Wellness & Well-being Highlights February 5

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of February 5, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics covering happiness in the workplace to how the US Senate grilled social media giants’ so-called “leaders” for failing to keep kids safe on the internet to how the VA is increasing its mental health staff in an attempt to reduce Veteran suicides. Today, I wish to shed some light on the importance of creating systems that provide unbiased third-party auditors to oversee the safety of workers when we, as a society, knowingly recognize dangerous situations. Please take the time to read the 2 stories linked below regarding the NFL’s attempt to shield their owners from assisting players severely damaged on the field of play. This is NOT the first-time claims have been made indicating that biased “internal” reviewers are preventing injured (retired) players from seeking the medical assistance required to sustain some normalcy during the remainder of their lives…this impacts not only those players but their families/caretakers too! A lack of transparency should be a red flag for even a novice on this matter. So, I ask: Why are NFL owners not subjected to OSHA’s rules when it comes to players’ safety. Responses I have received to this inquiry are nothing short of confusing. First, I am told that professional athletes are considered independent contractors. As a construction professional for over 4 decades, I have seen this term IC change its shape more than once. However, here are 2 seemingly mainstay issues that immediately come to mind for me: Working where and when one wants to. (How is it possible for NFL player to play a game scheduled for KC at 2p today to show up if he so chooses in LA at 7a tomorrow?) Here’s a second sticking point: There will be pushback from owners and the players’ union if safety rules significantly changes the (competitive) nature of the game. And, even if this were possible, OSHA does not have the expertise to regulate this unique sport. To both of these claims I must say BALDERDASH!

1) Ask any contractor that has been in the construction industry for the past 40 years if the safety rules they competitively operate under today are the same as the rules from 10, 20, and/or 35 years ago. Of course not. Why? The industry has evolved and OSHA has played a big part in that evolution by working with owners, contractors, and workers (often unions that represent these workers). To this end, lives have been saved: Think: Fall Protection, Focus-Four, etc.

2) Regarding OSHA not having the expertise, they already deal with a wide variety of construction and general industry scenarios. I am not sure if it would be ignorance or arrogance for the NFL to suggest that OSHA cannot answer the call. None of OSHA’s work is done in a silo. They seek input from various researchers (subject matter experts) on an ongoing basis! It is hard for me to imagine this nation lacks the expertise with the recent increase of exercise science, OTD, and DPT programs across college campuses in this nation.

In closing, it is human nature to resist change but is also in human nature to reasonably protect our loved ones from danger. Hopefully, evolution has taken our entertainment mindset well beyond the days of the Roman Gladiators. Currently, when it comes to the NFL, ensuring that professional athletes have healthy, productive lives long after they retire from the sport seems to be too much to ask. PLEASE remember this when you are watching football’s biggest event next Sunday.

Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/interactive/2024/nfl-concussion-settlement/?itid=hp-more-top-stories_p007_f005

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/01/31/nfl-dementia-claims/

Work & Happiness

Baby-boomers / Workplace / Happiness

Stress & Work-Life Balance

Employees rate Company Well-being programs

Canada & Treaty on Ending Workplace Violence

Signs of Burnout

Canada & Medically-assisted Death

Update: Alzheimers / New drug / Black patients

EU vaping ban

Social Media / US Senate / Child Safety