Wellness

If I were to do a word cloud of all conversations taking place at the SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition, perhaps the no.1 word in that cloud would be:

Wellness

This is a 2019 SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition (#SHRM19) interview is with MediKeeper, a provider of health management tools. Below is a quick Q&A with the CEO David Ashworth.

Stress is almost impossible to avoid these days. Of course, a little stress can be motivating, but too much or the wrong kind can have a major effect on employees and businesses. The World Health Organization estimates that stress costs American companies $300 billion a year in health care, sick days and lost productivity.

With the return of the "polar vortex" (I hate that name. . . .Can't we just say freezing temps anymore?), there are a few things employers can do to prevent it from freezing workplace productivity.

So, another year down and another begins.  Big deal.  Isn’t it just another day?  Can’t I just make my mind up to be something more and someone better on any other day of the year?  Well, yes.

Last week, two celebrities took their lives, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain.  To be more specific, they committed suicide.

It is important to say the word “suicide” because many media reports, at least initially, did not.  There is still, for some, discomfort with mental health issues in general and suicide in particular.

I hear it all the time.

HR worries over what they see in the workplace. Managers complain they can’t find and keep good people. Turnover rates are high. Engagement is low.  

On top of this, upper management is providing directives like, “Maybe we should launch a new wellness program to boost employee morale.” 

We’ve all heard fellow employees say that all they need is five or six hours per night to function well the next day. But is it enough? And is the quality right?

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults sleep between seven and nine hours each night. Many of us don’t get it regularly. But sleep quality is as important as quantity – and just as many issues can arise when it’s lacking.

Lifestyle-management programs can help people with, or at risk of developing, Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, characterized by high blood sugar and insulin resistance, and linked to unhealthy diets and a lack of regular exercise, is increasing among U.S. adults. That translates into high costs for employers—more than $20 billion annually due to unplanned, missed days of work.