HR World: May 2014
Obesity at work, deteriorating European work conditions and car-mageddon in the PhillipinesUS survey highlights weighty issues
It’s a classic workplace dilemma. You’re doing your best to eat healthily, maybe shed a few pounds. Then one of your colleagues brings in a pile of cakes to celebrate their birthday and your resolve melts away as quickly as the butter icing in your mouth.
But while few of us can resist such sweet temptation, new research from the States suggests we ought to try harder, with 39 per cent of American workers saying they’ve gained weight in their current job – and 21 per cent of that number blaming it on the steady supply of sugary treats from co-workers.
Of those that gained weight, 21 per cent put on more than 10 pounds and 9 per cent piled on more than 20 pounds, according to the Careerbuilder survey. Meanwhile, 45 per cent of people said their weight stayed the same and 16 per cent lost weight.
The poll also showed which employees are most likely to gain weight. The answer is women (46 per cent versus 33 per cent of men); older workers (40 per cent of those over 35, compared with 36 per cent of those under); and management (44 per cent of managers versus 38 per cent of those in non-management roles).
You’ve also got an above-average chance of gaining weight if you work in IT (50 per cent of employees), government (48 per cent), financial services (46 per cent), health care (42 per cent) and professional and business services (42 per cent).
Aside from lack of willpower when it comes to office treats, another reason given by employees who gained weight included regularly eating out (28 per cent). Significantly, 42 per cent of workers also admitted to not exercising regularly while 13 per cent didn’t exercise at all.
Still thinking of reaching for those cakes? Bear in mind that nearly one in five (18 per cent) of those surveyed believed people who were thin and fit were shown favouritism in the office.
Working conditions in Europe worsening
Only half of workers in the European Union (53 per cent) say that working conditions in their country are good, while 60 per cent claim conditions have got worse in the past five years, according to a survey by Eurobarometer reported on EU news site EurActiv.com.
Despite this, 77 per cent of workers across the continent say they are ‘satisfied’ with working conditions, notwithstanding the perceived deterioration.
Levels of satisfaction vary widely between countries, however. In Denmark, 94 per cent of workers say conditions are good while 87 per cent say they’re satisfactory. In contrast, only 38 per cent of Greek workers are satisfied with conditions and only 16 per cent say they’re good.
Other countries with high levels of satisfaction include Austria and Belgium (both 90 per cent) and Finland (89 per cent). At the other end of the spectrum, Romania and Croatia (both 60 per cent) and Spain (53 per cent) all have satisfaction levels well below the EU average.
When considering these findings, however, it’s worth noting that people who are currently employed (61 per cent) are far more likely to claim working conditions in their country are good than those who are not (46 per cent).
The survey of 26,571 workers in the European Union’s 28 member states defined working conditions as working time, work organisation, health and safety at work, employee representation and relation with the employer.
Four-day working week for Manila could ease ‘car-mageddon’
Officials in the Philippines are proposing a four-day working week to counter extreme traffic congestion in and around the capital of Manila as 15 major road projects get underway, reports Filipino news site InterAksyon.
The Manila Metropolitan Development Authority (MMDA) has pitched the four-day week as one of a raft of solutions aimed at preventing traffic gridlock in the capital region – described by Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto as ‘impending car-mageddon’. Other ideas include a four-day school week, car-pooling and introducing ferry services.
The MMDA has predicted traffic in some areas could slow to between 1 and 9kph as construction starts on the first two of multiple infrastructure projects: the third phase of the Metro Manila Skyway and the second phase of the NAIA Expressway.
The compressed working week proposal – which recommends four 10-hour working days – has been cautiously welcomed by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, the country’s largest confederation of labour unions, which says it will support the initiative as long as it is voluntary.
“There are industries that may be adversely affected by shortened working days but extended working hours. And there are industries that may be impacted less,” said Alan Tanjusay, spokesman for the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and policy advocacy officer for the Associated Labor Unions (ALU).
“We have to consider that the consequence of prolonged work hours to workers’ work-life balance is bad. [But] we are also thinking of the dire consequences to the economy if we have a gridlock in traffic. So we have to make a balance in the implementation of the scheme.”
Tanjusay warned that for workers in the manufacturing, production, transport and construction sectors, the fatigue induced by a 10-hour working day could compromise both safety and productivity. He added that the issue of reduced income was also a concern, with workers being required to waive overtime pay for extended working hours.
If the scheme became mandatory, it would only lead to greater problems, he said. On the other hand, if adopted voluntarily after consultation with employers and workers, it might not only ease traffic congestion, but could also save energy and reduce operational costs.
About the author
