http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/industrial_relations/ Scientific studies on industrial relations, employment equity and employee satisfaction. en-us Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:05:01 EST Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/industrial_relations/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027132247.htm Researchers have shown that an employer-sponsored, Internet-based diet and exercise program shows promise as a low-cost benefit to lower health care costs for those at higher risk for above-average costs and health care utilization such as cardiac, hyperlipidemia, hypertension or diabetes patients. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027132247.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023163515.htm A new Commonwealth Fund report analyzes the similarities, differences, potential impacts, and costs of current bills passed by the five committees of jurisdiction in the United States Congress: Finance Committee and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees in the Senate and the US House of Representatives' Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Energy and Commerce committees. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023163515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114355.htm Someone healthy enough to work could still cost an employer more than $4,000 annually in unnecessary health care costs. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021100520.htm Experts say our stress levels at work peak when we reach about 50 to 55 years of age and decrease as we head towards retirement. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021100520.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021100750.htm The number of workers age 65 and older is predicted to increase by more than 80 percent by 2016. In an ongoing study, researchers are examining the financial motivations of older working Americans. New results reveal that older workers spend less money on necessities, including housing and food, and health care than older non-workers. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021100750.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015163601.htm Does the race of a hiring manager influence who gets hired? A new study suggests it does. White, Asian and Hispanic managers tend to hire more whites and fewer blacks than black managers do, the study finds. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015163601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918101722.htm Less than one third of healthcare workers have themselves vaccinated against classic influenza. This reluctance is astounding, firstly because vaccination against influenza viruses is considered safe and effective and secondly because it has been proved to prevent nosocomial transmission of disease to patients -- provided at least 50% of employees have been vaccinated. In a new study, German researchers reveal why vaccination rates have stayed so low and how they can be improved. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918101722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909064721.htm Small business owners and employees are among those who stand to benefit the most from provisions in some of the current health reform proposals under consideration by Congress, according to a new report. Provisions to extend health care coverage to everyone and repair the small group insurance market would alleviate high premium costs, high broker fees, underwriting, and a lack of transparency about benefit packages that small business owners currently face. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909064721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907141910.htm Against all odds, organized labor managed to make new inroads during the economic upheaval of the past year, new findings suggest. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907141910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827180751.htm Persistent job insecurity poses a major threat to worker health, according to a new study. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827180751.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826165241.htm In organizational settings, managers as well as others in leadership roles should perhaps think twice before ridiculing subordinate employees on their choice of lunch, attire, or habits, or generally acting disrespectfully towards them. Recent research shows that when an employee believes that he or she has been treated unfairly, the employee is not likely to forgive and forget. Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826165241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161325.htm Live in an expensive city? Think you pay too much in federal taxes? If so, a study in the current issue of the Journal of Political Economy finds that you're exactly right. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161325.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161323.htm Nationally, family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance increased 119 percent between 1999 and 2008, and could increase another 94 percent to an average $23,842 per family by 2020 if cost growth continues on its current course, according to a new report. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161323.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818182051.htm A nearly two-decade trend that is stripping away employer-provided health-care benefits for retirees in private business will likely continue and could soon hit an even deeper pool of government retirees, according to a new study. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818182051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810104933.htm Workers hired for temporary, contract, casual or fixed-term positions are at risk for increased mental health problems, according to new research. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810104933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141741.htm Hiring the workers needed to eliminate the staggering shortage of health care professionals in sub-Saharan Africa by 2015 will cost $2.6 billion a year, or 2.5 times the annual funds currently allocated for health worker wages in the region, according to a new study. Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727102137.htm In an effort to improve worker health, researchers have created an innovative training program that calls for supervisors to better support their employees' work and family demands. Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727102137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090724102911.htm Approximately 1 in 6 public health workers said they would not report to work during a pandemic flu emergency regardless of its severity, according to a new survey. The new study suggests ways for improving the response of the public health workforce. Sun, 26 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090724102911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723142053.htm A first-of-its-kind study has linked the rapid growth in health care costs in the United States with job losses and lower output among industries that commonly provide workers with health insurance. Researchers found that, after adjusting for other factors, industries where a larger percentage of workers received employer-sponsored health insurance had significantly lower employment growth during the 19-year study period than industries where health benefits were less common. Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723142053.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721091826.htm The individual health insurance market is not a viable option for the majority of uninsured adults, a new report from the Commonwealth Fund finds. Seventy-three percent of people who tried to buy insurance on their own in the last three years did not purchase a policy, primarily because premiums were too high. Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721091826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709110841.htm Managers who dole out discipline by taking away privileges -- without considering the implications of restoring them -- are missing a key in their bid to improve performance and behavior, a new study says. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709110841.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603142002.htm Using sensors capable of detecting drugs in breath, new technology monitors health-care workers' hand hygiene by detecting sanitizer or soap fumes given off from their hands. By reminding workers to clean their hands to remove disease-causing organisms such as the bacteria MRSA, the system could help reduce hospital-acquired infections. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603142002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527130840.htm Financial contracts to care for sick or aging relatives -- nearly unthinkable just a decade ago -- are drawing new interest as everyday Americans wrestle with the time and expense of providing long-term health care, a legal expert says. Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527130840.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514111412.htm Researchers have found that almost half of employees in hostile work environments had no definite plans to leave their current job. In addition, 59 percent indicated that they either liked or did not dislike their current job. Wed, 20 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514111412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514111408.htm A pioneering study of certified nursing assistants in nursing homes reveals that more than half of them incurred at least one work-related injury in the previous year. One in three received some kind of means-tested public assistance, and nearly half of those without medical insurance claimed they could not afford their employer-sponsored plan. Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514111408.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513215412.htm A survey of health care workers has revealed that as many as 85 percent may stay off work if an influenza pandemic did take hold of the country. The results of the survey suggest that levels of absenteeism may be significantly higher than current official estimates and that "willingness," rather than "ability," plays the largest role in health care workers' decisions as to whether to go to work or not. Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513215412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513121050.htm The notion that highly engaged workers will continue to work tirelessly for organizations despite diminishing resources often isn't true, according to a psychology professor. Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513121050.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090512093248.htm Elderly Medicare beneficiaries are more satisfied with their health care, and experience fewer problems accessing and paying for care, than Americans with employer-sponsored insurance, according to a new study. Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090512093248.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090508045310.htm In the face of rising unemployment and businesses declaring bankruptcy, a new study has found that losing your job can make you sick. Even when people find a new job quickly, there is an increased risk of developing a new health problem, such as hypertension, heart disease, heart attack, stroke or diabetes as a result of the job loss. Fri, 08 May 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090508045310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318153807.htm Although paying finder's fees to researchers and clinicians to identify study participants could compromise the recruitment process and harm human lives, many medical schools fail to address this conflict of interest in their Institutional Review Board policies. Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318153807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090313110747.htm President Barack Obama recently announced a new education reform, calling for a merit-pay system for teachers in hopes of improving student performance. As the nation's public schools spend $187 billion in salaries, based on the latest Department of Education data, researchers hav found a link between teacher pay and student achievement. Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090313110747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090310155601.htm A new study finds that extra workplace decibels increase the risks of both work-related accidents and road collisions. Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090310155601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090209152414.htm Imagine a hospital where morale is high, employee turnover is low and patient call buttons rarely go unanswered -- and if they do, you can call the hospital's CEO. Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090209152414.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203142512.htm When employees have high levels of psychological well-being and job satisfaction, they perform better and are less likely to leave their job -- making happiness a valuable tool for maximizing organizational outcomes. Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203142512.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203080723.htm Beneficiaries with Medicare Part D who reach the "doughnut hole" are much less likely to use prescription drugs than those with an employer plan, says a new study. The Health Affairs study raises concerns about health consequences and increased costs that may arise from lack of coverage. To protect seniors, the authors suggest mandating the coverage of generic drugs in the doughnut hole through a modest increase in initial prescription co-pays. Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203080723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090123075004.htm As unemployment rates reach the highest levels in 16 years, a new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund finds that few laid-off workers -- only 9 percent -- took up coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act in 2006. Unemployed workers who also lose their health insurance would need substantial financial assistance, covering 75 to 85 percent of their health insurance premiums, for their premium contributions to remain at levels they paid while they were working. Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090123075004.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121205659.htm The increasing trend for employers, particularly in the US, to bar smokers from applying for jobs or staying in their jobs should be stopped, until the appropriateness of such policies has been properly evaluated, argue experts in an essay published in Tobacco Control. Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121205659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113113957.htm Workers age 50-64 who received influenza vaccine lost substantially fewer days of work and worked fewer days while ill, according to a new study in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Given the concerns about antiviral drug resistance among this year's flu strains, the study highlights the importance of vaccination to prevent influenza. Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113113957.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217124150.htm A recent study sheds light on the role racial prejudice plays in the wage gap between whites and blacks in the US. Prejudice accounts for approximately one-quarter of the racial wage gap, costing a black worker up to $115,000 over a lifetime depending upon where he or she lives, the authors say. Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217124150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081222143521.htm The good news — you've been offered the perfect job. The not-so-good news — it's contingent on a medical exam. For the disabled, people with diseases like HIV, or those who are simply mega-stressed at the thought of a doctor's waiting room, undergoing a medical exam to qualify for a job can be daunting. Researchers now propose swapping costly employer medical exams for an efficient, non-invasive quiz. Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081222143521.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081215140938.htm Nearly a quarter of all Californians under age 65 were without health insurance for all or some of 2007, according to a policy brief drawing on comprehensive new data. Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081215140938.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201162030.htm Children of farm workers are three times as likely as all other children and almost twice as likely as other poor children to be uninsured, according to a new report. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201162030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126122317.htm Urging employees to rethink their jobs was enough to drop absenteeism by 60 percent and turnover by 75 percent, a new study shows. Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126122317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124131239.htm Widespread layoffs that stem corporate financial losses but leave workers out in the cold would deepen the looming recession that sparked them, a labor expert warns. Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124131239.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081120122203.htm In a new article, researchers examine the meaning of employee engagement, which they view as leading to unusually effective employee behavior with subsequent reflection in organizational success. Employee engagement refers to the positive feelings employees have about their job as well as the motivation and effort they put into their work. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081120122203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081028132626.htm A new study shows counties can boost voters' trust in elections by making an investment in the human side of elections by recruiting new poll workers. Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081028132626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081027140827.htm U.S. Congress needs to reform flawed 401(k) laws that could push back retirement for millions of Americans whose savings have collapsed along with the stock market, an elder law expert says. Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081027140827.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081023113109.htm The "name-letter effect," is a phenomenon which shows that we have a preference for things that begin with the same letter as our first name. Belgian psychologists wanted to know if this effect is strong enough to affect where we work. The researchers found 12 percent more matches between employee initials and their company's name than was expected based on a probability estimate, indicating "name-letter effect" occurs between employee names and the company they work for. Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081023113109.htm