Category:

Workplace/Employee Benefits

Study finds regular exercise may lower risk of developing anxiety

Anxiety disorders – which typically develop early in a person’s life – are estimated to affect approximately 10 per cent of the world’s population and have been found to be twice as common in women compared to men. And while exercise is put forward as a promising strategy for the treatment of anxiety, little is known about the impact of exercise dose, intensity, or physical fitness level on the risk of developing anxiety disorders.

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Pandemic increasing risk factors for suicide, UN health agency warns

Globally, one in 100 deaths is by suicide, making it among the leading causes of death worldwide and the fourth leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds, after road traffic accidents, tuberculosis and interpersonal violence. 
“Suicide is an urgent public health problem and its prevention must be a national priority,” said Renato Oliveira e Souza, head of the Mental Health Unit at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).  

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German companies not allowed to check on employees’ vaccine status

But Germany has strict data privacy laws because of its history of Nazi and Communist state surveillance of citizens, meaning that companies have no right to find out about health issues relating to their staff.

German businesses have been pushing to be able to ask staff about vaccination and the government is trying to get more people to get the shots as infections rise again. Almost 61% of the population has had both shots and 65% at least one.

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Health Ministry partners with Google to enhance people’s access to COVID-19 vaccine

Starting this week, for over 13,000 locations across the country, people will be able to get more helpful information about vaccine availability and appointments — powered by real-time data from the CoWIN APIs (application programming interfaces). This includes information such as availability of appointment slots at each center, vaccines and doses offered (dose 1 or dose 2), expectations for pricing (paid or free) and the link to the CoWIN website for booking.

The above information will automatically show up when users search for vaccine centres near them, or in any specific area – across Google Search, Maps and Google Assistant.

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Uber proposes industry-wide gig worker benefits model in Canada

Uber said it advocates for benefits funds everywhere, but added that labor laws, social safety nets and different cultures meant it would pursue a different approach in every country, with Monday’s proposal tailored to Canada.

Gig companies have long been criticized for the lack of benefits and protections they offer their independent contractor workers. Many labor unions, some lawmakers and the Biden administration have said gig workers should be reclassified as employees.

The companies have also faced several lawsuits in Canada and the United States alleging worker misclassification.

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Majority of corporate employees want to work from home at least once a week: Survey

Among other findings, 91 per cent of the respondents favoured flexible working hours. Stating that the priorities of the workforce have undergone a shift, the consultant said corporate employees want an empathetic employer and work-life balance, more than a comfortable salary. The pandemic has prioritised working in an environment that puts health and well-being at the forefront.

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Covid 19 Pandemic: Almost 1 in 3 affected due to work stress, ICICI Lombard survey

Sanjay Datta, Chief – Underwriting, Reinsurance & Claims, ICICI Lombard General Insurance , said, “With the transformed perception of the masses, our consumer base today looks at a health insurer not only for financial immunity during times of ill-health but we are now looked up as a partner in their holistic wellness journey. Additionally, through this survey, we observed a mindset change taking place with 47% of people and 42% of the younger age group (25-35 years) wanting to adopt a healthy lifestyle to not just get a better appearance but also feel better about themselves. Therefore keeping overall wellness as a focus, ICICI Lombard intends to act as a conduit towards a health-conscious India.” 

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