Planning for Summer on the Job

Planning a summer vacation this year? According to a recent survey by CareerBuilder, 35 percent of workers aren't planning to take a vacation this year. About 71% of those who don't plan to take a vacation say that they can't afford it, and almost 20% said they feared job loss if they are away, or just felt guilty being away from the office. But too much work without a break is not a good thing - it can lead to burnout and stress. Managers should encourage employees to take that vacation. Suggest long weekends or the increasingly popular staycation - sticking close to home but spending time relaxing with family and taking lower cost field trips. Here are some resources for staycation activities:

• Find a local park with the State Parks Map Locator and the National Park Service
• Explore more than 15,000 Museums
• Locate a US Children's Museum
• Find a Zoo or Aquarium
• Search the USA Beach Guide

• Summer Hazards for Workers
• Summer Occupational Hazards
• Working Outdoors: Skin Cancer and Workers Comp
• Summer Safety Training for Working Teens
• Heat Stress Resources for Workers
• Beath the Heat (and Avoid Any OSHA Citations)
• Summer Driving Safety Tips

Wellness: Eye exams can save money - June 27 to July 5 is Eye Safety Awareness Week and July is Eye Injury Prevention Month. Besides addressing your work exposures, another way to commemorate might be to encourage employees to have their eyes checked. HR World reports on a study showing that regular eye exams can save healthcare dollars because eye exams can often detect chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. Here's another wellness resource for eye safety: Protecting Your Eyes: At Home, At Work, At Play.

HR Web Cafe

[back to top]

BlackBerry or CrackBerry?

For many, the BlackBerry has become a must-have gadget, a wireless hand-held computer that can send e-mails, surf the Net and make phone calls. heavy users often refer to themselves as "CrackBerry" addicts, referring to the highly addictive form of cocaine. The surreptitious glance downward, head bowed, to check for e-mail during meetings is commonly referred to as the "BlackBerry prayer."

While many users believe their BlackBerry makes them more efficient, some researchers - and some spouses - say the wireless devices offer their owners new ways to distract themselves, often annoying others in the process. And industry analysts estimate that billions of dollars in revenue are lost each year due to cyber-slacking on the job.

A recent study conducted by Rutgers University claims that the BlackBerry is fueling a rise in Internet addiction, with sufferers able to survive only a few minutes without checking for new mail. According to Dr. Gayle Poster who led the research, the effects of becoming addicted to the device can be "devastating." She adds, "Employers provide EAP programs to help workers with chemical or substance addictions. Addiction to technology can be equally damaging to a worker's mental health." It can also create new social problems in the workplace when employees become withdrawn, and fearing face-to-face contact, prefer only online communication rather than working collaboratively as a team or actively participating in real life meetings.

Dr. Kimberly Young, licensed psychologist and author of Caught in the Net: How to Recognize the Signs of Internet Addiction - And a Winning Strategy for Recovery (John Wiley & Sons), the first book to examine Internet addiction, suggests a simple five-step plan to break the CrackBerry cycle of addictive behaviors:

Admit the problem. Technology is a grand seduction. You can easily fall into the trap of "screen-sucking;" i.e., constantly checking your BlackBerry for messages then mindlessly surfing the Net or reviewing old messages before getting back to work.

Repeat the mantra: "There are no e-mail emergencies!" If it is a true emergency, really, someone will call you. They will find a way to get in touch. Yet we tend to treat all e-mails as urgent. You need to ask yourself, "Is focusing on my BlackBerry really more important than completing a workplace task in progress or spending time with family? The answer is probably "no."

Tally up the cost. What really happens when you check your BlackBerry? For just a minute, you turn your attention away from your task at hand. Then, it might take you 10 minutes or more to refocus on what you were doing - if you manage to get there at all. Stay focused on the real world. The virtual world can wait!

Fight tech with tech. It's time to take back control. Unsubscribe to all unnecessary electronic publications you receive. If your BlackBerry buzzes or flashes when you receive new mail, turn off that feature. You'll begin to check messages when you want to, not because you've been conditioned to do it.

Hide the gadgets. Make strategic decisions on how to invest your time with technology so that it is serving you rather than you serving it. Put the BlackBerry in a drawer when you get home and turn it off. Don't keep it in your pocket where it is easily accessible.

