping w/ Anxiety & Stress

 

 

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.

 

July 17, 2023/0 Comments/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-07-17 17:01:212023-07-17 17:01:21Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 16
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