GET A LIFE! NEWS 2005 ARCHIVE
USA:
Night work linked to premature births
Working nights while pregnant increases the risk of giving birth prematurely
by up to 50 per cent, according to a new study. Working nightshifts in
the first three months was linked to a doubling in a woman's risk of early
labour.
Risks 237, 17 December 2005
Europe:
On-call is working time says European Court
On-call time must be included in working time calculations, according
to a European Court of Justice ruling. In a case brought by French unions,
the court ruled that night duty carried out by a teacher in an establishment
for people with disabilities must be taken into account in its entirety
when ascertaining whether the rules of Community law laid down to protect
workers – in particular the maximum permitted weekly working time
– have been complied with.
Risks 236, 10 December 2005
Britain:
Employers failing tackle the UK’s long hours culture
Government claims that Britain's long hours culture is being transformed
by new rights to request flexible work patterns have been challenged in
a new TUC report.
Risks 234, 26 November 2005
Britain:
Scots workplace mental illness toll revealed
Mental illness is the most common cause of absence from work, according
to new research for the Scottish Executive. The See Me campaign found
a third of employees off work due to mental illness gave a different reason
for their absence, with some using faked sick notes rather than admit
to depression or stress.
Risks 232, 12 November 2005
Britain:
24 February 2006 is Work Your Proper Hours Day
The TUC's award-winning 'Work Your Proper Hours Day' will take place on
Friday 24 February next year. This is when the TUC estimates that people
who do unpaid overtime will stop working for free in 2006 and start to
get paid.
Risks 231, 5 November 2005
Britain:
Stress rife in NHS, bosses say
Most NHS employers think up to half of their staff may be suffering from
workplace stress, a report has concluded. A survey for NHS Employers found
that 62 per cent of health service organisations estimated that half their
workforce might be under stress.
Risks 231, 5 November 2005
Global:
Unhappy workers face health risks
Researchers in Finland have found that workers who felt they were being
treated fairly had a much lower incidence of coronary heart disease, the
leading cause of death in all Western societies. Study author Mika Kivimaki
of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health wrote in Archives of Internal
Medicine: “Lack of justice may be a source of oppression, deprivation
and stress.”
Risks 230, 29 October 2005
Global:
Union says fatigue is a silent assassin
Professional drivers from across southern England converged on Dover on
14 October to drive home the message that fatigue kills. The action, part
of an international week of action by transport workers, was organised
by the Transport and General Workers’ Union to reinforce the union’s
message that long hours means tired drivers and tired drivers are more
of a killer on the roads than drunk drivers.
Risks 228, 15 October 2005
Finland:
Job stress link to stroke and heart attack risk
Young men with high work demands and a lack of control over their job
situation show signs of early atherosclerosis, according to a new study.
Researchers conducting imaging tests found increased thickness of the
lining of the carotid arteries, which supply blood to the head, in men
who reported having low job control and high job strain, according to
the study in the current issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.
Risks 226, 1 October 2005
Britain:
TUC welcomes minister’s move on offshore hours
TUC has welcomed an indication from a government minister that he is minded
to change the law to make clear offshore workers are covered by the Working
Time Directive.
Risks 225, 24 September 2005
Britain:
Workers “need mental health help”
Employers should do more to help support workers who are suffering from
mental health problems, according to a new report. The British Occupational
Health Research Foundation (BOHRF) said counselling could help staff to
stay in work.
Risks 224, 17 September 2005
Britain:
Work smarter not longer says government
Working smarter is key to improving employee msatisfaction and productivity,
the government has said. The call came on the publication of a joint DTI,
TUC and CBI guide to tackling Britain’s unhealthy long hours culture.
Risks 223, 10 September 2005
Britain:
Cocktail effect of doctors' hours
A study has shown how important the reduction of junior doctors' hours
has been, equating the effect of long shifts to drinking a few cocktails.
Risks 223, 10 September 2005
Britain:
Unions meet in offshore leave row
Union leaders representing North Sea oil workers seeking four weeks' paid
holiday per year have met to decide their next move and have agreed to
continue to support and encourage North Sea employees to take employment
tribunal cases over the disputed holiday rights.
