Worker Health and Wellness

Tumwater, WA – The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is considering new rules to help prevent misuse of opioids among injured workers.

Obese and severely obese workers tend to have more frequent and costlier injuries than normal-weight workers, but part of the responsibility rests on U.S. workplaces. S+H explores simple, inexpensive workplace changes companies can make to encourage workers to maintain a healthier weight.

In an effort to combat rising health care costs, employers are increasingly turning to wellness programs to target the factors most commonly associated with costly workers' compensation and medical claims.

Desk jobs might be considered safe by the general public, but a growing body of research suggests that all that time spent sitting – in front of a computer, in meetings, even driving to and from work – may be harmful to your health. Experts are targeting workplace behavior and design to help reduce sitting time.

Research has shown a connection between high levels of workplace stress and chronic health conditions such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. High levels of stress also may make workers more susceptible to injuries and incidents.