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EAP Newsletter - November 2004

In This Issue:

Your Checks Will be Clearing Faster Soon

When Sharing is Bad

Divorce Recovery Strategies

Healthy Ideas

Your Checks Will be Clearing Faster Soon

Do you sometimes write a check a few days before payday knowing that your checking account will require an influx of cash to cover your payment? This is called "playing the float" and has always worked in the past when check-processing delays would give you adequate time to make that necesary deposit. But this is one bad habit that we all must break before October 28th, 2004, when the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, sometimes referred to as Check 21, goes into effect.

This federal legislation allows banks to stop transporting original paper checks all over the country and instead permits them to transmit electronic images of checks. The consequence for consumers is that checks will now clear within hours instead of days. "Your checks will clear much faster, so you'd better be sure that you have money in your account before you write that check," says Gail Hillenbrand, senior attorney at Consumers Union. Failure to do so will undoubtedly result in a rash of bounced checks, which will not only cost you additional monetary penalties, but could affect your credit rating and might even cause you to run the risk of prosecution.

People who get their checks back in their monthly statements will also be affected because original checks may now be destroyed or held by a different bank. Only about 36% of households get original checks returned to them and the law requires that banks send notices of the Act only to those customers. But even this notification is to be included only in the first bank statement after the law has gone into effect, or when customers request a copy of the check.

To learn more about this new law, you may read a concise Q & A on the Consumers Union Web site at www.consumersunion.org or examine the very detailed explanation at the National Consumer Law Center Web site at www.nclc.org. You should also ask your bank exactly how Check 21 will affect your account.

Healthy Ideas

Rake without the ache.  To prevent the back pain that leaf-raking can cause, take the following precautions, suggested by experts at the Texas Back Institute: Stretch your back, neck, and arms before you start. Use an appropriately sized rake for your height to avoid working at awkward angles. Don't reach too far while raking, and try not to lift piles of leaves (shove them along in front of you instead). If you must lift, use your legs and keep your spine straight.

Check juice labels.  The Food and Drug Administration estimates that about 2 percent of juices and ciders sold in supermarkets are unpasteurized, or not treated to kill potentially harmful bacteria. That figure may be higher for juices sold in health-food stores, cider mills, or farmers markets. To avoid purchasing unpasteurized juice - which can cause serious illness in children, older adults, and people with weakened immunity - check for the FDA's mandatory warning label, which begins, "Warning: This product has not been pasteurized." And don't hesitate to ask whether a juice product has been treated.

Chest pain? Wait for the ambulance.  A January 2004 analysis of 2,400 adults treated for chest pain found that those who took an ambulance to the hospital (about one-third) received emergency care faster than those who used private transportation (about two-thirds) - even though those who drove reached the hospital a few minutes more quickly, on average. That's because emergency medical technicians can begin treatment as soon as the ambulance arrives. If you have sudden chest pain or other signs of a possible heart attack, such as unexplained faintness or shortness of breath, call 911 immediately, chew an aspirin, unlock the door, and sit or lie down while you wait. Drive yourself only as a last resort.

Lift weights safely.  Using barbells and dumbbells requires more muscular coordination than weight machines - and since movement isn't restricted, the risk of injury is higher. To maximize safety, make sure you have a good grip, maintain a stable sitting or standing position, use proper form, and solicit help from an exercise professional when needed. Lift with your legs, not your back, when picking up weights or replacing them on the floor. Make sure weights are secure on the bar or in your hand - most free-weight accidents occur when a weight falls on a body part, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

Call in sick.  Workers who stay home when feeling ill may be doing their bosses a favor. According to a Cornell University analysis published in April 2004, employees who come to work sick cost an average of $255 each in lost productivity per year; in most cases, that's significantly more than if the ailing worker just stayed home and recuperated fully. The most expensive conditions included heart disease, depression or mental illness, arthritis, and allergies. If you have a contagious condition, such as the flu, preventing an officewide epidemic should provide motivation to stay in bed, but that factor was not included in the study.

October 2004 Consumer Reports on Health

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The above articles were gathered from a variety of news sources.

Employee Health Systems 2004

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