Company Wellness Programs Could Be Hurting Employees Health, According to New Research

Company Wellness Programs Could Be Hurting Employees Health, According to New Research Workplace wohlbefinden programs are growing in popularity. About fur-fifths of U.S. employers with more than 1,000 employees offer these types of programs, according to a RAND Coporation analysis, which means that improving employee health has become a $6 billion industry.After all, we spend about two-thirds of our waking hours (which adds up to about one-third of our a lives) at work, and employer health care costs are 15.3 percent lower for physically active workers than inactive ones, according to a 2012 Rand report so implementing workplace wohlbefinden programs makes logical sense. Thats why in 2010, the World Health Organization suggested that workplaces form the primary settings for health promotion and, in the last 30 years, theres been a steady increase in wellness programs.According to the 2012 Employer Health Benefits Survey, 94 percent of large and 63 percent of small employers offered a wellness program targeting a variety of health concerns such as disease prevention, employee wellbeing or lifestyle and health education with the expectation to benefit both employers and employees.But while workplace wellness programs might sound like a good idea, new research finds that some common workplace health promotion practices can actually take a toll on employees health and tip the scales against them.The research collected in the new Frontiers in Psychology study finds that workplace health promotion programs that make employees responsible for their weight can lead to adverse effects including increasing stigmas surrounding weight, which can in turn lead to weight gain and, ultimately, decreased well-being. Heres how these programs, when not thoughtfully and strategically implemented, can be harmful.1. Increased weight-based discrimination.Whilst there are benefits to employee wellness programs, we propose that the current focus on weight that emphasizes employees re sponsibility can inadvertently elicit weight stigma, the report reads, defining weight stigma as the negative attitudes toward a person because of their weight status. People with overweight or obesity are negatively stereotyped as being weak willeuchtdiode, lazy, unintelligent and gluttonous. Indeed, although a link between prejudice and discrimination is not always evident, negative attitudes toward people with overweight and obesity have been associated with biased treatment.The researchers warn that negative stereotypes about people with obesity can also lead to discrimination in the workplace.Suitability judgements of applicants in the hiring process or employees for promotion are lower for applicants with obesity people with overweight or obesity, on average, earn less and are more often unemployed, the researchers write. Further, it has been shown that people with obesity are perceived as possessing less leadership qualities compared to normal weight counterparts. In addition , research has reported that employees with obesity have lower starting salaries, are assessed as being less qualified, and work longer hours than normal weight employees.According to the research team, programs the put the responsibility on employees to eat healthier (vs. having a cafeteria that sells mostly healthy foods), especially led to increased weight-based discrimination and stigmas. The same couldnt be said for employers that took a share of the responsibility.And lest it be forgotten, weight isnt always directly correlated to ones health. So employees who may weigh more arent necessarily more unhealthy (or at all unhealthy) than those who weigh less. But stigmas exist nonetheless.2. Increased weight gain.The researchers found that when obese workers were involved in employee health and wellness programs felt even more responsible for their weight, they actually felt that they had even less control over it. In turn, their lack of control lead to increased obesity, exacerba ting their health.From a motivational perspective, people with obesity are thus likely to be caught in a Catch-22 like situation, which can result in maladaptive responses, the report explains. After all, insights from learned helplessness theory show that, when people feel responsible for uncontrollable events, this harms their self-esteem and potentially results in diet-breaking behavior and weight gain.The findings suggest that the mere presence of an employee wellness program in organizations was associated with employees perceptions that being overweight is more controllable than it actually may be.This association was not evident for burnout, and the marginally significant relation between presence of a program and controllability of cancer and non-health related events was fully explained by employees own involvement in implementing a health program thus, the association between program presence and health-related events was unique for weight, the research suggests.3. Decreas ed mental wellness.Not surprisingly, experiences of weightstigma and discrimination also may have serious adverse effects on mental health, including compromised psychosocial wellbeing, social isolation, healthcare avoidance, binge eating, body-related shame and guilt, and weight gain and development of obesity, which can contribute to sickness absence, the research reports.If not implemented carefully, these programs might have negative rather than the expected positive effects, the researchers warn.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a feminist, a freelance journalist and an adventure aficionado with an affinity for impulsive solo travel. She spends her days writing about womens empowerment from around the world. You can follow her work on her blog, HerReport.org, and follow her journeys on Instagram her_report, Twitterherreport and Facebook.

Writing a Resume for Returning to Work - Is it a Scam?

Writing a Resume for Returning to Work - Is it a Scam? Professional Resume Writers will operate to educate you on the changes in resumes since youve left the workforce and the info that employers are currently searching for now. Resumes are available in all shapes and sizes. Otherwise, it will appear to a reader your faculty experience is the most necessary to you-that shouldnt be the situation. Look at a functional format only as long as youve been out of work for several years and you will need to emphasize your functional skill collection. For tools that youve used, binnensee whether you can discover a refresher training course. Concentrate on transferable abilities and select the resume format which best highlights your strongest points. Getting the Best Writing a Resume for Returning to Work If you left work on a fantastic note its a fantastic notion to stay in contact with your former boss and co-workers. When youre prepared to return to work, you will need a person to send the resume to. No matter the length of time youve been away from work, your very first port of call when searching for references is always your prior employer. Set the word out that you will be going into the work marketplace. You could do it a couple of years before you believe youd begin searching for a job a terrific method to prepare your resume Maybe you were fired or couldnt locate a job for more than a year. The important issue is to identify how you have continued to utilize your business skills in the moment you have been out of the workforce. The perfect way to get back on track for your job search is to begin your work search, even when youre not prepared to start your work search. Whispered Writing a Resume for Returning to Work Secrets In the time which you were not formally employed in your field, you could have still gained additional experience which may be included on your resume. Youre in a strong fleck your previous experience is going to be t o your advantage though youve taken a little bit of time off. If youve got minimum work experience, you may consider leading off with your education, especially if its pertinent to the position youre applying to. Now, your resume doesnt need to be the sole place to speak about the employment gap. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Writing a Resume for Returning to Work Volunteer work you have finished in your free time is essential, especially when you held an officer position, however has to be listed as such. Tell the date you want to resume back or if theres any change of plans and you want to resume earlier. Your resume can continue to be riveting. The End of Writing a Resume for Returning to Work While writing a resume objective might continue to be acceptable, its more beneficial to incorporate a resume summary statement when you start constructing your resume. Its fast and simple to use. You may be surprised how many resumes are submitted without contact info. Writ ing a Resume for Returning to Work Ideas A career gap isnt the conclusion of the worldits just a phase. Your resume writer will get in touch with you to clarify details. Whether you wish to get straight back into the exact saatkorn career, or are searching for a totally new direction, getting your CV right is important to getting a foot in the door. Utilize your cover letter to briefly explain your latest gap, but emphasize youve kept your skills current and are energized to come back to the workforce.