I welcome a guest article by Helen Bray
Here in the USA, we have some of the fewest legal protections of the developed world [1] in the case of falling sick. The majority of developed nations provide some kind of statuary sick pay for long-lasting illnesses, while those which do not (the UK, for 
example) nonetheless provide government benefits for those out of work due to illness, and provide opportunities to take employers to court in the case of dismissal due to sickness [2]. Nor – and this frequently shocks people from other nations [3] – does the US provide guaranteed paid maternity leave for those expecting a baby. Of course, an ethical employer will ensure that their people are not discriminated against for being ill, and will look after them in the case of illness – but not all employers are ethical. With this in mind, here are a few tips to keep you healthy and in work for longer:
De-Stress
A quick question: What do you think is the absolute biggest cause of workplace absenteeism? Viral infections? Family commitments? Laziness? Heart problems? Poor attitude? Nope, it’s none of these. It’s stress. And it’s having a major impact upon the American workplace [4]. Of course, ‘stress’ can come in many guises, and frequently lurks in the background of other illnesses. High levels of stress, for example, can impede the functioning of the immune system, making stressed people more vulnerable to sickness. It is also considered a major contributory factor in depression. If you wish to lower your stress levels and improve your health, try exercises which will help to bring down your heartrate and prevent you from getting trapped in unhelpful, panicky thought cycles. Learn to live in the moment [5] rather than perpetually worrying about the past or the future. If you are an employer, you can reduce the chances of your team getting too stressed by recognizing when they’re coming under undue pressure and taking steps to relieve that pressure.
Eat Healthily
As an employer, you can make an almost immediately noticeable difference to your employees’ health by giving them the opportunity to practice healthy eating habits during breaks. The dangers of the typical American diet for people’s health have been well documented elsewhere, and by now we’re all surely aware of the major risks posed by junk food and obesity [6]. However, it’s worth noting that a lot of junk food gets shovelled down during the working day because people simply don’t have the time, the energy, or the option to go for something a bit healthier. Making lunch breaks a more relaxed, leisurely, and healthy affair could reap serious rewards in health terms.
Exercise
Again, we all know that our bodies start to stagnate in a profoundly unhealthy fashion if we don’t get enough exercise. It’s a shame, therefore, that so many of our jobs require such an inordinate amount of sitting still. Too much sitting has been linked to some serious health problems [7]. With this in mind, you may want to think about things like standing desks, or simply taking a stroll around the office every half hour or so. In more general terms, taking the time to do some exercise will reap benefits in all areas of your life, including your mental health – so move as much as you can!
Get Enough Sleep
If you’re an employer who forces long hours, or an employee who works shifts, it might be time to reconsider. Not getting enough sleep – or snatching sleep in irregular patterns – can have an incredibly poor impact upon our health. We are simply not designed to run on empty, and our bodily cycles cannot cope without knowing roughly when to start winding down for bed. Disordered sleep due to shift work and long hours has been linked to [8] mental health problems such as depression, heart problems, plentiful human error due to fatigue, workplace conflict, lowered immune function, heightened stress levels, and digestive troubles to name but a few. So be sure to make sleep a priority – nothing is more valuable than health.
Get Check Ups
If you’re an employer, providing your employees with free health checks not only provides an incentive for people to join your company, it also ensures that any conditions which could impede your employees’ performance are picked up on and dealt with nice and swiftly. For everyone else, getting regular health checks will not only mean that any problems get noticed soon (and are thus likely to be easier to deal with), it will give you peace of mind as well.
[1] Amy Ferrington, “Sickness absence management – employee rights, risks and recommendations”, Employment Law Watch, Apr 2015
[2] UK Citizens Advice, “Off work because of sickness” [3] Nadja Popovich, “The US is still the only developed country that doesn’t guarantee paid maternity leave”, The Guardian, Dec 2014 [4] Judy Martin, “Stress at Work is Bunk for Business”, Forbes, Aug 2012 [5] Michele Rosenthal, “5 Ways to Be Comfortable in the Present Moment”, Recovery.org, Sept 2015[6] Harvard School of Public Health, “Weight Problems Take a Hefty Toll on Body and Mind”
[7] Melissa Healy, “Even for the active, a long sit shortens life and erodes health”, LA Times, Jan 2015
[8] J M Harrington, “Health effects of shift work and extended hours of work”, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2001
