If your morning and evening commutes are your least favorite part of your workday, you’re not alone. In fact, a daily car commute is ranked as one the top two things Americans hate the most on a day-to-day basis, only second to housework.

Not only is your daily commute unpleasant, it’s also bad for your overall health and wellbeing. According to a 2014 study by the University of Waterloo, the more time you spend commuting, the less likely you are to be satisfied with life. Similarly, another recent study found that adding 20 minutes to your daily commute has the same negative effort on job satisfaction as receiving a 19% pay cut.

These studies show that long commutes take a serious toll on not only your personal life, but on your professional life as well. So, why exactly are long commutes so dangerous to your health?

While “work-life balance” might be a popular buzz term in the past few years, many employees have yet to reach a positive relationship between their work life and personal life. A survey from earlier this year conducted by FlexJobs found that more professionals are struggling with work-life balance now than they were three years ago. The survey analyzed results from over 1,200 employees to determine how work impacts their work-life balance, relationships, health, stress levels, physical fitness, and more. 

Unfortunately, the survey didn’t reveal good news. According to its results:

• Only 30% of employees are currently satisfied with their work-life balance, compared to 45% in the same survey administered three years ago
• 37% of employees reported being stressed by their level of work-life balance – up from 29% in 2015

It was also noted that work was a top source of stress, with 86% of survey respondents reporting that work “conflicts with their efforts to take care of their overall health.” So, what can employers learn from this survey? Many studies have shown that traditional office schedules do more harm than good when it comes to employee health, productivity, and overall job satisfaction. 

Stress is one of the most common challenges employees face. It’s also one of the most damaging, too. Unmanaged stress can lead to burnout, unhealthy habits, and harm an employee’s mental and physical health. 

According to research from the American Institute of Stress (AIS), 40% of employees reported their job was very or extremely stressful, and 25% view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives. Based on these stats, it’s safe to assume that a majority of your workforce is dealing with workplace stress on a daily basis.

While stress might seem like it’s a normal part of office culture, it shouldn’t ever be excused or ignored. When stress becomes chronic, it can have dangerous effects on an employee’s health and wellbeing. In fact, AIS also found that job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial or family problems.

Flu season is approaching faster than you think! That means it’s time to start figuring out your game plan. But how early is too early to start discussing corporate flu shots? Well, it depends who you’re talking to. 

Part of your role as a corporate flu shot coordinator at your company is getting the flu season conversation started. After all, flu shots are most likely the last thing on upper management’s mind during the summer months.

You know you need to protect your workforce in the fall, but how early should your planning start? Let’s break it down: 

A commonly overlooked aspect of employee health is hydration. While it might not sound as important as nutrition and exercise, staying well hydrated is critical to overall health and wellbeing. And unfortunately, research suggests that 75% of Americans may suffer from chronic dehydration. 

This means that many of your employees likely aren’t drinking as much water as they should – and your team can’t perform their best when they’re dehydrated. In fact, just a 2% loss of water levels in the body can lead to a decrease in mental and physical performance. This loss of water can negatively affect memory, energy levels, and other essential cognitive functions.

Not only is dehydration a danger to productivity and work performance, but it’s also a danger to your employees’ health. Dehydration can result in headaches, dizziness, irritability, and much more. That’s why it’s important for employers to encourage employees to drink more water at work. And what better way to do so than with a new wellness challenge?! 

The summer season comes with some awesome health benefits. Largely due to the weather, people are much more active during the summer than they are during the colder months of the year. People are walking, biking, hiking, running, and participating in healthy leisurely activities like gardening.

Unfortunately, sometimes these summertime activities can bring additional health risks to your employees. While this doesn’t mean your employees should stay inside all summer long, employees should still be aware of any potential health hazards the season has to offer.

With a little bit of prevention, employees can enjoy the summertime in all its glory without having to fear any summer health risks. Keep on reading to learn about seven summer health hazards and some tips on how to avoid them. 

Washing your hands is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself and those around you from harmful germs and bacteria. While you might roll your eyes at the thought of being lectured about washing your hands as an adult, a new study by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed that when it comes to hand washing before meals, consumers fail to properly wash their hands 97% of the time.

The observational study followed 383 participants in test kitchens in North Carolina. Researchers monitored the participants through cameras while they cooked dishes including turkey burgers and salads. It was found that most participants didn’t follow all of the necessary steps to properly wash their hands. The most common hand washing mistakes included participants not washing their hands for the necessary 20 seconds, failing to use soap, failing to get their hands wet, or not drying their hands with a clean towel after washing. 

Failing to wash your hands properly before preparing and handling food can lead to foodborne illnesses such as salmonella, norovirus, and E. coli. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a large percentage of foodborne disease outbreaks are spread by contaminated hands. It’s estimated that 48 million Americans are sickened by foodborne illnesses each year, resulting in about 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. As you can see, this subject isn’t something to be taken lightly. 

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), depression affects more than 16 million American adults each year. Depression is a serious condition that can happen to anyone and affects people from all different walks of life.

It might not be the most pleasant topic to discuss, but it’s crucial that depression is addressed in the workplace. While the stigma surrounding depression in the workplace isn’t nearly what it used to be a decade ago, there are still many barriers in the workplace that make it difficult for employees to be honest with employers about living with depression. 

Fortunately, employers are focusing on mental health in the workplace now more than ever. In fact, a 2017 Behavioral Health Survey showed that 88% of U.S. employers want to make behavioral health a top priority over the next three years. Many companies are leading the way in promoting mental health awareness in the workplace by encouraging mental health days, providing resources, and creating wellness initiatives focused on mental wellbeing.

When we think of summer, we think of relaxing by the pool and enjoying a sunny, carefree weekend. However, some research suggests that employees are actually more stressed over the summer than they are over the winter months. Surprising, right? 

According to a 2016 study by meQuilbrium, the shift from spring to summer appears to cause an increase in stress levels for most employees. The survey analyzed results from 30,000 working men and women over a period of two years. They found that factors such as eating habits, sleep, time management, and sense of pressure saw a downward shift during the summer months.

So, what could be causing these stress levels to spike? meQuilbrium suggests that it’s not office life that’s causing employees to stress. Outside factors are most likely to play the main role in summertime stress. Let’s take a look at some common summertime stress factors: 

Everyone should have a rest day every now and then. But when that rest day turns into a rest week or rest month, you might start to notice some changes with your body. If you’ve taken a workout hiatus recently, or are just curious of how your body might change once you decide to take a break from your workout routine, keep reading to learn about six things that will happen to your body when you stop exercising. 

Blood pressure rises. Exercise naturally lowers your blood pressure and reduces your risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure). If you abruptly quit your regular fitness routine, your blood pressure might start to rise over time. If left unmanaged, high blood pressure can lead to some negative health consequences and increase your risk of heart disease.

Brain changes. Believe it or not, regular exercise improves brain function in a variety of ways. It boosts memory, learning capabilities, and helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s. Without regular exercise, your brain might start to change. One study found that when participants (a group of long-term endurance runners) took a 10-day exercise cessation, MRIs showed a reduction in blood flow to the hippocampus (the part of the brain that is responsible for emotions and memory).