Great Office Atmosphere Works Wonders for the Health

The way a person's work is organised impacts his'her health greatly, a new study has found.

According to the research, a poor way of working can harm workers' health by causing a range of ailments, from cardiovascular disease to problems with mental health.

Shiftwork Impacts Sleep Patterns in Young Workers
A new study has found that working in night shifts can interfere with sleep, especially for workers in their 30s and 40s.

The new study has shown that the best way of working allows employees a greater level of participation, as well as providing greater possibilities for adapting working conditions to their needs, greater recognition of their work and fair treatment.

"We have studied the relationship between exposure to psychosocial risks and the kind of labour management practices used to hire, use, develop, hold onto or dismiss workers", Clara Llorens Serrano, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Trade Union Institute of Labour, Environment and Health (ISTAS-CCOO), said.

The study shows that a good working environment is related to participatory employment methods that enable employees to learn new skills, work under permanent contracts that do not make them feel easily expendable or at risk of being fired, salaries paid according to the number of hours worked and tasks carried out, as well as a working week of between 31 to 40 hours, finishing at 2pm.

Bullies Abound in Kiwi Offices
A study has found that workplaces are rife with bullies, and none more so than in the health and education sectors.

The survey, carried out between October 2004 and July 2005 on 7,612 people employed by others in Spain, showed that "the better the labour management practices used in organising work, the better the psychosocial environment of the workplace will be, with fewer cases of health-related problems".

"Our analysis and previous evidence shows that psychosocial risks are related to the labour management practices used. These can be a key factor in the link between psychosocial risks and health, and are a prime target in terms of preventing the appearance of workplace stress and making changes to the organisation of work", Llorens said.

'Office' Blues can be Combated by New Online Therapy
An online therapy programme that could revolutionise how companies deal with on-the-job stress is being introduced to combat office stress.

The study has been published in the journal Scandinavian Journal of Public Health.

Source-ANI
TAN

Thanks to Laptops and Smartphones, Even Bedrooms Have Become Virtual Offices
Office goers are taking their work in the bedroom, the lounge, and even on that rare kids' outing as well, thanks to laptops and smart phones making it easier for them to constantly check emails.