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Pajamas and Pearls:  Insights on Workforce Resilience Out of Post-Pandemic Recovery

Published by in Corporate Wellness on November 3rd, 2021

 

Pajamas and Pearls: 

Insights on Workforce Resilience Out of Post-Pandemic Recovery

By Jeanne P. Hartig, RN

The new remote work and alternative hours options offered to more and more post-pandemic workers1 go beyond reduced commute times and relaxed requirements for 9-to-5 workdays.  They allow employees to make choices that directly impact work, family, and everyday quality-of-life.  As a result, workers are finding themselves free to choose what matters most and loving their jobs more than ever before.

If there is anything that the post-pandemic blended work life has taught us, it is that workforce wellness initiatives work.  The most basic example of allowing workers to trade the old traditional workplace attire of pantyhose and heels or shirt and tie for a new “life happens, and we are all human” look is changing lives.  The post-pandemic work attire of “pajamas and pearls” (or sweats, of course) for a Zoom meeting is fine, and it leads to a dedicated, hard-working, and resilient workforce that can step up to just about any challenge.

The new freedom of being able to work hard as a dedicated contributor to a job, and to also be present for our families/children/personal endeavors, has echoed what we have been trying to convey about the critical importance of workforce wellness initiatives for over 20 years.  The unexpected outcome of employers shifting policy to allow workers to choose remote and alternative hours options has opened a new level of respect, acceptance, and allowance for simply being human2.  And the result of the new trend of employers offering options to enrich work-life balance is an astounding upsurge in workforce resilience and wellbeing.

During the pandemic, there has been an increase in compromise from previously unbending employers to facilitate remote work.  It was a necessity for many employers, with business taking a huge hit from the changed pandemic economy3.  The new remote work structure forced the relaxation of formal standards with new acceptance of alternative work attire, homelife interruptions, technical glitches, and bad hair days.

The new acceptance of attending to home life, acceptance of all things human has made way for a higher priority of caring for self.  As a workforce wellness provider, we see the numbers are revealing what we already knew.  Biometric screenings for a cohort of workers screened in 2019, 2020 and 2021 showed revealing trends.  From 2019 to 2020, there was an increase in health risks (A1c and BMI).  For the same cohort, a marked tend of health improvement with the 2020 to 2021 screenings revealed a decline in these risk measures.  Although the numbers have not yet reached the 2019 level, they are well on their way.

This outcome is critical for both employers and employees.  The new trend is heading toward enhanced workforce health, wellbeing, and resilience for workforce populations.  The key to grasping the unreachable golden ring of influencing costs associated with workforce health has been revealed to employers.   It is just a matter of leaning beyond the traditional 9-5 carousel.   And smart employers who know the importance of home-life balance, offering life enhancing choices and smiling at the new “pajamas and pearls” work attire are reaping the benefits all the way to the bank.

Resources

1 Holst, Arne. “Remote Work Frequency Before/after COVID-19 2020.” Statista, 3 July 2020, www.statista.com/statistics/1122987/change-in-remote-work-trends-after-covid-in-usa/.

2 “Children Interrupting Zoom Meetings Could Be the Reboot Corporate Culture Needed | Catharine Lumby.” The Guardian, 18 June 2020, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/18/children-interrupting-zoom-meetings-could-be-the-reboot-corporate-culture-needed.

3 Simon, Ruth. “Covid-19’S Toll on U.S. Business? 200,000 Extra Closures in Pandemic’s First Year.” Wall Street Journal, 16 Apr. 2021, www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19s-toll-on-u-s-business-200-000-extra-closures-in-pandemics-first-year-11618580619.

Doing What Drives You – A Pathway to Your Passion

Published by in Corporate Wellness on July 2nd, 2021

Doing What Drives You – A Pathway to Your Passion

by Jeanne P. Hartig, RN

Remembering my Posture Awareness Project from sophomore year of high school made me realize that our passions and what drives us are part of us even in childhood.

This past month I had a flash memory of my childhood – well of my “teen-hood.”  The memory made me realize that my drive and passion for health awareness was part of me long before WellAdvantage ever existed.

I attended an all-girls Catholic High School in Silver Spring, Maryland.  I don’t have too many detailed memories of that time in my life, as it was a time of family turmoil.  But I remembered every detail of this particular occurrence so long ago in my flash memory.

