Worker Wellness News Archives | Page 9 of 18

Wellness & Well-being Highlights May 21

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of May 21, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the use of vending machines for Narcan to how “optional” perks from the past are now becoming “essential” for addressing employees’ MH to how recent inflationary pressures are impacting prison inmates. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of opening our borders so that qualified foreign workers can obtain gainful employment while filling areas where workforce shortages exist and are persistent. A number of developed countries (including Canada, Japan, and Germany…our allies) have recently tweaked their immigration policies in response to their aging populations (wherein birth rates have severely decreased over the past 3-4 decades). The USA is facing a similar situation but continues to resist a systemic approach to this dilemma. As a baby-boomer, sooner rather than later, I am concerned that not addressing this matter in a holistic manner will result in a lesser quality-of-life for not just me but our nation as a whole. In closing, let’s try to learn lessons from BJC’s foray into attracting nurses from abroad and expand this concept to other sectors of our economy…while trying NOT to kill the goose laying those golden eggs!

Sources: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-worlds-biggest-economies-cautiously-open-their-doors-to-more-foreign-workers-664c3549

https://www.ksdk.com/video/news/health/faced-with-nursing-shortage-this-st-louis-hospital-is-looking-for-workers-abroad/63-3fe14f9e-ce87-4084-9835-ff936f8e0cde

MAY is Mental Health Awareness Month

Update: Overdose deaths (1)

Update: Overdose deaths (2)

Campaign to expand the MH workforce

Narcan vending machines

A new “War on Drugs”?

Police / Fentanyl / Risks

Teens / Drugs / Guns

On taking a MH day

Benefits of supporting others at work: Men v Women

MH in the workplace: Options v Essential

Warning: Processed meats

Schools & Diabetes

Tik Tok / Teens / Darkness

Dealing w/ Long COVID

Wellness & Well-being Highlights May 14

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of May 14, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the change in COVID-19’s public health emergency status to how teens are being negatively impacted by technology to when it comes to savings, nearly half of today’s baby boomers are ill-prepared. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of Child Labor. Last Sunday, CBS ran a 60 Minutes segment on this very topic. Wherein, children under the age of 18 were working the overnight shifts, at numerous slaughterhouses, for an independent contractor. They were cleaning processing equipment with dangerous chemicals around and with dangerous tools. Most of these children were also attending school after their work shifts. Sadly, a few of them have been scarred and several have fallen asleep in their classrooms. Thanks to attentive educators, this packing company and their contractor have been called out. This reminds me of a common saying in airports since 9-11: See something, say something. Profits and capitalism at all costs contradict what unions have worked long and hard to protect: Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Workers’ Rights…for ALL, not just a select few!

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/government-investigation-into-slaughterhouse-cleaning-company-that-hired-children-60-minutes-transcript-2023-05-07/

US workers & Chronic pain

How fentanyl is devastating the USA

Why Narcan matters

Kroger’s Opioids settlement

Mammograms @ 40

COVID-19 Update

Wellness & Well-being Highlights May 7

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of May 7, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how the DEA is taking a new approach to stemming our nation’s opioid (fentanyl) crisis to how John Legend is supporting efforts to help former prisoners re-enter the workforce to the Surgeon General’s take on the negative impact of isolation and loneliness in our society. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of how a medical doctor’s recent life and death experience (related to a food allergy) on a SWA flight has garnered national attention. Apparently, SWA’s first aid kit did not have an EpiPen to assist her but fortunately another passenger (first responder) was available to administer a shot of epinephrine. Not too long ago, I wrote about my experience last October on SWA’s Flight 928 wherein a first responder and I used Narcan to revive a passenger who was in throes of an opioid overdose. If you recall, afterwards, SWA ignored my request to address the issue in a professional and responsible manner. As I reflect on these two distinct events, I feel a need to ask if SWA’s failure to act months ago had more to do with the “stigma” of drug misuse vs saving face (i.e., flying ill-equipped planes w/ ill-prepared employees)? More importantly, the FAA is in the process of reviewing their minimum standards regarding airlines’ first aid kits. Hopefully, by the end of this summer, we will see ALL commercial carriers carrying Narcan and EpiPens on their flights as well as have flight crews trained to administer these life-saving drugs!

