ScienceDaily: Industrial Relations News

Improving overall employee wellness could yield multiple benefits

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:07:07 EDT

Controlling health care costs is crucial for manufacturers to remain competitive. That's why researchers are working with manufacturers to determine if employee wellness programs will cut costs and improve productivity.

Universal paid sick leave reduces spread of flu

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:18:18 EDT

Allowing all employees access to paid sick days would reduce influenza infections in the workplace by nearly 6 percent, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis. The researchers simulated an influenza epidemic in Pittsburgh and surrounding Allegheny County and estimated it to be more effective for small, compared to large, workplaces.

Workers do not quit due to mandatory flu shot

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:40:40 EDT

In its fourth year with 99 percent compliance, Loyola University Health System's mandatory flu shot program is the subject of a new study presented at an infectious disease conference.

Caregiving dads treated disrespectfully at work, new study finds

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:09:09 EDT

If policy-makers want to do something about falling birth rates, they may want to take a look at improving how people are treated at work when they step outside of traditional family roles at home. New studies show that middle-class men who take on non-traditional caregiving roles are treated worse at work than men who stick closer to traditional gender norms in the family. Women without children and mothers with non-traditional caregiving arrangements are treated worst of all.

Companies pay almost $6,000 extra per year for each employee who smokes

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 19:29:29 EDT

A new study suggests that U.S. businesses pay almost $6,000 per year extra for each employee who smokes compared to the cost to employ a person who has never smoked cigarettes. Researchers say it's the first study to take a comprehensive look at the financial burden for companies employing smokers.

Walking or bicycling to work influenced by others

Wed, 29 May 2013 10:16:16 EDT

People who walk or bike to work are likely to influence their co-workers and partners to do the same, according to health researchers.

How to best manage workaholics: New study offers insight

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:51:51 EDT

Workaholics tend to live in extremes, with great job satisfaction and creativity on the one hand and high levels of frustration and exhaustion on the other hand. Now, a new study offers managers practical ways to help these employees stay healthy and effective on the job.

Positive social support at work shown to reduce risk of diabetes

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:36:36 EDT

Low levels of social support and high levels of stress in the workplace accurately predict the development of diabetes over the long term -- even in employees who appear to be healthy otherwise.

Family-friendly tenure policies result in salary penalty for professors

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:49:49 EDT

Well-intentioned policies to make achieving tenure more family-friendly actually have negative consequences for the salaries of college faculty, says a new study.

Not everyone likes the company picnic

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:39:39 EDT

The workers who may have the most to gain from attending company social events may be the ones who actually get the least value from them, a new study suggests.

Graduate glut spells underused skills and dissatisfaction for many

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:22:22 EDT

Graduates are taking up jobs that don't fully use their skills and as a result are causing high turnover for employers, claims new research. The findings raise questions about today's high throughput in university education.

Cash for weight loss? Works better when employees compete for pots of money

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:13:13 EDT

Do cash rewards for healthier habits work? Maybe, says a new study, if you add on one more condition -- peer pressure. A growing number of companies are offering employees an opportunity to boost earning power at work via cash incentives to stay healthy. Under the Affordable Care Act, employers will soon be able to offer even larger financial incentives to prod healthy lifestyle behaviors among their workforce, such as quitting smoking and losing weight. But people who are offered money for weight loss may be much more successful when awards are based on a group's performance -- rather than just their own -- according to the new research.

Global companies beware: Rude customer treatment depends on culture

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:15:15 EDT

A new study reveals that North American service workers are more likely to sabotage rude customers, while Chinese react by disengaging from customer service altogether.

Successful entrepreneurs share a common history of getting in trouble as teenagers

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:07:07 EST

Independence. Creativity. Money. Those are the benefits associated with successful entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. But is being an entrepreneur really more lucrative than working for a salary? And who is best cut out to succeed? A new study answers both of these questions.

A question of accountability: What happens when employees are left in the dark?

