Worker Wellness News Archives | Page 3 of 20

Wellness & Well-being Highlights January 6th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of Jan 6th, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at why Gen Z struggles in the workplace—to a variety of articles on the dangers of alcohol and what is a “Dry vs Damp” January—to mix of articles covering how proper sleep, exercise, and breathing are good for one’s Mental Health. This week I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt condolences to the family of Jimmy Carter—the 39^th US President—who passed away this past week at the age of 100.

As a student of organizational leadership, I always admired Abraham Lincoln. After all, he led a divided country through a very tumultuous period. As the ultimate unifier, I will always consider him the greatest president while in office. However, when it comes to the greatest president after one’s term in office, I cannot think of a better role model than Jimmy Carter.

Whether it was advancing human rights, fighting global diseases, building homes for the needy, or intervening in and consulting on another country’s affairs (sometimes not appreciated by that period’s current US administration) former President Carter spoke his mind…backed by the wisdom that comes from years of experience as an officer, farmer, businessman, Sunday School Teacher, and governor. While in office he brokered the Camp David Accords (1978) as well as created the US Departments of Education and Energy. For the sake of this blog, most importantly, Jimmy Carter took a positive stand on Mental Health as noted below…and, for this, I am grateful!

Shortly after assuming office in early 1977, Jimmy Carter created a presidential commission on mental health. His action suggested the existence of deep-rooted problems in a mental health system that was fragmented, lacked cohesion, and often failed to meet the needs of many groups, notably those individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses. The creation of such a commission also had an important symbolic element, for it indicated the president’s awareness and concern.

The provisions of the Mental Health Systems Act reflected the ambiguities and contradictions that had been characteristic of mental health policy during the preceding two decades. The act reaffirmed the priority for community mental health services, particularly for such underserved groups as individuals with chronic mental illnesses, children and youth, the elderly, ethnic and racial minorities, women, the poor, and rural residents. It emphasized planning and accountability and mandated “performance contracts” as a condition for federal funding, the creation of new intergovernmental relationships, and closer links between the mental health and the general health care systems.

Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2690151/

Happy 2025: Re-thinking Your Resolutions

The Secret to Happiness

Gen Z / Workplace / Struggles

Burnout / Culture / Thriving

Flexible Work & Burnout

Brain Health Quiz (Depression/Dementia)

2025 Brain Health Advice

Brits / Ukraine / Battle Stress

First Responders & Psilocybin Retreats

MO / Cannabis / Public Health

Outrunning Schizophrenia?

Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 30

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of Dec 30, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how Mexico is bracing for a possible US Military intervention following the 2025 US President’s inauguration—to how US homelessness increased in 2024—to a report on H-2B visas (The H-2B visa program was established to help U.S. businesses fill labor temporary shortages, especially during peak production periods…in non-ag jobs) status according to each state. This week I would like to take this opportunity to shed some light on the withdrawal of the US-DOL’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) on Jan 17, 2024.

To refresh your memory, the US-DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship (OA)—early in 2024—opened the process to revise/update 29CFR29 and 29CFR30…the standards that govern RAPs. Among several other issues, “they sought to enhance worker protections and equity, improving the quality of registered apprenticeship programs….” During the “open comment” period that lasted through mid-March, the US-DOL received over 2100 comments of which 333 were unique comments while 22 were duplicates or not related to the subject of this rulemaking. If you recall, nearly one year ago, I kindly asked our readers to weigh in on the importance of including the subject of “Mental Health” as a mandatory training requirement for all RAPs going forward…more on this later!

Below is a brief summary of their findings:

The Department broadly notes that the breadth and diversity of stakeholders commenting, as well as the unique perspectives provided, is a testament to the strength and growth of the registered apprenticeship model overall as a solution to America’s workforce needs across a wide range of industries. The Department believes that the dialogue spurred by the NPRM demonstrates a need for a robust and modernized approach to registered apprenticeship with more clearly defined roles and responsibilities, more points of entry, and improved accessibility for employers to join or register programs and for job seekers to become apprentices in those programs….

By withdrawing the proposed rule, the Department is eliminating the pending nature of this rulemaking. The Department intends to engage with all interested parties to discuss and consider future enhancements and impacts for the quality and expansion of registered apprenticeship and the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the National Apprenticeship System….

