Get workers moving and add 2 years to their lives

Time to get employees out from behind their desks and moving around the workplace. A recent study predicts the health gains from anti-sitting policies.

OK. So truth be told, the study, published in the online medical journal BMJ Open, doesn’t go so far as to suggest companies implement policies to keep employees on their feet at work. But it did say limiting sitting time to three hours or less per day could add two extra years to a person’s life.

In addition, if individuals cut their TV viewing down to two hours or less per day it can add 1.4 years to their lives.

The upside for employers is obvious:  Healthier workers require less medical treatment and are cheaper to insure.

Of course three hours of sitting and two hours of TV viewing are some pretty lofty goals, but they underscore just how good getting up and moving can be.

And the workplace is where many individuals could experience the biggest gains in on-their-feet time.

Click here to read the full study.  

Home Sleep Test May Help Improve Your Sleep

If you have trouble sleeping, you should tell your doctor. Your doctor is in the best position to diagnose your problem and find treatments that work for you. People with sleep problems may sometimes need to be evaluated for sleep apnea. Anyone can have this disorder and it is estimated that 2% to 4% of people in the United States have the most common form — Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). 

Moderate to severe OSA involves obstruction of the airway, which might also include breathing pauses or gasping sounds. The pauses and gasps are caused when your throat muscles and tongue relax more than normal. Your airway then narrows or closes as you breathe in. Breathing stops for a moment and most people do not even know their sleep has been interrupted. 

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Tip Tuesday! Antibiotics: They Aren’t for Every Illness

With cold and flu season right around the corner we would like to remind you of a few important facts about antibiotics. Antibiotics are not prescribed for every illness but only those that are considered to be bacterial infections. If you have a viral infection, such as the cold or flu, antibiotics are useless. Often times people may insist or demand antibiotics from their physician because they view them as a treatment and cure-all, however it may ultimately reduce their effectiveness and can lead to antibiotic resistance. To reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance or their inability to be effective for you in the future, only take antibiotics when prescribed by your physician, for conditions where your physician believes they will be effective and for the full course of treatment. Taking antibiotics for less than the full course of treatment can lead to the bacteria "learning" how to resist antibiotics. 

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Here’s just how much a good manager is worth

That’s according to a new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research. Researchers studied 23,878 workers who were matched to 1,940 bosses at large, service-oriented company from 2006 to 2010.

Intuitively, HR pros just know that managers are important. Now, a new study has been able to quantify how much supervisors affect performance.

Removing a poor-performing boss and replacing him or her with a top-performing one is the equivalent of adding an extra person to a team.

The researchers also found that the average boss is 1.75 times as productive as the average employee, and that good managers have a greater effect on high-performing staff than low-performing workers.

The takeaway: You may be better off firing a poorly performing manager instead of adding more staff to his or her ranks.

When that happens, productivity pushes will shift from getting more out of rank-and-file staff and more out of supervisors

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Case study: Communication, small perks kept our best people on board

Periodically, we like to share the success stories of companies dealing with HR issues. This case study comes courtesy of Paul Graziani, CEO of Analytical Graphics in Exton, PA.

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We’re lucky enough to attract some of the most talented and well-educated people in our industry.

But that makes it crucial for us to hold on to them any way we can.

That’s especially true considering how much it costs to replace some of our staff – as much as three times the worker’s salary.

Clearly that put retention high up on our priority list.

But what were the best tactics we could use to make that a reality.

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Close-up on health conditions Concussion: When a brain takes a blow

By Tanise Edwards, M.D.
Athletes from pint-size to pro are at risk for concussions. But, they're not the only ones. These injuries can occur virtually anywhere — and affect anyone.

Concussions are a type of mild traumatic brain injury. They can cause loss of consciousness — but not always. And, they — and their effects — can be severe. This makes any concussion serious business. That's especially true for people who've had more than one.
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Tip Tuesday! 2 Surprising Foods for Energy and Performance

If you’re an athlete looking for natural ways to improve your performance, you’re probably already aware of the many profound benefits of juicing. I know a lot of people and athletes are looking for a natural energy boost to give them an extra edge as well.
What if I told you that the answer to your quest for improvement may be found right in the garden. Most people are familiar with the main benefit of beetroot which is reducing blood pressure (According to research by the American Heart Association), but new research is showing that beetroot can provide even more benefits (more on that later). Echinacea, on the other hand, has long been a known treatment in herbal medicine for the common cold, flu, urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections and many others. But did you know these two foods can also help improve your athletic performance?

