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Exoskeletons: 5 safety tips

Are you thinking of introducing exoskeletons into your workplace? They can aid workers in lifting heavy objects and carrying large loads, which reduces the risk of musculoskeletal-related injuries.




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‘New pressures’ prompt rise in work-related burnout, survey finds

Menlo Park, CA — Thirty-four percent of employees say they’re more burned out than they were a year ago, according to the results of a recent survey developed by global staffing firm Robert Half.




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Survey shows many remote workers concerned about their mental health

Hartford, CT — Thirty-three percent of people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic are concerned about their mental health, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by health benefits provider Aetna International.




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Almost 25% of workers say their employers don’t offer COVID-19 safety training: survey

Bannockburn, IL — Nearly 1 out of 4 workers don’t receive training on COVID-19 safety guidelines, according to a recent survey commissioned by compliance company Stericycle.




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Returning to work after a mental health issue: IOSH report explores employers’ role

Tilburg, Netherlands — Employers who take a more tailored approach to supporting workers who return to work after a mental health-related absence “could not only prevent mental health problems from becoming more severe but also help employees achieve a more sustainable return,” according to a new research report from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Michigan OSHA launches emphasis program on office worker protections, remote work policies

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA has launched a state emphasis program focused on protecting workers in office settings, where community spread of COVID-19 is a risk.




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Teleworkers more likely to work while sick, study finds

Dortmund, Germany — People who work from home are more likely to continue working when they’re ill, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.




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Survey asks: Should employers pay for work-from-home ergo expenses?

New York — Nearly three-quarters of remote workers say their employer should provide a general work-from-home stipend to help make their home workspaces more ergonomically correct, results of a recent survey show.




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Researchers say caffeinated coffee may lower heart failure risk

Aurora, CO — Raise your cup, coffee drinkers! Drinking one or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day may reduce your risk of heart failure, according to the results of a recent review conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado.




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Workplace vaping is common – and co-workers don’t like it, survey finds

Washington — About two-thirds of employees say they’ve observed co-workers vaping, while a nearly equal amount believe the secondhand vapors from e-cigarettes and other vaping devices are at least moderately harmful to their own health, according to the results of a recent survey.




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Survey asks workers: Should employers require COVID-19 vaccination?

Mill Valley, CA — Seventy percent of workers want their employer to require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before fully reopening the office, according to the results of a recent survey commissioned by job research and review company Glassdoor.




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‘Night owls’ more likely to underperform at work, study finds

Oulu, Finland — If you stay up late at night, you risk underperforming at work, results of a recent study out of Finland indicate.




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Well-timed ‘microbreaks’ can be ‘golden’ for workers: study

Raleigh, NC — Some people may believe that colleagues who step away from their desks are avoiding work, but the results of a recent study conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University show short breaks actually can help boost productivity and manage energy.




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Losing the option to work remotely doesn’t sit well with some office workers: survey

Menlo Park, CA — Thirty-four percent of office employees working remotely during of the COVID-19 pandemic say they might look for another job if directed to return to the office full-time, results of a recent survey show.




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Survey explores webcam fatigue among workers

Halifax, Nova Scotia — Nearly half of employees working remotely are experiencing higher levels of exhaustion caused by a combination of more virtual meetings and pressure to be on camera for them, results of a recent survey show.




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Workers who eat lunch together influence each other’s food choices: study

Boston — Do you eat lunch with co-workers? The food choices – healthy or unhealthy – of your lunch bunch are very likely to influence your own choices, results of a recent study led by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Massachusetts Amherst show.




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Employers know employees want hybrid work arrangements, but will they offer them?

San Francisco — Slightly more than 70% of employers expect their workers to want a hybrid model when their physical workplace reopens, but only 55% plan to offer that option, according to the results of a recent survey.




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Workers want employers to do more to address mental health impacts of pandemic: survey

San Francisco — Around half of workers say their employer isn’t doing enough to address the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by Total Brain, a mental health and brain performance platform provider.




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Caffeine may not be the cognitive kick-starter many people imagine: study

Lansing, MI — If you rely on caffeine to provide a brain boost after a poor night of sleep, findings of a recent study from researchers at Michigan State University may give you a jolt.




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57% of U.S. adults want masks required for all onsite workers: survey

Alexandria, VA — About 6 out of 10 U.S. adults believe masks should be a requirement for workers at onsite locations, even if those workers are fully vaccinated, according to the results of a recent Harris Poll survey commissioned by the American Staffing Association.




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‘Conscientiousness is a double-edged sword’ for some remote workers: study

Fort Collins, CO — Ambiguous expectations and undefined work boundaries may put more conscientious remote workers at elevated risk for burnout, dissatisfaction and illness, a recent study suggests.




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More workers feeling burned out compared with a year ago, ready to take vacations: surveys

Menlo Park, CA — More than 40% of employees say they’re more burned out on the job than they were a year ago, and 1 out of 3 plan to take at least three weeks of vacation this year, recent survey results show.




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Employees increasingly mindful of office hygiene as they return to the workplace: survey

Philadelphia — A vast majority of employees who are returning to the workplace after working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic say they plan to continue practicing elevated hygiene amid concerns over the cleanliness of their offices and being around colleagues again, according to the results of a recent survey commissioned by hygiene and health company Essity.




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Office workers taking handwashing seriously in light of virus variants: survey

Menomonee Falls, WI — Around 70% of office workers say they’re washing their hands more often because of new strains of the virus that causes COVID-19, while about half avoid shaking hands with others, results of a recent survey show.