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:23:23 EST

All employees are accountable for something, but very few fully understand exactly what they are accountable for, according to a new study.

Wanted: A life outside the workplace

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:58:58 EST

New research suggests the growing number of workers who are single and without children have trouble finding the time or energy to participate in non-work interests, just like those with spouses and kids.

Mediocre managers who 'fly under the radar' are just as damaging as the David Brents of this world, research finds

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 10:59:59 EST

Not taking responsibility, passing on stress, panicking about deadlines and telling staff what to do rather than consulting them, are some of the worst attributes of bad managers identified in new research. These characteristics are identified alongside some of the more obvious 'David Brent' style behaviours, such as inappropriate humour or favouritism, as ways in which managers undermine employee motivation and wellbeing.

Targets of bully bosses aren't the only victims

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 10:37:37 EST

Abusive bosses who target employees with ridicule, public criticism, and the silent treatment not only have a detrimental effect on the employees they bully, but they negatively impact the work environment for the co-workers of those employees who suffer from “second-hand” or vicarious abusive supervision, according to new research.

Work-life balance needed for recovery from job stress

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:33:33 EST

Detaching from work -- mentally, physically and electronically -- is the key to recovery from job stress during nonwork hours, according to an expert.

Policy, enforcement may stop employees from wasting time online at work

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:07:07 EST

Researchers studied cyberloafing -- wasting time at work on the Internet -- and the effects of Internet use policies and punishment on reducing cyberloafing.

Rude behavior at work is increasing and affects the bottom line

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:40:40 EST

Research shows rudeness at work is rampant, and it’s on the rise. In 2011, half of the workers surveyed said they were treated rudely at least once a week - up from a quarter in 1998. New research shows the tangible cost of this bad behavior.

Compensation negotiation among women in the workplace

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:34:34 EST

Studies have shown that women are less likely to take the most direct approach to ensure that they receive fair pay compared to their male counterparts – simply asking. So what happens when women begin to negotiate for higher salaries? Could women begin to close the gender pay gap simply by learning to negotiate for more money?

Study defines when disclosing a whistle-blower's identity, like in an email, becomes retaliation

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 08:15:15 EST

Under the law, whistle-blowers are supposed to be protected from direct reprisals on the job, including discrimination. But what if they and their actions becomes the subject of a widely distributed email? Is that a form of retaliation? Two professors at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business set out to answer that question and determine when public disclosure of the whistle-blower's identity -- like in an email -- is sufficient to support such a claim, in a paper that has been accepted for publication in North Carolina Law Review.

New study links low wages with hypertension, especially for women and younger workers

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:32:32 EST

Workers earning the lowest wages have a higher risk of hypertension than workers with the highest wages, according to new research.

Ozone levels have sizeable impact on worker productivity

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 15:32:32 EST

Researchers assessed the impact of pollution on agricultural worker productivity using daily variations in ozone levels. Their results show that ozone, even at levels below current air-quality standards in most parts of the world, has significant negative impacts on worker productivity. Their findings suggest that environmental protection is important for promoting economic growth and investing in human capital in contrast to its common portrayal as a tax on producers.

Workplace bullying ups risk of prescriptions for anxiety, depression, insomnia

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:57:57 EST

Witnessing or being on the receiving end of bullying at work heightens the risk of employees being prescribed antidepressants, sleeping pills, and tranquillisers, new research finds.

Employers maintain training budgets despite recession, research shows

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:49:49 EST

British employers have avoided slashing their budgets for training during the recession because they believe it is vital to their operations, a new study has found.

Telecommuting increases work hours and blurs boundary between work and home, new study shows

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:58:58 EST

A new sociology study shows that most telecommuters add five to seven hours to their workweek compared with those who work exclusively at the office.

Personalities influence workforce planning

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:13:13 EST

What if factory foremen treated their workers less like the machines they operate, and more like people, with personality strengths and differences? Surely the workers would benefit, but might the employers also see positive results in the workplace, as well as being able to cut costs?