I had apparently noticed that some of my fellow classmates appeared to have hunched backs and shoulders that were significantly imbalanced or drooping on one side.  I am not sure why I was even aware of this, but I recalled thinking that maybe they did not even know.  I somehow knew that with awareness they could have a choice to change the further development of the imbalance.  The reason that this memory struck me as significant, is that this was clearly related to my passion for helping people to prevent further declines in health.  And it is exactly what I do now with WellAdvantage.

The crazy thing is that my flash memory included my subsequent “Posture Awareness Project” that same year.  I had set up a camera on a tripod in front of a backdrop with vertical and horizontal lines behind the curtain of the school’s gymnasium stage.  There I took pictures of my classmates as they stood upright.  One shot facing front, and one shot facing to the side.  I marked the standard posture points on each picture and drew lines to show the areas that were not aligned.  I then gave each classmate a personal posture assessment folder. What I now realize is that I was performing a prevention screening!

As I recalled this memory, I was floored by the realization that I had performed a screening (and I also wondered where I got the money and resources to pull this off)!  I feel lucky to have landed in a place where I can do what drives me and my passion every day.  I believe that when people follow their passion, they have the best chance to make an impact in this world.

#LifePassion #HealthScreenings #WellAdvantage #TheCorporateWellnessExperts

Thoughts on Pandemic Recovery

Published by in Corporate Wellness on May 20th, 2021

Back in April of 2020, I can recall feeling very proud of myself for using the word “unprecedented,” referring to the pandemic that had burst onto the scene.  It was not more than 24 hours before I realized that this was the “word of the day” to help emphasize the extreme level of concern related to the pandemic.  I do not recall ever using this word before in my lifetime.  If I had, I am sure I would have been impressed with myself.  But now in the midst of pandemic recovery, I believe the word has lost some of its bravado due to overuse.

I am currently looking for a new word which implies, “a catastrophic storm that induces positive outcomes.”  It would be the perfect word to explain why I no longer become frustrated with many of the small things.  Here is an example use of the word: “Because of  _ _ _ _ _  (insert new word) , I seem to approach this issue with a greater sense of patience and understanding.” 

My biggest question here – Why does it take a catastrophic unprecedented event to help me to remember to be human?

 

Finding Normal

Published by in Press Releases on August 13th, 2020

Finding Normal

A Perspective on the New Order of Things

Jeanne Puglisi Hartig, RN

 

It has been many months since the COVID-19 pandemic literally jolted us out of our familiar everyday routines and launched us on unfamiliar roads for our work, home and social lives.  We have had to learn new ways for just about everything we do, which has been unsettling for many of us.  I recently had a discussion with a friend who was tired of waiting for things to “get back to normal.”  She had started to believe that things would never get back to the pre-pandemic normal. I think she’s right—we can’t go back to normal because what is “normal” changes throughout life. And that’s a good thing!

“You can never go home again,” is a sentiment I hear often from my 30-something year-old daughters and their friends.  I believe this is because as we grow and evolve throughout our lives, so does our “normal.”  From changing diapers, to carpooling middle schoolers, to having grandkids run through our homes, we open our hearts and minds to the things that come with life’s stages. These become the new order of things, the new normal in our lives.

Change is not always easy, and this is very true with the COVID-19 pandemic.  Right now, our normal includes telework, wearing masks, maintaining our distance, and adapting to new rules and recommendations to keep everyone safe. The new order of things has changed, but there is no need to “long” for normal to come.  It has been (and will continue to be) with us all along. Our challenge is to turn the discomfort into an opportunity for growth.

Spotting the Warning Signs of Heart Disease in the Workplace

Published by in Corporate Wellness, Health on February 24th, 2016

Most people spend the majority of their time in the workplace. For this reason, the workplace is a great opportunity to promote heart health awareness. Training staff to look for symptoms of a heart attack could potentially save an employee’s life. And since co-workers are able to see deteriorations in a person’s health each day, they can be a valuable source for spotting changes in behavior and disposition.

The first obvious thing to be on the lookout for is any unusual pain. Heart attack pain is often described by patients as “tightness in the chest,” so if an employee ever uses this phrase, it’s a good idea to make sure that co-workers know that there may be a heart emergency in progress. Changes in energy can also be spotted in the workplace. If someone is generally very active and alert, but suddenly seems sluggish or lethargic, employees should be aware of potential health emergencies and engage with the staff member to find out if they are okay.

Employees that are short of breath are another major warning sign that can be spotted by co-workers. For office work that is generally sedentary, finding an employee suddenly out of breath and/or sweating should ring some warning bells, especially if this employee generally doesn’t exhibit symptoms like this.