However, not all was lost in the process of making sausage! As noted above, the US-DOL did find a means to provide RAPs with a cup “half-full” when it came to the issue of providing Mental Health trainings. To this end, I was contacted by OA staff in Q1-2024 and asked to assist them in the development of 2 micro-videos for their learning library concerning Mental Health for Apprentices (Well-being) and What Sponsors need to know (Wellness). As noted earlier in this blog, these 2 videos were launched in Q3-2024 (See links below) for more information and PLEASE share as you see fit.

US-DOL OA’s Mental Health for Pre-Apprentices & Apprentices
Prioritizing Your Mental Health and Well-being
US-DOL OA’s Mental Health for Sponsors (Contractors, Unions, JATCs, etc.)
Promoting Worker Mental Health and Wellness

Source: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-12-27/pdf/2024-31078.pdf?utm_campaign=subscription+mailing+list&utm_medium=email&utm_source=federalregister.gov

Protecting US Miners & Taxpayers

Therapy Dogs / Doctors-Nurses / Trauma

States / Failures / ADA

Cocaine’s rise in EU

Teens / Pot / Dabbing

US Guns Fuel Mexico’s Drug Trade

Mexico / Drug Cartels / US Military

How Mexican Cartels Test Fentanyl

FDA Targets Edible Mushrooms

Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 23

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of Dec 23, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how a new KC program, REACH, is steering people with Mental Health and SUD issues towards care providers in an attempt to divert them from the criminal justice system—to how pharmacy benefit managers may have played a key role in the US opioids crisis—to how AI is being misused to exploit innocent (often underage) victims. This week I would like to take this opportunity to shed some light on an old behavior with a new name: Cancer Ghosting.¹Basically, this is when someone you know and love informs you of their cancer diagnosis…and, you, in turn, avoid ANY contact with him/her from that point forward. Thus, isolating the cancer victim from his/her support network and possibly causing more damage than the cancer itself!

When I heard this story on NPR earlier this week, I could not help but think of how this concept somewhat applied to me (and my family) after the loss of our oldest son, John Jr, to suicide in March 2017. To be sure, soon thereafter, we would encounter a few long-time friends from the area in the grocery store only for them to do a 180 and high-tail it to another portion of the store in order to avoid contact with us. In general, experts suggests that this behavior is related to those people not knowing what to say or having the fear of saying the wrong thing. If you fall into this category, please take Megan Devine’s advice. She wrote a book on grief a few years back (It’s OK that You’re Not OK) and in the appendix she addressed how to help a grieving friend (What to / not to say). In her words, “Acknowledgement helps make things better even when they cannot be made right.”²

This brings me to my latest research on Suicide Postvention in the Construction Industry. There was a point this fall where I received 8 phone calls over a 12-week period regarding suicides (attempts or deaths). For years now, I have been contemplating why are there so many Suicide Prevention and Suicide Intervention programs available but hardly any focused on Suicide Postvention…especially for the Construction Industry and in, what I call, the First 48 (hours) also known as the acute phase. Those 8 calls moved me to take action. In fact, I just wrapped up the survey phase and am about to enter the interview phase. Hopefully, late spring/early summer of 2025 I will have completed the study and will share a report/action plan with our readers. One thing you can be sure of is that I will definitely address the phenomenon of ghosting during that acute phase of Suicide Postvention…which I will appropriately name it ghostvention!

Sources: [1]https://www.npr.org/2024/12/18/nx-s1-5179011/cancer-ghosting-survivorship-young-survivors [2] https://refugeingrief.com/videos/how-to-help-a-grieving-friend-the-animation

KC’s New MH program

OSHA / PPE Rule / Jan 13

Construction Fatalities Rose in 2023

Opioids Settlement Fund’s Database

PBM’s role in the Opioids Crisis

A Dangerous Substitute for Narcan

Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 16

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of Dec 16, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at the decrease in US opioids overdose deaths as well as the twists in recent settlements—to the increase in interests regarding once-banned psychedelics for MH treatments—to how low birthrates and growing elderly populations are negatively impacting friends and foes of the USA. This week I would like to take this opportunity to shed some light on the importance of MATH scores.