Women eager to negotiate salaries, when given the opportunity

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:23:23 EST

Although some scholars have suggested that the income gap between men and women is due to women’s reluctance to negotiate salaries, a new study shows that given an invitation, women are just as willing as men to negotiate. Men, however, are more likely to ask for more money when there is no explicit statement in a job description that wages are negotiable.

Health insurance: Higher proportion of California children uninsured than in U.S., analysis shows

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 17:29:29 EST

Compared to the nation, a higher proportion of children in California are uninsured, one in every 10 children or more than 1.1 million in 2011. More of California's children have public health insurance and fewer through their parents' employer. And, over the past three years, a decade of advances in California children's public insurance enrollment has stalled.

Want better employees? Get somebody else to rate their personalities

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:31:31 EST

Businesses will get more accurate assessments of potential and current employees if they do away with self-rated personality tests and ask those being assessed to find someone else to rate them, suggest results from a new study.

Job autonomy, trust in leadership keys to improvement initiatives

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:33:33 EST

Frontline employees will commit to improving their organization if they perceive a high degree of autonomy in their jobs and trust their leaders.

Underemployment persists since recession, with youngest workers hardest hit

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:17:17 EST

Underemployment has remained persistently high in the aftermath of the Great Recession with workers younger than 30 especially feeling the pinch, according to new research.

Divorce costs thousands of American women health insurance coverage

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:14:14 EST

About 115,000 American women lose private health insurance every year in the wake of divorce, a study shows.

When identity is tied to former employer, unemployed report higher well-being

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 08:41:41 EST

Unemployed workers who continue to identify with their former employer report higher well-being even after being fired or laid off from the company, according to a new study. The study is among the first to explore how organizational identification relates to job loss.

Heart attack packs a wallop to wallet of survivors, their employers

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 10:09:09 EST

Heart attack and other forms of acute coronary syndrome are costly to patients and their employers. The economic burden to workers and their employers mounts from lost time, income and productivity.

Cyberbullying in the workplace 'worse than conventional bullying'

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 08:46:46 EDT

Cyberbullying -- using modern communications technology such as e-mails, texts or web-postings to abuse people -- is as common in the workplace as 'conventional' bullying. Yet, the way cyberbullying influences both the victim and witnesses are more hidden in the workplace according to new research by occupational psychologists.

Pay satisfaction key driver of work-family conflict

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:31:31 EDT

Employees who are more satisfied with their pay report lower levels of work-family conflict, a study by a labor and employment relations professor shows.

Mandatory flu vaccine for health care workers to protect patients

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:35:35 EDT

All health care workers in health care institutions should be vaccinated with the annual influenza vaccine to protect patients, argues an editorial.

Conscience legislation ignores medical providers committed to giving patients all necessary care

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 09:50:50 EDT

Advances in medicine allow doctors to keep patients alive longer, tackle fertility problems and extend the viability of premature babies. They also lead to a growing number of moral questions for both the medical provider and patient.

Influence in times of crisis: How do men and women evaluate precarious leadership positions?

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:48:48 EDT

We've all heard of the "glass ceiling" but the recent economic crisis has illuminated another workplace phenomenon: the "glass cliff." Women seem to be overrepresented in precarious leadership positions at organizations going through crisis. But is it that women are passively selected into these jobs or do they actively seek them out? New research suggests it's not the precarious positions per se that attract women leaders, but perhaps the social resources that come with them.

One million UK jobs depend on physics: Report

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 09:17:17 EDT

A new report from the Institute of Physics (IOP) shows that four percent of employees in the United Kingdom work in companies that would not exist without the physics base, or without employees that have an advanced understanding of physics.

Top executives' team spirit affects whole business

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 09:31:31 EDT

Effective teamwork among an organization’s top management makes employees happier and more productive, with positive benefits to the organization.

Discrimination from one's manager really hurts

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 08:27:27 EDT

Mental health workers are more likely to be depressed or anxious when they experience discrimination from their managers than when it comes from patients, a study has found.