In short, there are several ways that employees can spot the changing health circumstances in their colleagues. It doesn’t always take a doctor to recognize the signs and symptoms of heart failure, so a bit of training can go a long way for employees.

There are many steps to understanding and preventing heart attacks; here is a guide to identifying some of the warning signs, as well as a few tips for prevention.

General Warning Signs of Heart Attacks

There are many symptoms that can indicate a heart attack is about to happen. Here are a few of the warning signs:

Pain:

Pain or discomfort in the chest. This can come as a stabbing pain that goes away and then returns, or in some cases, it may be constant.  Pain or discomfort in the chest can radiate out to other body parts as the pressure builds up around the heart and may actually present as back pain or upper gastric pain.  If the pain or discomfort begins to radiate out to affect shoulders or lower back, this is another warning sign before a heart attack.

Shortness of Breath:

Shortness of breath can be another indicator of a heart attack. In this case, the organs are working to provide oxygen and nutrients to the whole body despite an irregularity with the heart.

Sweating, Nausea, Lightheadedness:

Sweating, nausea, and lightheadedness can also be physical manifestations of the internal struggle before a heart attack.

General Warning Signs of Heart Attacks

General Warning Signs of Heart Attacks

 

These signs can come on very suddenly, and they may coincide with the symptoms of other illnesses. This is why it’s important to educate people about the symptoms of heart disease so that they can be on the alert for any of these issues. If several of these symptoms occur at one time, it can be considered an emergency and an ambulance should be called right away—it’s better to be safe than sorry.

How the Signs Can Differ in Women

Many people aren’t aware that the classic heart disease symptoms can present differently in women; (women’s heart attack symptoms). As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain. Sweating, fatigue, and nausea are also common symptoms.

Workplace Wellness Programs

One of the best ways to educate employees about heart health is to set up a workplace wellness program that includes some education about heart health. Training programs can teach employees what to look for in themselves and co-workers in the case of a heart emergency, as well as understanding health risk factors. These training sessions should stress the importance of action, even if there is uncertainty about the precise health problem or the presence of a heart failure.

Workplace wellness programs can also incorporate educational sessions to teach employees what steps to take if a fellow colleague presents the signs of a heart attack. It’s important for businesses to have an emergency protocol in place for this type of emergency. For instance, who should employees call to alert when there is a medical emergency? Do they contact bosses, families, and/or paramedics and in what order? What kind of support are employees allowed to provide if they see another co-worker in need of medical attention? Is there anything they can do to make the environment safer for a colleague that’s suffering a heart attack?

The best course of action is to call 911 first. After 911 is called and the victim is being cared for, a co-worker should contact Human Resources in order for them to contact any family members.  However, each company should establish its own protocols as it relates to an incident of this nature.  The most important factor here is educating each other on the signs so that someone can tune into a possible life and death situation by knowing the signs of a heart attack.

Great training programs can answer employees’ questions and provide a variety of ways for workers to learn, including video and audio presentations, conversations, and even real-world scenario simulations. But another positive benefit of these programs is to get employees thinking about reducing health risk factors in the office. Something as simple as a stretch break during long meetings, or taking 10 minutes out of a lunch break to start a new walking and exercise routine, can create a lot of positive effects and cumulative benefits for both employees and employers alike.

Real-World Results

There have been a number of studies done on the effects of adult education programs for heart health. For instance, researchers tested the effects of an hour-long education program on heart health. The program taught participants about heart health care and heart attack warning signs. After the hour-long program, participants took a test to see how much they learned, and the results were a significant amount of new, practical knowledge.

If it’s possible to have these positive results with just an hour-long program, you can imagine the benefits of a longer and more comprehensive training program. And it’s certainly worth a company’s time to train staff on crucial health issues, both to protect the company and to improve the health and wellbeing of its employees.

To speak with someone about implementing a workplace wellness program at your company, please call us at (410) 795-7579.

 

About the Author

Jeanne Puglisi Sherwood, RN is the President and Founder of WellAdvantage. As an intensive Care Nurse, Jeanne saw that many of the patients she worked with had illnesses directly related to unhealthy lifestyles, especially poor nutrition, inactivity, obesity and smoking, preventing the body from handling any new crisis. Jeanne knew that education and preventive measures were key to keeping many of her patients out of the hospital.

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June 2012 Newsletter

Published by in Corporate Wellness on June 5th, 2012
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