Nearly 20 years ago, I sat down to begin writing my doctoral dissertation…on of all things: MATH. Since the early 2000s I was serving on a number of advisory committees at the local, regional, national, and international levels that focused on improving student outcomes…especially when it came to MATH. So, here we are 2 decades later still worrying about the future of our nation and our kids.

Some of you may have recently read the 2 WSJ articles I will be soon citing. A few of you may be saying to yourself: Why is the WSJ—a “conservative business” paper—reporting on issues related to MATH (and kids)? The fact is that MATH is all around us! On one hand, the daily news reports you read or hear often use statistics related to a study to make their point. On the other hand, what just popped up on your cell phone’s feed is based on algorithms…in short, MATH. Unfortunately, due to laws like NCLB (No Child Left Behind), many of the so-called fixes were rushed into the marketplace. Sadly, most of these were based on anecdotal data vs empirical evidence. To this end, in my doctoral research, I felt compelled to set the record straight…for better or worse. The idea of “embedding” MATH credit in other required topics during the school day—and counting this as MATH towards graduation—worked better on paper than in the real world…at least in my pilot study…which was later published in a peer-reviewed journal!

The first article suggests that US student MATH scores dipped.1 While some of this was related to COVID’s school closures and learning loss, in reality our kids’ math scores (2023) remain above the international average according to TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study).

Why is this important? Because this test has long been viewed as an “economic predictor” of student and country success. Meanwhile, the second article indicates that American adults are falling behind their international competition.2 The most recent tally of the PISA (Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies)—wherein adults in 31 industrialized countries across the globe were tested on numeracy and problem solving skills—noted that the recent US adults “problem solving” scores dropped their ranking to 24 out of 31…below the international average. These authors suggest that the latest scores (2023) may be due to more screen time and less reading. Why is this important? Because employers might have a hard time finding workers with basic critical thinking skills.

My point? As a nation, we need to stop viewing MATH as a four-letter word and begin acknowledging its importance to everyday living. Where can we start? 1. In the home: Take the time to explain to your children how MATH is a tool that can be leveraged to solve small and big problems…whether it’s a cooking recipe or building a deck. 2. In the schools: I, for one, believe it is more important to teach our high-schoolers stats than pre-calc. Why? Not all students will go on to become doctors or engineers…but ALL students will go on to become consumers and workers!

Sources: [1]https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/us-student-test-scores-covid-impact-bf3ec65a?st=iPFMUE&reflink=article_gmail_share

[2]https://www.wsj.com/us-news/america-us-math-proficiency-falling-1b5ac73c?st=Jrw8z2&reflink=article_gmail_share

US Students & Math Scores

US Adults & Math Scores

US Overdose Deaths Decline

McKinsey Settles Fed Opioids Claim

OH ruling / Opioids / Public Nuisance Claim

Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 9

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of Dec 9, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at a couple of significant drug busts here and abroad…on land and sea—to how a wave of people in recovery are now entering their twilight years—to how US-DOL is looking to revamp a system of lower than minimum wages for disabled workers. This week I would like to take this opportunity to shed some light on our “hometown” HERO: Jason Kander, Missouri’s former Secretary of State and, more importantly, former US Army intelligence officer.

Less than a decade ago, Jason was no doubt a rising political star on both the state and national levels. However, his battle with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was enough to cause him to take a step back and remove himself from the world of politics in order to obtain much-needed help. For this, I admire Jason! But our “native” son’s journey does not end here….

If you missed the chance to see the related 60 Minutes’ segment last Sunday (12/01), I highly recommend taking 15 minutes to watch the video in the link below. In it, from my viewpoint, Jason truly exhibits a phenomenon that is known as Post Traumatic Growth (PTG). The concept of PTG is a relatively new theory since it has only been around since the 1990s. In short, PTG suggests that people can experience positive psychological change after trauma or other challenging life circumstances. To this end, Jason was able to bring a variety of stakeholders together in order to devise a fluid, clever, and successful plan to rescue ~400 Afghanis—from the Taliban—who were left behind after the US withdrawal in 2021…including his translator’s nephew and family.