To learn more about Dr. Young's publications and ideas, go to netaddictions.com. And if you feel that technology is impeding your interpersonal relationships or job performance, we invite you to contact us at your Employee Assistance Program to discuss the situation and review possible solutions.

[back to top]

Protect Your Medicines, Protect Yourself

Prescription medicine abuse is more widespread than the abuse of all traditional street drugs except marijuana!

The most commonly abused medications include opioid painkillers such as Vicodin, Lortab and OxyContin, sleeping pills such as Ambien and stimulants such as Ritalin. This tread is especially significant in the teenage population where nearly one in five teens report abusing prescription medications that were not prescribed to them. Teens often perceive that prescription drugs are safer than street drugs and characterize their use as "responsible." Prescription drugs are generally obtained through fraud or theft, sometimes by people you would never suspect. If you think that someone has stolen your prescription medicine, report it immediately to your local police department.

You can protect your medicines by doing the following:

Lock all your medicines and medical supplies like syringes in a locking cabinet and secure the key. This should also include over-the-counter cough and cold products that contain dextromethorphan (DMX)

Do not store medicines in a glove compartment or bathroom medicine cabinet.

Do not store medicines inside purses, coat pockets, nightstands or other locations easily accessed by others.

Make sure friends and family, especially grandparents, protect their medicines, too.

Talk to your teen about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs.

Living Well

[back to top]

Make Your Hospital Stay a Healthy Experience

Chances are that you or a family member will be hospitalized in the coming year. Typically, patients entering the hospital are in a vulnerable state and may not be thinking too clearly, particularly "first timers." But fortunately, a practicing physician and educator, Gail Gazelle, M.D., has recently penned a thought-provoking booklet that advises how to take charge of one's hospital stay. Don't Leave the Hospital SICKER Than You Went In! A Doctor's 106 Tips for a Healthy & Safe Hospital Experience offers sage advice from Dr. Gazelle, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and staff member at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Among her many insightful suggestions:

Tip #4: Pick an assertive person to be your advocate. Doctors can be intimidating. The white coat and busy schedule can make you feel like the doctor has to attend to matters that are more important than you. Remember, you are important! Choose an advocate who is assertive and not afraid to ask questions.

Tip #23: Always bring a list of all medications you are taking, both prescription and over-the-counter. You may be due for one of your medications or there could be interactions between what you are taking and a new medication doctors want to start.

Tip #32: Never give your dentures, hearing aids, eyeglasses or other personal appliances to hospital staff. These items frequently get lost. You spent time and money having these fitted and you should not risk losing them.

Tip #43: Request and write down the name of anyone entering your room. You will find that many people enter your room - doctors, doctors-in-training, medical students, nurses, nurses' aides, food handlers and other hospital employees. You have a right to know who is coming and going and why they are there. The person who mentioned something important might be the one whose name you forget. We all forget details when we are under stress.

Tip #44: Record all interactions with doctors and nurses. Unfortunately, mistakes and mis-communication can occur. By keeping track, you will be in a better position to retrace your steps.

Tip #57: Do not be afraid to speak up if you don't understand what's happening or what the doctor is saying. Medical language can be very complicated and it's easy to get confused. You deserve to have things explained in a way that makes sense to you.

Tip #59: Make sure your privacy is respected. Whenever there is a discussion of important or sensitive information, ask for a private room to meet in.

Tip #67: Ask the nurses and doctors if they have washed their hands. While it may seem impolite, just tell them that you have a germ phobia. At some hospitals, all employees wear buttons that say, "Ask me if I have washed my hands." They do this to empower you to ask.

Tip #75: Ask questions about every test your doctor proposes. Does the test require any special preparation? Will the test be painful? Are there possible complications that the test can cause? The more information you have, the better prepared you can be.

Tip # 84: Don't let the doctor operate on the wrong side of your body! This sounds obvious but sometimes it happens. Make sure you know which side of your body needs the surgery. On the day of the surgery, you and your advocate should remind everyone involved in your care which side this is. Even if you feel like you are being a pest, it is worth it to make sure you don't have surgery on the wrong side of your body.

To learn more about Dr. Gazell's publications and services or sign up for her "Free Tips Newsletter," go to MDCanHelp.com. And remember that before, during and after your hospital stay, your EAP is available to provide you with supportive stress relief counseling.

[back to top]