Sources: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/movement-equip-airplanes-epipens-gaining-traction-rcna82392

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/tony-messenger/messenger-st-louis-man-who-saved-overdose-victim-pushes-airline-to-carry-narcan/article_54ced5c1-9d10-5867-9101-979b08e9bc3e.html

Kids’ declining MH

Senate / Limits / Social Media / Kids’ MH

Gun assaults on kids more than double during COVID’s peak

DEA’s new Fentanyl strategy

Fentanyl deaths spike

Test strips for Fentanyl

I can, You can, We all can, NARCAN

Will a near death on SWA flight prompt FAA to review rules?

High School suicide results in reviewing current MH system

WHO / COVID-19 / New era

Life after prison

Marijuana & Federal jobs

Sans alcohol & Sober derby

Back pain & Cooking

How to say goodbye

Surgeon General / Isolation & Loneliness (1)

Surgeon General / Isolation & Loneliness (2)

Surgeon General / Isolation & Loneliness (3)

Women & Maternal Health

Period products in men’s restrooms?

Fried foods / Depression & Anxiety

Women / Construction / Injuries

STL-based General Contractor transitions to Safety Helmets

UFCW opposes Kroger merger

Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 30

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of April 30, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how one city is taking a different approach to addressing their area’s mental health crisis to how essential oils may impact your mood to the rise of fake nursing degrees. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of the Workers Memorial Day. Over 50 years ago, this nation passed a law to protect (most) workers on the job known as the Occupational Health & Safety Act of 1970. PLEASE take the time to review any or all of the first 4 articles in this week’s blog. There is something for every worker from those in the trenches to those in middle and upper management positions. We all have a duty to not only protect ourselves but our sister and brother workers as well. Nearly 20 years ago, fellow researchers from Washington University’s School of Medicine approached me to form an ongoing partnership to study safety issues on STL construction job sites. Their goal was to help improve conditions that would result in bringing our workers safely home to their families and communities…on a daily basis. In so doing, with the cooperation of BOTH labor & management, WE have done just that! In closing, I remain grateful that this partnership still exists to meet the ever-changing needs of work & society.

Source: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/oshact/completeoshact

Construction Falls resource

May 10^th is Safety Professionals Day

Workers Memorial Day

Deaths on the job

Community MH resources

Seattle / Tax / MH

Social media / Teens / MH

Suicides & Guns

Rural gun-related deaths

Trigger-happy America?

Walmart & Opioids

Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 23

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of April 23, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how a US Senator confronted his mental health issues to how a nature hike can improve your well-being to when to retire and upon doing so how one can enter a 2^nd (service) career. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of gun violence. To date, there have been more mass shootings in the USA than days in the 2023 calendar. In fact, this year’s number surpasses that of this time last year (131 v 113). Nearly 60 years ago, as I child, my school classmates and I practiced “duck-and-cover” drills in case of an atomic attack. Today, among other drills, 5 year olds are practicing “active shooter” drills. Meanwhile, we have state legislators across this country banning library books v confronting the proliferation of weapons! Just last week, I wrote about the negative impact of ACEs (trauma) on our children’s futures. We have a choice: Look towards a model like the one in Philly or sit on the sidelines while our kids continue to die from senseless violence!

Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/04/20/1170987638/philly-schools-aim-to-lower-shootings-involving-kids-with-conflict-resolution-sk

Stressed workers looking for support from employers

MH & Time Out in the office

US Senator helps break MH stigma

Teen suicide & MH parity?

European model for addressing mental illness

US & Fentanyl traffickers

Mexico’s Fentanyl cartels

Prisons & Opioid treatment

Tranq & Animal vets

Backlash on telehealth scripts

Philly’s approach to Kids’ shootings

Why are kids getting shot for honest mistakes?

Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 16

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of April 16, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how Mental Health and Suicide have impacted the construction industry to the benefits of exercising outdoors to why the nursing profession needs more men. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of childhood trauma. Several years ago, a study came forth explaining the concept of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). And, how people who experience 4 or more of these types of trauma often have difficulty with related matters in adulthood. For people under the age of 18, issues like child abuse (i.e., sexual, physical, emotional), a family member going to prison or being killed, divorce, poverty, etc. can negatively impact kids for life. In general, some experts suggest that if a parent abuses a child, then it is likely that this child will abuse his/her children, and so on. Furthermore, since there is a correlation between trauma and addiction, by identifying ACEs early on healthcare professionals may be able to assist victims and communities mitigate their long-term effects.