Risks 223, 10 September 2005
USA:
Female night workers face breast cancer risk
The 24-hour economy is placing women at an increased risk of breast cancer,
a major study has warned. Researchers from Harvard University have established
that regular night shifts increase the chance of developing the disease
by as much as 50 per cent.
Risks 222, 3 September 2005
Sweden:
Stressed women stop working earlier
Stress at work is a more common reason for women taking early retirement
than illness according to new research. The study, conducted on 300 women
in Stockholm by the public health institute at the Karolinska Institute,
found that less than half of healthy working women actually work up to
the age of 65.
Risks, 27 August 2005
Global:
Long working hours boost risk of illness and injury
Long working hours drive up the risk of injury and illness regardless
of the job you do, according to a new study. Research in the journal Occupational
and Environmental Medicine shows the greatly increased risk has nothing
to do with how hazardous the job is and support government initiatives,
such as those espoused by the European Union, to cut working hours.
Risks 220, 20 August 2005
Britain:
Staff suffering stress in silence
One in four workers know a colleague whose mental wellbeing has suffered
as a result of workplace stress, according to a new survey. Half of workers
believe that stress in the workplace is a “serious problem”
and over 40 per cent believe their careers would suffer if they admitted
to being affected by stress.
Risks 217, 30 July 2005
Britain:
Amicus wins offshore working time ruling
Amicus has won a test case ruling, establishing the Working Time Regulations
cover UK oil employees working offshore.
Risks 217, 30 July 2005
Britain:
Mental illness now Scotland’s top work health problem
Mental illness is the most common work-related health problem
in Scotland, and Scottish workers are more likely to suffer from it than
those in the rest of the UK. A new study shows mental health problems
have overtaken musculoskeletal disorders as the most common health problem
in Scotland’s workplaces.
Risks * Number 216 * 23 July 2005
Britain:
Stressed caretaker faces punitive rent hike
A school caretaker who is off sick with work-related stress has been hit
by the school with a massive rent rise that could eat up two-thirds of
her monthly pay cheque.
Risks * Number 216 * 23 July 2005
India:
Out-sourced and stressed out
Complaints of stress and depression among Indian call centre and software
workers are rising. Long hours and the stress of masquerading as a western
worker have been blamed.
Risks 215, 16 July 2005
Britain:
TUC tells safety reps they can tackle stress
The TUC is urging union safety reps to tackle the workplace stress epidemic,
a problem which makes half a million people ill and costs society £3.7
billion every year.
Risks 215, 16 July 2005
Britain:
TUC guide to HSE’s stress management standards
The TUC has published an online safety reps’ guide to the Health
and Safety Executive’s stress management standards.
Risks 214, 9 July 2005
Britain:
Landmark legal case triumph for overworked staff
A pub landlord who collapsed due to overwork and successfully sued his
former employers for failing to cut down on his hours has won a “landmark”
appeal court victory, says his union TGWU. The ruling will have businesses
across the UK re-thinking their employees’ working hours, according
to the union’s solicitors
Risks 214, 9 July 2005
Japan:
New high for work suicide and mental illness
A record 130 people in Japan were eligible for workers' compensation for
suicide or mental illness induced by stress and excessive work in 2004,
according to latest labour ministry figures.
Risks 212, 25 June 2005
Britain:
Long hours peril in the NHS
The NHS shift system could be putting doctors and patients at risk, experts
have warned.
Risks 212, 25 June 2005
Britain:
NHS stress levels “very high and very real”
The NHS needs to do much more to tackle soaring levels of stress in the
workplace, because of the huge human and financial costs, Cary Cooper,
professor of organisational psychology and health at the University of
Lancaster, has said.
Risks 212, 25 June 2005
Britain:
Dull work increases heart attack risk
Having a dull job may increase your risk of a heart attack, researchers
have found. Dull, steady, unexciting work is associated with a faster
and less variable heart rate, which, in turn, is linked to heart disease,
said a team from University College London. They found that men with “low-grade
jobs”, meaning they had little control over daily tasks, and men
in low social positions were at greatest risk.