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The troubling truth about fad diets

By Melanie Polk, M.M.Sc., R.D., F.A.D.A.

When you're trying to lose a lot of weight — or even a little — a fad diet offering a quick fix can seem tempting.

But, a drastic plan is not the answer. It may even be dangerous. To protect your health, take time to learn the fad facts.
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Emotional well-being 2 ways to live with more courage

By Arleen Fitzgerald, L.I.C.S.W.

Fear. It's a normal reaction to something frightening. It helps us know when to act or retreat to avoid harm.

But, in everyday life, this uneasy feeling can hold a person back. And, that can be true of even the hardiest among us.

So, how can you move forward with less fear — and confront challenges with more confidence?

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Good food for better health: Figuring out fats

By Melanie Polk, M.M.Sc., R.D., Fats have a bit of a bad reputation. But, there's more to the story. We actually do need some fat in our diet. It provides energy, supports cell growth and helps the body absorb nutrients. However, too much — or too many of the wrong fats — can clog arteries and lead to heart disease and other health problems. Click Here to continue reading.

Tip Tuesday! Taking medicine: 10 crucial safety tips

By Michael W. Rosen, M.D.


Medicine has the power to help and heal. But, it also comes with the potential to do harm when used incorrectly.

Each year, millions of people have problems that result from medication errors. This is true for both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. For example, they get too much of a certain drug or ingredient. Or, some people might take medicines or supplements that interact with each other — or that weren't right for them.

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Is this a new threat to your retention efforts?

 By Tim Gould

As sick as we all are of hearing about the importance of “employee engagement,” it’s a concern that’s not going away. And a new report illustrates just how complicated the engagement issue really is.

OK, let’s begin with this dichotomy: New research from HR consulting giant Randstadreveals that three quarters (75%) of U.S. employees say they feel inspired to do their best and 66% feel that their efforts are valued and recognized.

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Offering medical leave can actually help increase worker safety: Study

By Dan Wisniewski 

The prospect of offering paid sick leave to staff members might make some company officials ill. But there’s new proof that it can actually benefit firms.

Employees who have paid sick leave are 28% less likely to suffer nonfatal work injuries, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The most likely to benefit from paid sick leave: workers in high-risk industries like construction, health care and manufacturing.

Researchers say that’s because paid sick leave will result in fewer people working when they’re sick, thereby increasing safety and reducing injuries.

Other benefits researchers cite for offering paid sick leave:

§  shorter recovery times

§  fewer complications from health problems, and,

§  less of a chance of employees spreading illnesses.

Court greenlights penalty for non-participation in wellness program

By Tim Gould 

A new court ruling confirms that employers can, indeed, impose a penalty on employees who opt out of their companies’ wellness programs.

The case involved the wellness program offered to employees of Broward County, FL, which required workers to take a blood test for glucose and cholesterol levels and complete an online health risk assessment.

To increase participation in the plan, the county imposed a biweekly $20 charge to employees enrolled in the county health plan but didn’t participate in the wellness program.

Bradley Seff sued the county, alleging that the county’s policy violated the Americans with Disabilities Act — he claimed the charge for non-participation made the wellness program involuntary.

The court acknowledged that the ADA does, indeed, bar companies from requiring employees to undergo medical examinations that are not directly-job related.

But, the court added, the ADA also has a “safe harbor” clause that allows firms to establish programs designed to “underwriting risks, classifying risks, or administering such risks.”

The Broward wellness program fell into that safe harbor, the court ruled.

The case is Seff v. Broward County, FL.

Tip Tuesday! Bread is Worse Than You Think

BY DR. AXE

If you’ve considered my healing food diet, you may already know that bread, while seemingly innocent and marketed as healthy, is worse than you think!
For starters, bread is likely one of the saltiest foods in your pantry. Data from the CDC shows that a single slice of bread contains around 100 to 200 mg of sodium. In comparison, an ounce of potato chips only has about 120 mg of sodium in comparison.
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