Source: https://www.ncjfcj.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/Finding-Your-Ace-Score.pdf

White House on Tranq (1)

White House on Tranq (2)

White House on Tranq (3)

Judge on Tranq

Philly’s harm reduction & Tranq

Marijuana & Addiction

Suicides in the Navy

MH & Suicide in the Construction Industry

ACE Scores / Kids / Trauma

Benefits of exercising outdoors

PTSD Treatment Guide

Guns & Kids

Gun Violence & Mental Illness

Louisville Bank Shooter & CTE?

EIU Faculty Strike

Medical residents unionize

Unions warn of Social Security collapse

Construction industry needs more workers

Cancer coverage for firefighters

Nursing needs more men

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Impact of opioids on the workplace

Chair yoga

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.

April 17, 2023/by Braxton Payne

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 9

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of April 9, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how one region in Canada is now requiring Naloxone (Narcan) to be present on various types of at-risk workplaces (i.e., construction job sites) to how oral hygiene impacts one’s health to how important apprenticeships are to the US energy sector. Today, I wish to shed some light on how AI (artificial intelligence) is being used to improve your health. Less than 2 weeks ago, I spoke at a national summit on suicide prevention in the construction industry, in KC, MO. My part as a panelist was to address “innovations” pertaining to the summit’s theme. My fourth and final bullet point focused on the use of AI in this space. And, just yesterday, the WSJ ran an article that really digs into the point I made. Doctors are turning to AI to help aid them in their decision-making processes. By no means are they turning over their responsibility to a machine. Let’s face it, no one professional can keep up with the vast amounts of data produced on a daily basis. In fact, when comes to adverse medication effects, about 70% of them are due to prescription errors. With the assistance of AI, doctors can meld deep learning with deep reasoning.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-ai-will-see-you-now-5f8fba14?reflink=integratedwebview_share

MH in the construction industry

Steps to help prevent suicide

New Canadian law requires Naloxone in at-risk workplaces

Couple helps Tranq victims

Non-opioids approach to pain management

San Fran’s new approach to Bupe (Suboxone)

The Good Sam Law?

Do financial wellness programs work?

Debt & Well-being

Not unplugging during time off

Breakfasts for beating stress?

Will this ancient herb clam your stress?

Oral hygiene & Health

AI & Doctors

Why try PT before surgery?

Colonoscopy / Under 50

Couples & Talking/Listening

COVID’s impact on church-going

Yoga & Golf

Deep water exercise

Your mood / Your skin

OSHA / SC / Black workers

Sexual assaults @ military academies

Layoffs during leave

NLRB & NDAs

Labor shortage impacts clean energy transition

Apprenticeships make US

Support in trade apprenticeships: Barriers

Supreme Court & Legal v Ethical

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.

April 10, 2023/by Braxton Payne

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 2

Wellness & Well-being Highlights for the Week of April 2, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the how some communities are addressing homelessness and Mental Health issues to the impact of the Adderall shortage to how pets may reduce allergies in children. Today, I wish to shed some light on how Narcan (The Lazarus Drug) will soon become an over-the-counter (OTC) drug. Because of the seriousness of the opioids crisis across the USA, several states, including Missouri, have had a standing order for anyone who can assist a person in opioids overdose to obtain “naloxone” at their local pharmacy without a prescription. As of this summer, this will be the case in all 50 states. Make no mistake, this is not a cure-all for the opioids epidemic! However, from a harm-reduction standpoint, knowing how to administer this life-saving drug is vitally important. Too often, when I ask people in the construction industry these 3 questions, I get concerned:

How many have a First Aid kit in their workplace?
How many have an AED in their workplace?
How many have Narcan in their workplace?

The responses typically go like this: 100%, 80%, 10%, respectively. To those 90% in #3 above, I respectfully say: “It takes less than 30 minutes to get the proper training.” PLEASE reach out to your local providers for guidance and supplies. If you think drugs are NOT in your workplace, you are sadly mistaken. Regarding this issue, because of the private atmosphere, “restrooms” are often utilized to partake in related illegal activities and should be monitored on a regular basis. This reminds me of a motto from my time as a Boy Scout some +50 years ago: BE PREPARED!

