Business

Why Overworking Is Bad for Workplace Health and Safety?

With the right online health and safety training, employers and managers can also learn to spot signs of overwork and implement policies to ensure that w…

Published

3 years ago

June 10, 2021

Harrry leo

Why Overworking Is Bad for Workplace Health and Safety

Many people – both employers and employees – believe that working long hours is proof of their strong work ethic and a way of demonstrating value to their company. One study found that full-time employees in the UK work an average of 42 hours a week, almost two hours more than employees in the EU.

But does more hours on the job actually translate to higher productivity? It’s quite unlikely. In fact, overwork can have negative consequences on a person’s performance and health.

In recent years, researchers have discovered that working long hours is associated with a number of different health issues. Some of the physical diseases strongly correlated with overwork include an increased risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes.

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A wide range of mental health disorders including depression, anxiety and substance abuse are also prevalent among over workers.

It’s clear that people are eager to work longer hours to impress managers, get more work done, and add value to their organization. But due to the health and safety risks involved, overworking can have a detrimental effect not only on the individual, but also on the company as a whole.

The good news is that burnout and all of the health risks that go with it are entirely avoidable. By enrolling in health and safety courses, employees can educate themselves on the risks involved and take steps to prevent overworking.

With the right online health and safety training, employers and managers can also learn to spot signs of overwork and implement policies to ensure that workers stay safe and healthy and work reasonable hours.

While it might seem reasonable to think that working longer hours results in greater productivity, the opposite is actually true. Studies have shown that the sweet spot for productivity is between 35 – 49 hours per week. Once you start working more than 50 hours, there’s a steep drop off in the quality of the work.

But what about quantity? Even if the work is of lesser quality, surely more work is being done? Not quite. One study conducted by a professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, found that managers couldn’t tell the difference between employees who actually worked 80 hours a week and a sample group who just pretended to.

It wasn’t obvious that employees who worked longer hours accomplished more than the employees that worked fewer. This suggests that productivity is less about the number of hours worked, but rather dependent on the quality of those hours.

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Overwork Affects Both Employees and Organizations

The problem is that overwork isn’t simply wasted time, it’s also detrimental to the health of employees and the companies they work for. The list of ailments associated with overwork is long, detailed and very-well studied.

One study on British civil servants conducted in 1985 found that those who worked more than 55 hours a week found an association between overwork and cognitive decline. Other studies conducted by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health found that overwork and the resulting stress can lead to all sorts of health problems. These include:

Impaired sleep
Exhaustion
Depression
Anxiety
Heavy drinking
Diabetes
Impaired memory
Heart disease

While these disorders are terrible in their own right, they’re also extremely bad for a company’s profits and productivity. Employees who suffer as a result of overwork are more likely to be absent from work and perform more poorly when they do show up. This can lead to higher employee turnover and greater health insurance costs.

Overwork Can Negatively Affect Productivity

Even if health and safety wasn’t an employer’s responsibility, the obvious financial consequences of overwork should raise many alarms, and motivate organizations to implement measures to prevent it.

This isn’t new knowledge. It’s something that has been known since the 19th century, when factory owners limited hours to 10 and then 8 hours. Once these measures were administered, owners discovered that output actually increased. Accidents decreased and expensive blunders were avoided, which led to an overall increase in productivity and profits.

Ways to Promote Healthy Work-Life Balance

In order to make sure that employees don’t overwork, it’s up to employees to implement policies and set standards that promote a health work-life balance. As we discussed above, this not only benefits the employees, but results in tangible, long-term gains for the company as well.

Providing your employees with the necessary training and knowledge about the dangers of overwork is the first step to preventing it. Human Focus provides a number of different online health and safety courses aimed at educating employees about how to maintain their mental and physical health at work.

In addition to undertaking this online health and safety training, managers and employers can also take a number of actionable steps to help promote a healthy work-life balance. These include:

Speaking to your workers about their needs and workloads

Have your workers fill out a survey about work-life metrics of your company – such as hours worked, flexible work hours, family support. This will help you identify the specific areas in which your company needs to improve to accommodate your workers.

