Employees who report to work when sick do so out of a sense of obligation to their co-workers, according to the results of a recent U.S. survey. Other reasons why sick employees show up for work include not wanting to let people down, an office culture that makes it to difficult to take time off, having too much work to do, wanting to save sick days for childcare or eldercare emergencies, and wanting to save sick days for vacation time, the survey finds. Only 7% of employees say they do not report to work when sick. This is the first time that “a sense of obligation to coworkers” topped the list of reasons why sick employees show up for work, according to LifeCare, the work-life consulting firm that conducted the poll. In the previous two polls, the most commonly cited reason was “it’s too risky to take time off.” Peter Burki, chief executive officer, LifeCare, blames workplace culture for the phenomenon. “It’s well-known that employees who work sick are actually creating a greater risk for their co-workers and a greater risk of lost productivity for their organizations,” he says. “Our workplace cultures don’t seem to be getting the message that taking a little time off when you’re ill is not only wiser, but also acceptable.” While there are still plenty of organizations that frown upon the idea of workers calling in sick, the tide seems to be turning, Burki says. As awareness of the high cost of presenteeism increases, more employers are becoming tolerant about employees taking sick days. Studies have suggested that presenteeism costs U.S. businesses more than $150 billion annually in lost productivity. Care workers regularly abused on the job A staggering number of Canadians working in long-term care facilities regularly encounter violence on the job, according to a study by York University researchers. The study finds that 43% of personal support workers in these facilities endure physical violence at work on a daily basis, while another quarter face such violence every week. Most are women and many are immigrants or from marginalized racial groups. “What we found is disturbing,” says study co-author Pat Armstrong, a professor in York’s department of sociology. “Canada’s levels of violence towards long-term care workers are significantly higher than the other countries we looked at. The situation is out of control.” Workers at 71 unionized long-term care facilities in Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia were surveyed about their experiences with physical violence, unwanted sexual attention and racial comments. They were nearly seven times more likely to experience daily violence—including being slapped, pinched, hit with an object, poked, spat on, bitten and having their hair pulled and their wrists twisted— than workers in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Armstrong says most violent incidents go unreported because the victims don’t have time to report them or fear being blamed for the violence. “Alarmingly, workers inform us that they are expected to take such abuse. They are told to ‘lighten up,’” she says. “Most of the violence occurs during daily care activities, which involve intimate acts and sharing of personal space,” Armstrong says. “If such care is rushed, or worse, if it is forced—for instance, when residents are required to get up, get dressed, or bathe before they are ready—this may leave residents feeling threatened, fearful or overwhelmed and prone to retaliate violently.” Nearly one-third of personal support workers also said they experienced unwanted sexual attention on a daily or weekly basis. |
Benefits of butting out Offering employees smoking-cessation programs can generate “a large payback for a small investment,” says Andrea Docherty, senior coordinator, Canadian Cancer Society, Smokers’ Helpline. Referring to a Conference Board of Canada report, Docherty says smoking-cessation efforts have been shown to save employers up to $3,396 annually per smoker through the avoidance of certain costs, such as smokingrelated absenteeism, decreased productivity and the cost of providing a facility for smokers. Docherty’s tips for helping employees quit smoking include educating them on the benefits of quitting, utilizing smokingcessation tools offered by the Smokers’ Helpline, holding wellness fairs about stress management, and covering the cost of smoking-cessation aids. Smokers’ Helpline is a free, confidential service providing personalized online and telephone support and information about quitting smoking. Health and safety event a smashing success The International Accident Prevention Association’s (IAPA) annual trade show and conference, Health & Safety Canada, was another smashing success. This year’s event, which took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (April 21–23) as in previous years, attracted more than 6,000 delegates and 300 exhibitors. Now in its 91st year, the conference is Canada’s largest and longest-running health and safety event, say organizers. This year’s theme was “The Workplace of the Future” and focused on how to “create a world with zero workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths by putting worker safety and the work environment at the top of the agenda,” according to organizers. Delegates were able to attend a variety of educational sessions on everything from workplace violence and mental health to lift-truck safety and the latest trends in ergonomics. Health & Safety 2009 takes place April 20–22 at the same location. |
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