Risks 210, 11 June 2005
Europe:
UK stalls progress on working hours limit
The UK government has led a minority group of European ministers which
on 2 June successfully blocked moves to end the UK “opt-out”
from the European Working Time Directive’s 48 hour ceiling on the
working week.
Risks 209, 4 June 2005
Britain:
Long hours are bad for health and productivity
Long working hours are damaging the health of UK’s industry and
its workforce, new research from TUC has shown. A report cites a string
of UK and international reports showing higher accident levels and higher
rates of heart disease, mental illness, bowel problems and diabetes in
those regularly working in excess of 48 hours a week.
Risks 209, 4 June 2005
Britain:
Burnout hits half Britain's workers
More than half British workers claim they have experienced problems associated
with overwork and burnout during the past six months, according to a new
survey.
Risks 209, 4 June 2005
Britain:
Fatigue is causing ship collisions
Fatigue among sailors on merchant ships caused a “worrying number”
of collisions or near misses in 2004, the chief maritime investigator
has reported.
Risks 209, 4 June 2005
Japan:
Migrant worker wins heart attack payout
Authorities in Japan have recognised that a heart attack suffered by a
Bangladeshi construction worker was caused by overwork and have ruled
he should be paid state compensation. Experts say it is rare for a foreign
worker to win recognition that heart problems are related to their job.
Risks 208, 28 May 2005
Europe:
Unions call for European Commission to act on hours
Unions across Europe are calling on the European Commission to back worker-friendly
changes to the Working Time Directive already supported by the European
Parliament.
Risks 208, 28 May 2005
Britain:
Bad jobs are stressing out millions
Excessive stress at work is causing an epidemic of depression and anxiety,
costing the British economy about £100bn a year in lost output,
according to a new report from mental health charity Mind.
Risks 207, 21 May 2005
Finland:
Overwork and stress causes excess girth
Overworked and stressed employees are more likely to put on weight, researchers
have found. The study by the University of Helsinki’s Department
of Public Health found there were clear risk groups for weight gain, with
those suffering from work-related fatigue and those working a lot of overtime
at a particularly high risk.
Risks 207, 21 May 2005
Britain:
Landlord loses heart attack damages claim
Pub landlord Edward Harding has lost his Court of Appeal fight for compensation
after claiming he suffered a heart attack from the stress of working long
hours at a Greater Manchester pub. He had claimed that the stress of working
70 hours a week behind the bar in an area of high crime meant he was entitled
to compensation from his employer, The Pub Estate Company.
Risks 207, 21 May 2005
Britain:
NHS launches anti-stress campaign
NHS bosses have launched a national campaign to help combat stress in
the workplace. Steve Barnett, director of NHS Employers, said the campaign
will help health service employers to target signs of stress in their
employees and to take steps to reduce them.
Risks 207, 21 May 2005
Britain:
TGWU stands firm on drivers’ hours
Drivers’ union TGWU is telling haulage bosses it will continue its
push for improved regulation on working hours behind the wheel.
Risks 207, 21 May 2005
Global:
Time to act on fatigue at sea
A union has called for urgent action to tackle the “appalling”
fatigue risk facing staff on commercial ships.
Risks 206, 14 May 2005
Europe:
Victory for common sense on 48 hour work week
Unions have welcomed a European Parliament vote to scrap an opt-out rule
limiting the working week in the EU to an average of 48 hours.
Risks 206, 14 May 2005
Japan:
Union blames rail firm “humiliation” for tragedy
Union members in Japan have placed the blame for last week’s massive
train crash that claimed 106 lives squarely on the railway company, saying
under pressure workers face humiliating penalties for slight delays. “The
accident is a result of JR West's corporate stance of prioritising operations
and high-pressure management that uses terror to force employees to follow
orders,” said Osamu Yomono, vice-president of the Japan Confederation
of Railway Workers' Unions.
Risks 203, 7 May 2005
Europe:
Unions “optimistic” on European working hours rules
Europe’s trade unions are “quietly confident” that MEPs
will back demands to scrap Britain’s controversial opt-out from
EU rules on working time.
