Links You Can Use: October 15-19

In this week's "Links You Can Use," we discover some companies are allowing employees to bring their children to work every day (without a daycare facility on the premises). BusinessWeek interviews some workers about their reactions to this innovative arrangement. In other news, research shows that having six or fewer hours of sleep could lead to weight gain and the development of diseases like diabetes. And CNN features the financial situations and strategies of individuals and couples who plan to retire within 10 years.

An emerging trend that attempts to resolve the work-life balance issues parents face... bring your child to work—every day. (BusinessWeek)

We all know that exercise and a balanced, nutritious diet are key to avoiding chronic conditions and excess weight. But a new study highlights the important relationship between poor sleep and body fat storage. (NPR)

CNN features eight profiles across the U.S.—individuals and couples who vary in age, occupation, and retirement goal date—on how they plan to retire. (CNN)

* The opinions expressed at these linked websites do not reflect the opinions of Harris, Rothenberg International, Inc. (HRI). HRI is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information reflected on these sites.

Why Employers Should Care About Employees Who Are Caregivers (Part 1)

What could be causing millions of people to be called away from work, decrease their work hours, or force them to leave the workforce altogether? Research shows that it’s caregiving for children with special needs or older adults.

Today, caregiving needs have become more demanding, and the costs to businesses come in the form of higher healthcare claims and lost productivity.

In this special two-part post about caregiving, we’ll talk about employees’ caregiving challenges, costs to employers, and what employers can do about it. Part 1 will focus on the challenges unique to caring for children with special needs.

Caregiving for Children With Special Needs

Almost 14% of all children under age 18 in the United States have a special healthcare need (a chronic or severe health or mental health problem that requires more intensive or specialized care than children normally require), according to a 2008 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1)
 

Bullying in the Workplace: A Problem With Many Costs

When you think of the word “bullying,” what image comes to mind? Chances are it's your school-age children. However, a remarkable 35% of working Americans have been bullied in their jobs. That’s over 53 million people. In addition, about 15% of workers have witnessed others being bullied. The impact on an organization’s bottom line can be significant, including stress-related medical and disability claims, increased absenteeism, decreased morale, and loss of key talent.

Workplace bullying can include obvious behaviors such as raised voices, cursing, insulting, and ridiculing, but it also comes in more subtle forms, such as spreading malicious gossip, making invalid criticisms, micromanaging, stealing credit for accomplishments, placing unreasonable work demands, threatening job loss, and/or excluding employees from social events.  

I think we all know that bullying has a very negative impact on the target, including decreased morale, increased stress, loss of sleep, depression, shame, and embarrassment. However, what we may forget is that bullying has serious effects that go beyond the victim.