Review on Active workstations
A major Canadian review has revealed the benefits of different types of active workstations. The literature review on the benefits of standing, treadmill and cycling workstations, by Canadian kinesiology researchers from the University of Montreal and elsewhere, found the treadmills and cycling workstations led to short-term physiological changes in users that could lead to better health(!).
Published in this month's issue of BMJ's Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the review found all three interventions led to productivity improvements, even though treadmill workstations reduced workers' performance in computer-related work.
However, an Australian researcher says a better understanding is needed of how these interventions affect workers' cognitive function. Curtin University physiotherapy professor Leon Straker says a "major strength" of the review is that it considers the both physical and mental effects of the active workstations, with mental benefits likely to be a crucial factor for their sustained use.
Read more: Francois Dupont, et al. Health and productivity at work: which active workstation for which benefits: a systematic review [Abstract] and Commentary. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2019; 76 281-294 Published Online First: 28 Jan 2019. Source: OHSAlert
Support for bereaved employees is insufficient
A literature review on what goes on in workplaces when workers suffer a loss has found that confusion over leave entitlements is compounded by 'insensitive' managers and lack of flexible working options.
According to a new report which paints a bleak picture of the support and provision available to employees, employers must do more to understand how newly bereaved workers experience the process of returning to work following the death of a loved one. The level of support for bereaved workers is "insufficient" and studies suggest that in many cases individuals receive almost no acknowledgment of their loss, said the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
Read more: Leanne Flux, et al: How do employers respond to employees who return to the workplace after experiencing the death of a loved one? A review of the literature [Abstract] and Article in People Management