Far too often, we complain about what’s wrong in our state/country. This is one time, no matter your political party, ALL mid-westerners should be proud to say they “know” the chief architect of Operation Bella. May God bless all those who assisted Jason in these beautiful efforts!

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/jason-kander-afghanistan-rescue-plan-60-minutes/

Telehealth & Suicide Prevention

The Psychosis Rate Gap

Employers / MH / Neurodiversity

Mexican Drug Busts / Violence / Missing Persons

Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 2

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of December 2, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at the UK’s parliament provided citizens with terminal illnesses and less than 6 months to live the “right to die”—to the dangerous increase in High Intensity binge drinking—to the CDC’s attempt to prevent falls for elderly people in the US…which are on the rise. This week I would like to take this opportunity to address how Mexican Drug Cartels are recruiting university chemistry students to “cook” their Fentanyl.

The NYT interviewed a few of these new recruits and shared these insights below. First and foremost, the Cartels are interested in creating a stronger (and cleaner) product…further hooking users up north. However, equally important is their need to develop (synthesize) their own precursors vs rely on imports from China…which are on Trump’s hit list. Interestingly, this new tactic is claimed to be just another unforeseen byproduct of COVID…gummed up supply chains and worker shortages. These students are making nearly 2x what a “legitimate” chemist in Mexico would earn. And, not unlike other big companies, Cartels often pay for these students’ tuition plus provide signing bonuses. While the Cartels have not yet solved their “precursor” problem, they are now making more potent Fentanyl.¹

Having worked in Mexico nearly 30 years ago, I can tell you that the focus back then was the massive amounts of marijuana moving across their border into the USA (Remember Prop 215?). I found it interesting that those related discussions often came down to the basic economic principle of supply and demand. In fact, I heard this saying on more than one occasion: “If your people would stop demanding the product, then our people would stop supplying it.” Sounded simple back then and is apparently still being applied to our current opioid crisis. To be sure, addiction is not a “one-size-fits-all” phenomenon. Even if the next administration could stop the flow of Fentanyl across our borders, most people who are addicted to opioids will find another means to fill their void. Sadly, not unlike how the Cartels found a means to fill their void in marijuana sales to the US by seeking another product in demand: Heroin. And, so the story goes…unless and until WE as a nation seriously address issues like SDOH² and DoD³, 30 years from now, WE will continue this conversation but possibly with a focus on a different medium!

Sources: [1]https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/01/world/americas/mexico-fentanyl-chemistry-students.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/public-health-gateway/php/about/social-determinants-of-health.html

[3] https://www.statista.com/topics/5961/diseases-of-despair-in-the-us/

NECA & IBEW on MH

Labor Dept / Anti-Harassment Guide / Construction

Doing Good & Well-being

Selfless Giving

MH & Search for a Cure

Medically Assisted Suicide & UK (1)

Medically Assisted Suicide & UK (2)

Fentanyl & Cartels Recruiting Chemistry Students

Alcohol & High Intensity Binge Drinking

Weight loss drugs for Adolescents?

Weight loss drugs & Medicare/Medicaid

Housing the Chronically Homeless?

Vaccines & Holidays

Bird Flu on the Rise

Big Food v RFK Jr

America / Seniors / Falling

Seniors & Exercise

On reducing Dementia

Next Gen Cancer Survivors

Split Families & Surviving Holidays

Managing the Holiday Blues

Acupuncture & Depression

Therapists’ Self-Help Books

Brain Injuries & Chronic Conditions

Football & Another Head Injury

Teamsters / Trump / Secty of Labor Choice

Trump’s Pro-Labor Pick?

VW Workers Set to Strike

Phoenix Drywall Co / Labor Laws / Fine

China holds back Wages & Pensions

PIPs & Firing Today’s Employees

Retiring Early?

Can you AI-proof your Career?

Cocoa / Climate / Prices

Tech & Inmates

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Ag & Disaster Response (12/3)

FREE After School Meals

FREE Diapers

Metal Health Trainings

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.