No relief for relief workers: Humanitarian aid work raises risk of depression and anxiety

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 13:21:21 EDT

Humanitarian workers are at significant risk for mental health problems, both in the field and after returning home. The good news is that there are steps that they and their employers can take to mitigate this risk.

Work-family conflict translates to greater risk of musculoskeletal pain for hospital workers

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:26:26 EDT

Nurses and other hospital workers, especially those who work long hours or the night shift, often report trying to juggle the demands of the job and family obligations. A study out suggests that the higher the work-family conflict the greater the risk that health care workers will suffer from neck and other types of musculoskeletal pain.

Average 25% pay gap between men and women doctors largely 'inexplicable'

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:56:56 EDT

According to the latest survey of UK hourly pay by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), female doctors' pay lags behind their male colleagues by 28.6%.

Employees at 'green' companies are significantly more productive, study finds

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 11:20:20 EDT

Bucking the idea that environmentalism hurts economic performance, a new study has found that companies that voluntarily adopt international "green" practices and standards have employees who are 16 percent more productive than the average.

Job insecurity affects health, Michigan study finds

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:09:09 EDT

Workers who perceive their jobs aren't secure are more likely to rate themselves in poor health and have increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, researchers report.

Why retire later?

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:33:33 EDT

What if every US worker got an automatic 10 percent pay raise at age 55? According to a new study, most people would work quite a bit longer to enjoy the extra income before they retired.

NCAA football exploits players in 'invisible labor market', expert says

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 14:38:38 EDT

College football exploits players in an "invisible labor market," and the only plausible way for student-athletes to address their interests is the credible threat of unionization, according to new research from an expert in labor relations and collective bargaining in athletics.

Trust in management key to avoiding correctional staff burnout

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 15:15:15 EDT

Correctional facility employees who trust supervisors and management are less likely to experience job burnout, according to new research.

Longer time to find new job, less pay for moms laid off during recession

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 08:39:39 EDT

In a 2010 survey of laid-off workers across the United States, married moms spent more time between jobs and were overall less likely to find new jobs compared with married dads. Once re-employed, married moms experienced a decrease in earnings of $175 more per week compared with married dads.

Making people happy can be better motivator than higher pay for workers

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:59:59 EDT

A sense of belonging and attachment to a group of co-workers is a better motivator for some employees than money, according to a new study.

Many employers use Facebook profiles to screen job applicants

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:52:52 EDT

Your inappropriate Facebook profile, posts and photos could lose you your next job, according to an in-depth study of employers from six different industries. A new article reveals that many employers are using the Facebook profiles of job candidates to filter out weaker applicants based on perception of lifestyle, attitudes and personal appearance.

Social network screening of employees can make organizations unattractive to applicants

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:26:26 EDT

Social networking websites offer a potentially large amount of personal information to organizations about job applicants. However, organizations that implement online screening practices through sites like Facebook may reduce their attractiveness to applicants and current employees.

Employees' interests predict how they will perform on the job

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:14:14 EDT

When evaluating job applicants, employers want to ensure that they choose the right person for the job. Many employers will ask prospective employees to complete extensive tests and questionnaires to get a better sense of what those employees might be like in an office setting. But new research suggests that a different factor -- employee interests -- may be a better way to predict who will perform well on the job. Employees' whose interest profiles matched their job profiles were more likely to perform better, help others in the organization, and stay with the company longer. Students whose interest profiles matched the profile of their major were more likely to remain in their program and get good grades.

True nature of staff motivation more complex than surveys reveal

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:19:19 EDT

High levels of staff engagement could actually be damaging for organizations if overly simplistic staff surveys mask the type of engagement at play within an organization, according to new research.

'Ambient' bullying gives employees urge to quit

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:25:25 EDT

Merely showing up to work in an environment where bullying goes on is enough to make many of us think about quitting, a new study suggests.