Employer-provided health programs where workers meet people outside of their work groups help workers cope with occupational challenges and issues like job insecurity created by the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers say.
It is well known that chemical accidents can expose workers to hazardous irritants, but employers need to be aware that exposure often occurs during everyday "controlled" tasks, a study of 18 years' data on occupational asthmas has shown.
An excessive focus on preventing sick leave, and the absence of "preventive support", are common to interventions for workers with chronic conditions, according to researchers who say employers need to move away from reactive measures.
A study of stock market performance across a decade has shown companies that focus on the health and safety of their workforce have a competitive business advantage, and are probably outperforming others in the COVID-19 era.
Sleep problems not only erode workers' cognitive abilities but also how they control their emotions, creating health and safety risks during emotionally challenging events, according to researchers calling for "sleep leadership" in workplaces.
Workers who enter the job market when they're relatively young are more susceptible to developing habits that cause obesity and disability, meaning young employees should be the target of workplace health programs addressing the root of unhealthy behaviours, researchers say.
Redesigning workplaces to allow workers to choose a workstation based on their task or mood can increase healthy physical activity during shifts, Japanese researchers have found in a study of a "walkable" office.
Training workers in self-defence, to prevent occupational violence (OV), must take into account that their skills can fail under high-stress conditions, Australian researchers have found in a major review of OV mitigation strategies.
Workers whose body clocks favour evenings are at a significantly greater risk of "poor work ability", suggesting "morningness-eveningness" questionnaires should influence workplace health promotions and scheduling, researchers say.
Employers' health interventions for workers working remotely for the pandemic should not neglect those who already worked from home regularly, and appear to be struggling the most from changes to their routine, researchers say.