December 2, 2024/by Dr. John Gaal

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 25

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of Nov 25, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at the departure of Nichole Dawsey, one of the finest Public Health professionals to grace STL’s harm reduction arena—to how enemies of the USA and Western European countries have moved beyond spying to gain advantages—to WashU’s efforts to start a law clinic for Veterans. This week I would like to take this opportunity to address a White Paper & website that explores the mental health issues of the UK’s construction industry.

A few of you may know that I have been “banging a drum” for approximately 2 years now regarding the issue of Suicide Postvention…actually, the lack of attention this topic has received vs the plethora of Suicide Prevention & Intervention programs available. More specifically, how we as an industry can address the First 48 hours following a suicide incident (death or attempt)…the “acute” phase of the postvention process! In so doing, I have recently reached out to subject matter experts (academics and those with lived experiences) here and abroad. I have found it refreshing to see how many people are committed to taking action now vs waiting for others to prescribe a solution. To this end, a researcher, Dr Susie Bennett, at the University of Glasgow has been a huge help in connecting me with her UK colleagues already working in this space. Below I will highlight the aforementioned projects.

On one hand, the ”Behind the Hi-Vis” White Paper sheds some light on the scale and magnitude of the mental health crisis in the UK’s construction industry.¹ Here are some facts and figures:

>90% of tradesworkers have been impacted by mental health
- Most common factor = finances
>80% of tradesworkers who work alone experience mental health issues
- Mainly anxiety and depression
Nearly 70% of tradesworkers report low motivation
- Most are misusing drugs and/or alcohol to mitigate the above
Nearly 50% of tradesworkers w/ MH issues felt unsupported by their workplaces
- This crisis requires urgent attention: Companies must adopt a proactive stance

On the other hand, more specifically, “The Lost City” takes an approach that allows one to “visualize” the industry’s suicide crisis via their website.²Suggesting a city that might have been if it were not for the 7k deaths by suicide—over the past decade—in the UK’s construction sector. As such, here is a sampling of what goes missing:

~3 hospitals
~8 supermarkets/retail units
1 high rise
150k houses
200 apartments blocks
78 schools….

As a visual learner, I found the latter to be very effective in getting their point across. While these resources do not directly address the postvention issue, they provide additional information for ALL of us to consider in our suicide prevention and intervention efforts. Often, we hear the phrase “You are not alone” when it comes to one’s mental health. As an industrial sector, it is clear that “We are not alone.”

Sources: [1]https://www.onthetools.tv/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Behind-The-High-Vis-A-Mental-Health-White-Paper.pdf?utm_source=website&utm_medium=document&utm_campaign=MHWP

[2]https://www.thelostcity.org/

PrevenTable & Saying Good-bye

Trump / Homelessness / Mental Illness

Trump / China / Fentanyl

Canada / MH / First Responders

How/Why ODs deaths have decreased?

Russia & China utilizing gangs in Europe & USA

How US arrests made Mexico more violent

AI / MDs / Disease

Big Tech / Kids / Online Safety

France / Athletes / MH

About work & life

MH & Working Parents

Women / Anxiety / Apnea

Mouth Taping & Apnea

Breakfast & Stress

Intermittent Fasting?

Balance: Why dermatology?

Youth / Cancer / Survival

MH Risk Prediction Tool

Chopra on Meditation

Deep Breathing & Anxiety

Bhutan / Happiness / Exodus

CO / Roadwork / Deaths

White Paper on Construction & Suicide

NLRB / Amazon / SpaceX

DNC / Union / Layoffs

>50% of workers regret Open Enrollment Choices

TX judge blocks OT pay

Replacing Lead Pipes

Is your city prepared for Climate Change?

Law Clinic for Vets

New World Forklift Champs

Vets / Mortgages / COVID

Trump & Student Loans?

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

FREE After-School Meals

FREE Meals on Thanksgiving

Qigong (11/25)

Early Cannabis Use (12/11)

International Apprenticeship Conference (1/13/25)

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.

November 25, 2024/by Dr. John Gaal

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 18

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of Nov 18, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how some of the lowest paid (but very much frontline) healthcare workers are dealing with PTSD following COVID—to the importance of utilizing peers to support employees in your workplace—to how owners of gold mines in South America and South Africa are contending with illegal workers and crime gangs. This week I would like to take this opportunity to take a closer look at addiction(s).

