“Wellness” and “wellbeing” are synonymous. But “wellness” has been diluted in the marketplace. Traditional workplace wellness is flawed. It has an intense focus on physical health and unrealistic expectations. It’s often based on ineffective incentives. Incentives may help encourage participation, but are they leading to engagement in the wellness programs? Doubtful.

Blog updated on March 27, 2017 to reflect most recent data.

According to Express Scripts’ 2016 Drug Trend Report, national prescription drug spending increased just 3.8% in 2016, down from 5.2% in 2015 and a whopping 13.1% in 2014. This may very well come as a surprise to those who have witnessed prescription drug claims jump from 18-20% of their total medical and Rx spend to 35% and greater. Don't worry, you're not alone! 

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Larry Linne, entrepreneur, advisor, and author. We hope you enjoy Larry's wisdom and perspective.

A business leader exists in a perpetual world of chaos. Issues and pressures from employees, vendors, professional advisors, clients, innovation, strategy, and execution all dance around in the leader’s brain. This chaos can bring a leader to a point of becoming powerless and ineffective. However, this chaos is also what provides the opportunity to do something GREAT, something worth writing about.

Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is #5 on the list of most frequently cited OSHA standards with 2,704 violations. OSHA estimates that compliance with the standard could prevent 500,000 injuries and 120 fatalities a year. What can your company do to meet this standard and properly protect your workforce from the dangers of hazardous energy during the machine inspection and maintenance process?

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Rick Slagle, President and CEO for Majority Builders. We hope you enjoy Rick’s wisdom and perspective. 

Every year we set aside a day to spend time with all our employee-owners talking about our GESOP, our company, how we’re doing, and to have some fun. It’s always a good day. But last week’s meeting was exceptional. It was extraordinary because of our stock valuation results, our recent Best Places To Work award, and best of all – continued camaraderie with all the people who make Gibson great, our employee-owners.

Employee terminations, if not handled safely and with respect, pose significant risk for incidents of workplace violence. Let’s consider a scenario many human resources professionals can relate to.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote,

“In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody."

When you think of snacks, what comes to mind? Did you know snacking is actually a healthy habit for adults and children? Of course there’s a caveat - to have health benefits, it has to be full of nutrients versus laden with sugar and simple carbohydrates.

This article was written by Heidi McIdoo, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., nutrition consultant, spokesperson, author, and freelance writer. It originally appeared in Health Perch, a digital health magazine focusing on physical and mental wellness.

Enjoy!

According to OSHA, approximately 2.3 million construction workers frequently work on scaffolds. Scaffold-related accidents cause about 4,500 injuries and 50 deaths every year. They also result in $90 million in lost workdays. Taking steps to ensure compliance with the scaffolding standards could help employers protect workers and prevent significant costs.