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Majority of remote workers want to make it permanent: survey

New York — Nearly half of workers whose employers have a flexible remote work policy say it’s their most coveted employee perk, while more than 3 out of 4 would like to work from home permanently, results of a recent survey show.




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Employees feeling better about workplace safety in 2021: survey

Washington — Employees’ satisfaction with physical safety conditions in the workplace has returned to levels that predate the COVID-19 pandemic, results of an annual survey indicate.




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Study links workers with diabetes to higher depression risk

Washington — Workers who have diabetes may face a heightened risk of developing depression, according to a recent NIOSH study.




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Workers want clear communication, enforcement of COVID-19 safety measures: survey

Atlanta — Almost three-quarters of U.S. employees are concerned about workplace safety standards and cleanliness as a protection against COVID-19, according to the results of a recent survey.




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Researchers identify on-the-job asthma triggers in office workers

Barcelona, Spain — Exposure to printer toner, cleaning products and mold circulated in air conditioning systems – along with poor ventilation – can trigger asthma in office workers, results of a recent study out of England suggest.




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Better office ventilation may boost worker brain power

Boston — Improved air quality in offices can boost worker focus, response times and overall cognitive ability, researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health claim.




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Avoid MSDs while working remotely: New tip sheet from EU-OSHA

Bilbao, Spain — Promoting good musculoskeletal health among remote workers and their employers is the goal of a new fact sheet from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, also known as EU-OSHA.




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WHO, ILO offer guidance for ‘healthy, happy, productive’ telework

Geneva — As telework grows more common, the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization are encouraging employers to develop programs to help make the practice “healthy and safe.”




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‘Micro-exercise’ during work hours may help prevent long-term sickness absences

Copenhagen, Denmark — Performing “simple and brief strengthening exercises designed to strengthen the primary muscles used during work” – known as micro-exercise – while on the job may help prevent long-term sickness absences, according to a recent study out of Denmark.




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Are remote workers burned out? Check their emoji use, researchers say

Ann Arbor, MI — Employers with remote workforces can look at workers’ use of positive or negative emoji – those small images or icons featured in text communications and email – to help gauge if employees are experiencing stress or burnout, researchers at the University of Michigan say.




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Remote work amid COVID-19 pandemic led to spikes in mental, physical issues: survey

Los Angeles — A recent survey of people who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic shows that nearly three-quarters experienced new mental health issues, while 65% developed new physical issues.




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Study explores most common risk factor for job-related stress

Ljubljana, Slovenia — Work intensity is the most commonly identified risk factor for daily stress on the job, European researchers have concluded after conducting a research review.




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Bike commuting more likely when speed limits are low, study finds

Guildford, England — Commuters are more likely to bike to work when the average speed of vehicle traffic along their route is below 20 mph, results of a recent study out of England suggest.




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Many employees don’t unplug from work while on vacation: survey

Provo, UT — Nearly half of U.S. employees say they work while on vacation, according to the results of a recent survey.




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Survey shows a third of executives expect workers to answer calls while driving

Hartford, CT — A third of recently surveyed business executives expect their workers to answer or participate in work-related calls while driving – and 42% of workers say they oblige.




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Co-worker gratitude may help our hearts react better to stress

San Diego — Saying “thank you” and expressing other forms of gratitude to co-workers can lead to better cardiovascular response in high-stress situations, results of a recent study show.




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Intervention program may help reduce sitting time for office workers

Leicester, England — Researchers in England have developed a program they say can, when paired with a height-adjustable desk, reduce office workers’ sitting time by more than an hour a day.




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Being active during leisure time can make you more engaged at work: study

Oulu, Finland — “Even light physical activity may foster work engagement,” researchers in Finland are saying after studying on- and off-the-job data for more than 6,800 workers.




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Night shift workers with high blood pressure face a host of health problems: study

Changsha, China — Night shift workers who have high blood pressure may be at increased risk of developing heart disease and diabetes, or experiencing a stroke, results of a recent study show.




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Study of worker absenteeism points to need for employer support of drug treatment programs, researchers say

Boston — Employees who use illicit substances have increased absenteeism – a “compelling argument” for employers to promote employee treatment programs, results of a recent Boston University study show.




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Co-worker encouragement can play a role in a healthy workplace

Cologne, Germany — Workers who engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors and encourage their colleagues to do the same can help create a more healthful workplace, results of recent study show.




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Indoor air quality is on workers’ minds – and will be for ‘years to come’: report

London — Employees – especially younger ones – are concerned about the air quality in their workplace, according to a recently published report from Infogrid.




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Should employers ‘prescribe’ breaks from sitting?

London, Ontario — Employers can help workers avert the harmful effects of prolonged sitting on the job by taking an active role in changing their sedentary habits, a recent study shows.




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Does sitting at work increase your risk of death?

Taipei City, Taiwan — Workers who spend most of their workday in a chair have a 34% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 16% higher risk from all causes of death than workers who don’t sit, according to a new study out of Taipei Medical University.




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Worker lead exposures decreasing, industry group says

London – Workers in the lead industry are experiencing reductions in exposure, and a majority of them have blood-lead levels below regulatory limits, the International Lead Association announced July 9.




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Majority of high blood-lead levels are work-related: report

Atlanta – Lead exposure remains an issue for workers, with elevated levels most common in manufacturing, construction, services and mining, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.