Far too often, in our culture, when we hear the word addiction many of our minds immediately run towards issues like (hard) drugs (i.e., opioids, cocaine, etc.). Let’s face it, most of us at one time or another have ignored the impact of other addictions that cripple our society because they are deemed “legal”. For instance, alcohol and gambling. With regards to the former, alcohol is the #1 type of substance addiction in the USA. In fact, the NIH reports that nearly 29m people 12 yo and older have AUD (alcohol use disorder)…with over 750k of those are between ages of 12-17 yo. It goes on to say that approximately ½ of adults have someone in their family with a “drinking problem”. Meanwhile, many of us turn a blind eye towards the negative impact advertising has on our society while watching college and pro sports. Some might say, in essence, we have normalized a potentially harmful product and, thus, removed its stigma to a certain degree.

With respect to the latter, the recent passage of Amendment 2 to Missouri’s Constitution regarding sports betting, has some experts expressing their concerns about gambling addiction. Why? Because data reveals that 60% of the males between the ages of 18 and 22 are placing sports bets.¹ As mentioned previously in this blog, the male brain is not fully developed until ~25 yo. Online betting companies are fully aware of this key piece of information and are taking advantage of it! Instant forms of placing wagers on one’s cell phone for something as minute as: Will a certain power forward miss his/her 3^rd jump shot from beyond the 3-point arc? According to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), gambling disorder is a behavioral addiction. To this end, the APA has produced an impactful, short video linked below on Gambling Disorder. Please watch and share it as you see fit.²

In the meantime, help prove me wrong by taking a stand against allowing gambling addiction in the US to become the next MH pandemic…one that is on-target to quickly dwarf the opioid crisis!!!

Source: [1]https://www.npr.org/2024/11/16/nx-s1-5185158/the-journalist-behind-the-big-short-turns-focus-to-sports-gambling-in-new-podcast

[2]Gambling Disorder (APA)

Updates: FHWA Safety

Future of OSHA’s “Heat Rule”?

Gambling & Addiction

20% of Workers Leaving for Caregiving

Post-COVID / Healthcare Workers / PTSD

Peer Support in the Workplace

Small Business & MH (Guide)

Construction’s Injury Rate Drops

Cancer: A self-experiment

On stopping STIs

Cost of untreated Obesity

Loneliness & Dementia

Blood Pressure & Exercise

Art & (Dis)abilities

Joy / Loss / Life

The call VERY parent fears

Safety Helmets & Marketplace Confusion

2024’s Impact on Unions (1)

2024’s Impact on US Union (2)

NLRB / Anti-union Meetings / Amazon

Canadian Postal Strike

Update: Montreal Port Strike

UAW’s next move?

Impact of France’s baby bust

S America / Gold Mines / Crime

S Africa / Gold Mines / Crime

Impact of Trump’s election on Human Trafficking

Mexico & Post-Biden Mass Deportations

DOGE: Is Musk recruiting tactic legal/ethical?

DANGER: Women Comics in China!!!

Where Fashion meets Scaffolding….

Canada / Research / Dangers of AI

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Construction: Benefits & Challenges of Mentorship (11/19)

Anti-Trafficking in Persons (11/19)

EBSA: MH Parity Workshop (12/11)

Head Protection in Construction (Part 2)

Construction: Recruiting & Retaining Women

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.

November 18, 2024/by Missouri Works Initiative

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 11

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of Nov 11, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how Chatbots are luring adolescents into very dangerous (sometimes deadly) situations—to a report on a recent study suggesting that back pain was reduced via a 12-week virtual yoga program—to how newly minted MDs are seeking work-life balance while older ones—rooted in “tradition”—are pushing back. This week I would like to take this opportunity to take a closer look at how employers can improve the lives of our Veterans.

With today being Veterans Day—a National Holiday—it is only fitting that this blog addresses how we treat out Vets in the workplace. On an annual basis, well over 200k service members make the transition from the military sector to the public/private sector. Sadly, almost 25% of our nation’s “heroes” have a hard time adjusting to today’s civilian workplace culture. Food for thought: While, 1/3 of the nearly 9m Vets in our current workforce are underemployed, approximately 60% of those discharged make less in their first year out than while on active duty.