Risks 203, 23 April 2005
New
Zealand: Company fined for worker’s stress
A marine engineering firm has become the first in New Zealand to receive
a safety conviction for work-related stress. Nalder and Biddle admitted
the charge and was fined $8,000 (£3,060), and ordered to pay reparation
of $1,300 (£497) to the employee.
Risks 202, 16 April 2005
Global:
Job pressure is breaking hearts
The longer hours, faster pace, and insecurity typical of many new jobs
is taking a toll on workers' hearts, according to a growing body of occupational
health research. And researchers say the damage is cumulative and will
become more apparent and costly over time.
Risks 201, 9 April 2005
USA:
Wal-Mart seeks 16 hour "sweatshops on wheels"
Public safety advocates and transport unions have called on the US government
to defeat a proposed law being pushed by Wal-Mart and other retail and
short-haul truckers that would extend truckers' workdays to 16 hours.
Risks 199, 19 March 2005
Britain:
Enforced "binge working" is creating a nation of workaholics
Overwork is forcing workers into unhealthy lifestyles as they attempt
to reconcile long working hours and family responsibilities.
Risks 199, 19 March 2005
Britain:
Physios warn "hurried women" to slow down
Thousands of women battling to cope with greater working hours on top
of a hectic home life could be risking poor physical and mental health,
according to a new report from physios' union CSP.
Risks 199, 19 March 2005
Britain:
TGWU drives transport working time watch
Transport union TGWU has launched a "working time watch" to
make sure new rules on driving hours for commercial drivers are properly
implemented by employers and give workers sufficient protection.
Risks 199, 19 March 2005
Britain:
Leaked report suggests new UK hours opt-out challenge
Britain's opt-out from Europe's 48-hour working week ceiling could be
once again under threat. A leaked report suggests the European Commission
is going to press the UK to come into line with European law.
Risks 198, 12 March 2005
Japan:
Unions target unpaid overtime
The Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) has made the elimination
of unpaid overtime a key pillar in its spring wage negotiations. The issue
of unpaid overtime has risen to prominence because there has been a rise
in work-related accidents and deaths linked to long working hours.
Risks 197, 5 March 2005
Denmark:
Slowing down and stopping reduces computer strains
Giving workers the freedom to take regular breaks and to have control
over the speed of their work is the remedy to computer-related strain
injuries, a study has found.
Risks 196, 26 February 2005
Britain:
TUC reveals Britain's unpaid overtime scandal
Teachers and lecturers on average do longer hours of unpaid overtime than
any other occupation, according to the TUC's unpaid overtime league table.
The latest figures, based on Labour Force Survey statistics and published
ahead of TUC's 25 February "Work Your Proper Hours Day," show
how the £23 billion of unpaid overtime worked in the UK last year
breaks down between different occupational groups.
Risks 196, 26 February 2005
Sweden:
Study finds work stress can give women diabetes
Women who experience stress and a lack of control over their work could
be at great risk of diabetes, according to Swedish research.
Risks 195, 19 February 2005
USA:
Car crashes on the way home linked to excessive shifts
Grossly excessive work shifts could leave workers at twice the risk of
a car crash, US government-backed research has shown. It found first year
doctors in training who work shifts of longer than 24 hours are more than
twice as likely to have a car crash leaving the hospital and five times
as likely to have a "near miss" incident on the road as medical
interns who work shorter shifts.
Risks 191, 22 January 2005
Taiwan:
New rules on death from overwork
Taiwan has broadened the definition of death from overwork. The Council
of Labor Affairs (CLA) health and safety department said that the new
standard for reaching a verdict of death by overwork, known in Japan as
"karoshi" and China as "guolaosi," and serious medical
conditions, such as a stroke, will not be based solely on hours worked.
Risks 190, 15 January 2005
Britain:
Average unpaid overtime was worth £4,650 in 2004
UK employees did unpaid overtime worth £23 billion in 2004, according
to TUC - a mindblowing £4,650 worth per worker.
Risks 189, 8 January 2005
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