Learning how to spot burnout

It’s likely that your employees won’t admit (or aren’t even aware) that they’re close to burnout. It’s up to you to recognize the early signs of burnout so you can intervene and prevent it. Try suggesting that your employee take a few days off or distribute their projects to co-workers.

Employing flexitime and work-from-home policies

Giving your employees agency over how many hours they want and the option to work from home will give them way more flexibility. This will incentivize them to live their lives outside of work and step away from their laptops from time to time.

Judging employees on performance and productivity, not hours worked

Many employees feel the need to work longer hours to demonstrate their worth to the company. Make it clear that assessment reviews take into account performance and quality rather than overtime and hours worked.

Encouraging vacations

Staff sometimes feel the need to not take holidays for fear of letting the team down. Speak to your team and let them know that it’s perfectly okay to take vacations, and encourage them to take time off regularly to recharge.

Restricting employee hours

Implement policies that restrict the number of hours that an employee can work without affecting their mental or physical health. According to the Working Time Regulations, most workers should not have to work more than an average of 48 hours a week.

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World

More Trouble For Microsoft, OpenAI: Eight US Newspaper Publishers File Lawsuit For Copyright Infringement

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2024

Manoj Nair

More Trouble For Microsoft, OpenAI: Eight US Newspaper Publishers File Lawsuit For Copyright Infringement

Trouble for Microsoft and OpenAI over copyright infringement is not coming to an end, as they face several lawsuits for violating copyrights.

On Tuesday, eight US newspaper publishers sued Microsoft for illegally reusing articles in AI products.

The 98-page long lawsuit further accused the tech companies of attributing erroneous information to the publishers.

The eight newspapers that have filed the lawsuits include the New York Daily News and the Chicago Tribune.

They allege that OpenAI’s ChatGPT used their copyrighted articles to perfect its language models without permission.

The lawsuit was filed in a New York federal court on Tuesday. The publishers claim that OpenAI’s large language models, GPT-2 and GPT-3, were perfected using datasets containing text from their newspapers.

The language models are designed to produce text based on human inputs and reproduce copies of the publishers’ works. Microsoft has been indicted for using newspapers for its Bing search index but seldom provided links to the original articles. Four months ago, The New York Times also filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the tech giant of using data from its past content. It also asked for consent for usage, criticizing the use of full article excerpts in chatbot responses.

The latest lawsuit filed by the eight news outlets also demanded consent and fair value for using their content to perfect the AI language models. The lawsuit alleged that the AI tools literally regurgitate their content without directing users to the content source.

The lawsuit filings stated, “This lawsuit arises from defendants purloining millions of the publishers’ copyrighted articles without permission and without payment to fuel the commercialization of their generative artificial intelligence products, including ChatGPT and (Microsoft’s) Copilot.”

The eight newspapers that instituted the lawsuits are as follows:

The New York Daily News and The Chicago Tribune, both owned by Alden Global Capital
The Orlando Sentinel
The Sun Sentinel
The San Jose Mercury News
The Denver Post
The Orange County Register
The St. Paul Pioneer Press

OpenAI’s Response

OpenAI did not directly respond to the accusations but stated that it takes great care to support the news and media outlets. It also stated it is in continuous partnerships and conversations with various news outlets around the world to explore new opportunities, discuss problems, and seek out solutions.

Microsoft also stated that OpenAI has entered into fruitful partnerships with a number of publishers, which includes The Financial Times, The Associated Press, Spanish conglomerate Prisa Media, and Germany’s Axel Springer.

Net Worth

Alan Patricof Net Worth 2024: How Much is the American Investor Worth?

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Vishnu Chaudhary

Alan Patricof Net Worth 2024: How Much is the American Investor Worth?

Who is Alan Patricof?