To this end, it is not only incumbent upon HR to get a better handle on EACH & EVERY potential new hire’s applicable skills but to also tailor aspects of its benefits program to this group’s specific needs. Case in point: Over 40% of transitioning service members may have issues regarding mental health care. Action: How can your workplace design and provide a safe work environment…one that allows each Vet to contribute and succeed? This may be in the form of wellness activities, legal counseling, and/or financial literacy courses.

Living in a post-911 era, most of have had some level of personal experiences with Vets. My loyalty to this special group of people goes back to honoring my Father’s contribution in WWII. His service in France fighting Nazis not only resulted in injuries that curtailed his career in pro baseball but cut his life short to a mere 48 years old. Thousands of families beyond mine also know this price of ultimate sacrifice. So, I kindly ask those of you who make hiring decisions, instead of just “thanking a Vet for her/his service”, let’s try doing something more meaningful: Ask a Vet how you can make her/his transition to the public/private sector less daunting? Then listen and take meaningful action!

Source: https://worldatwork.org/resources/publications/workspan-daily/how-employers-can-use-benefits-to-better-support-veteran?utm_medium=email&utm_source=rasa_io&utm_campaign=newsletter

Happy Veterans Day

VETs / Employers / Benefits

MH & Law Enforcement Partnership

Chatbots / Teens / Suicide

Australia / Families / Social Media Bans

48 Caught / Cartels / Drug Bust

IL & Kroger’s $40m Opioids Settlement

Mass & Legalizing Psychedelics?

Exec Function Coaches for Kids?

Learning to Listen: Tell Me More

Walking Pneumonia

Wearable Breast Pumps

Dark Nights & Brights Days

Good Sleep = Better Sex

Loneliness: Young & Old

Long Life & Getting Old

Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 4

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of November 4, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how workplace violence is impacting employees at library and health care settings—to the need to contain a drug war in the Middle East from spreading to Europe and the USA—to the importance of supporting blue- and white-collar women in the workplace. This week I would like to take this opportunity to take a closer look at the interesting dance that OSHA has underway with the state of Colorado’s cannabis industry.

While marijuana may be legal in many states—for medical and/or recreational purposes—it remains illegal in the eyes of the federal government. Nevertheless, Fed OSHA takes the stand that workplaces in the US fall under their purview. Fittingly, it appears that Colorado’s cannabis industry has had 3 workplace fatalities in the past 7 years. And, upon a number of OSHA’s worksite inspections, among other dangers cited, a lack of respiratory protection and personal protective equipment were cited. The former is important due to the airborne irritants like dusts and molds present in some of these facilities. To this end, one OSHA director described a related 2022 employee’s death as “the first fatality from occupational asthma in the US cannabis industry.”

Although these incidents were found in Colorado’s (legal) commercial cannabis production sites, OSHA intends to implement their “emphasis program” nationwide. As mentioned,

“The aim is to encourage employers to take steps to address hazards, ensure facilities are evaluated to determine if they are in [compliance] with all relevant OSHA requirements, and to help them correct hazards, thereby reducing potential injuries, illnesses, and death for their workers.”

NOTE: OSHA actually offers free evaluation services to employers with under 251 employees.

In an industry where nearly 1 in 4 workers do NOT receive health & safety training, OSHA stepping in to provide outreach services (training and e-newsletters) may seem proactive. However, in the eyes of at least 3 families these steps are reactive. As with so many industrial settings in our nation’s history, workers MUST die BEFORE meaningful changes take place. In an attempt to end on a positive note for the greater good: Better late than never!

Source: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federal-officials-discuss-new-osha-program-on-marijuana-industry-workplace-hazards/

Prepping for Daylight Savings Time

Opioids & Workplace Injuries

Libraries & Workplace Violence

Workplace Violence & Health Care

Trauma / Emotional Labor / Health Care Workers

Harm Reduction & Vending Machines

Xylazine Addiction & Pregnancy

Captagon & Middle East’s Drug War

Sinaloa Cartel & 42k Seized Pills

Who is running Mexico?

What’s Next?: Pink Cocaine