Sources: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1166969942/fda-approves-the-overdose-reversing-drug-narcan-for-over-the-counter-sales

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7klB8Vza9ac

We need to TALK about SUICIDE

Care of the mentally ill in the USA

MH & Fingerprinting your brain

Exercise & Depression

Homelessness / MH / Compassion

Tranq wounds

FDA & Narcan (1)

FDA & Narcan (2)

Narcan soon to be OTC

Telemedicine & OUD

Fentanyl & Mexico’s border

Fentanyl / Michigan / DEA

Adderall shortage / Kids / School

Adderall shortage & DEA

Mass shootings / Trauma / Coping

Preventive care / ACA / New ruling

Needing to renew Medicaid?

Alcohol & Health risks

AIDS / Foreign policy / Saving lives

How vaccines SAVE lives

Pets / Kids / Allergies

Treating back pain @ home?

Tragedy to Triumph

Finland is THE Happy Place

Wellness & Well-being Highlights March 26

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of March 26, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the underuse of mental health benefits to the connection between menopause and memory to the impact of a new stomach bug. Today, I wish to shed some light on how the construction industry is in the early stages of addressing head injuries. So, what is this new approach? It consists of switching out traditional hard hats for safety helmets (Think: Rock-climbing style). The CDC reports that between 2003-2010, over 2200 construction workers died from TBIs (traumatic brain injuries)…this represents ~25% of all construction fatalities during that period. While not all TBIs result in death, many lead to self-medication which can lead to suicidal ideation.

Sources: https://stlouiscnr.com/construction-industry-aligns-to-fight-brain-injuries-and-fatalities/

https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2022/11/10/construction-helmets/#:~:text=The%20construction%20industry%20has%20the,100%2C000%20full%20time%20equivalent%20workers

Construction Trades & Substance Misuse

Ted Lasso & MH

Unused MH benefits

Therapy during the workday?

MH meds / Apps / Safety

Lack of access to MH resources

Well-being & Remote Work

Gen Z / Stability / Burnout

Schools & Monitoring MH

Well-being & MH First Aiders

Dream techniques

Sleep & Cannabis

Addressing teacher shortages

Inflation & Housing Costs vs Health Care

Blacks Vets & VA benefits?

Menopause & Memory

The Rise of Colon Cancer

Mobile cancer treatments

New, resistant stomach bug

America’s Drug Crisis: The 4^th Wave?

Sacklers & Overseas’ Opioids Profits

Retiring w/ less than US$1m

Construction industry’s attempt to fight head injuries

MI repeals RTW

LA school workers strike (1)

LA school workers strike (2)

France’s public protests

Google & Labor Rights?

UT & Workplace Violence

How HR ghosts workers

Child care / Costs / Worker shortage

Sex abuse & Youth sports

Upcoming seminars/webinars/podcasts:

MHFA courses

Suicide Prevention Training

Mind, Body, and Spirit

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.

March 27, 2023/by Braxton Payne

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights March 19

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of March 19, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the mental health of workers and students to Moms seeking work-life balance to how to grieve in a healthy manner. Today, I wish to shed some light on how apprenticeships are now being viewed by high school students as legitimate alternatives to the “college-for-all” mantra the US has hitched its wagon to for the past 30+ years. Having served on the US Secretary of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (ACA) from 2003-2010, I can attest that the seeds we planted 20 years ago are finally bearing fruit. If one reviews the details of the student debt issue, you will soon find that a good portion of this debt is from community college students…most of which never earned an Associate’s degree. While college may not be for all at the age of 18, I for one, do believe that most workers “eventually” gain much needed leadership skills by attending college once they hone in on their career choice. This is why I have advocated for emulating the European model of apprenticeships since 2004 (Google: Bayless Floor Layers Middle Apprenticeship Program). Wherein, the focus is on apprenticeships at the secondary level of education. Thus, graduating high school students with job-ready skill sets! In closing, I suspect with the rise of STEM at the secondary and post-secondary levels, it has become less bitter (and less costly) for many parents to accept the importance of hands-on education which, in turn, helps temper the age-old stigma of vocational education.

Sources: https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-students-are-turning-away-from-college-and-toward-apprenticeships-15f3a05d

https://www.wsj.com/articles/student-loan-bills-are-set-to-come-due-adding-pressure-on-younger-americans-1738b6e0

US-DOL seeks input on workers’ MH

Young women & MH

Students & MH

Trials of being young

MH guide for college students & families

Period products in MO schools

US maternal mortality rate

Toxic workplace culture: Men v Women

Canadian moms & Work-Life balance

Millennials & Unkept promises