Alan Patricof is a prominent figure in the American investment landscape, renowned for his contributions to venture capital. With a career spanning over four decades, Patricof has been instrumental in shaping the growth of numerous global companies, including America Online, Apple Computer, and Audible. His legacy extends beyond business, with involvement in community organizations and government initiatives.

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Alan Patricof Career

Alan Patricof’s career in venture capital began in the industry’s early days. He founded Patricof & Co. Ventures Inc., a precursor to Apax Partners, one of the world’s leading private equity firms. Later, he established Greycroft Partners, focusing on early and expansion-stage investments in digital media. Throughout his career, Patricof’s vision and leadership have played a pivotal role in advancing the venture capital field.

Alan Patricof’s Net Worth

As of May 3, 2024, Alan Patricof’s estimated net worth stands at over $1 million. His wealth is derived from various investments, including holdings in Boston Properties Inc. and successful ventures in digital media. Despite humble beginnings, Patricof’s entrepreneurial spirit and strategic acumen have propelled him to financial success.

Alan Patricof Age

Born in 1934, Alan Patricof is currently in his late eighties. Despite his advanced age, he remains active in the business world, leveraging his wealth of experience to mentor emerging entrepreneurs and drive innovation.

Alan Patricof Family: Wife and Children

Alan Patricof has been married to his wife Susan for over 48 years. Together, they have three children and seven grandchildren. Family holds great importance to Patricof, and he credits his upbringing and heritage for shaping his values and work ethic.

Alan Patricof Height and Weight

While specific details about Alan Patricof’s height and weight are not readily available, his stature in the investment community is undeniable. Patricof’s impact transcends physical measurements, as he continues to leave a lasting legacy in venture capital and philanthropy.

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Net Worth

Stephen M. Ross Net Worth 2024: How Much is the Chairperson of The Related Companies Worth?

Published

3 days ago

May 2, 2024

Vishnu Chaudhary

Stephen M. Ross Net Worth 2024: How Much is the Chairperson of The Related Companies Worth?

Who is Stephen M. Ross?

Stephen M. Ross, the Chairperson of The Related Companies, is a distinguished figure in the real estate sector, renowned for his significant contributions and profound impact. Born on May 10th, 1940, in Detroit, Michigan, Ross embarked on his journey into real estate at a young age, demonstrating remarkable diligence and entrepreneurial spirit. Despite initially pursuing a career as a tax attorney, Ross soon discovered his genuine passion for real estate investment, laying the foundation for his illustrious career.

Stephen M. Ross Career

Ross’s career trajectory is marked by pioneering ventures and transformative projects. In 1972, he founded The Related Companies, which initially focused on subsidized low and moderate-income apartments. Over the years, Ross transitioned to higher-profile projects, including the iconic Hudson Yards development, valued at over $7 billion. His visionary approach and strategic partnerships have cemented his reputation as a prominent figure within the real estate industry.

Stephen M. Ross Net Worth

As of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Stephen M. Ross’s net worth stands at an impressive $10 billion, solidifying his status as one of the wealthiest individuals globally. Ross’s wealth accumulation is attributed to his unparalleled success as a real estate mogul, with an estimated annual income of nearly $700 million derived from royalties on his diverse property holdings. His continued involvement in the real estate sector, with ongoing projects in New Jersey and Florida, further contributes to his substantial net worth.

Stephen M. Ross Age

Currently, Stephen M. Ross is 83 years old, born on May 10th, 1940. Despite his age, Ross remains actively engaged in his professional pursuits, demonstrating resilience and dedication to his craft.

Stephen M. Ross Family: Wife and Children

Ross’s personal life is characterized by familial bonds and enduring relationships. He is happily married to Kara Ross and is the proud father of four children. Ross’s commitment to family values underscores his holistic approach to life and business.

Stephen M. Ross Height and Weight

Physically, Stephen M. Ross stands at a height of 6 feet 2 inches (1.88m) and maintains a healthy body weight of around 72 kg. Despite his busy schedule, Ross prioritizes his health and well-being, engaging in activities such as volleyball and tennis.

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