Human resource exam

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Managing Hospitality Human Resources Chapter 12: Health, Safety, and EAPs

1. Summarize the history, scope, and goal of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and describe the enforcement of OSHA standards and requirements.

2. Outline employee rights under OSHA and how these rights apply to the hospitality industry.

3. Identify sources and consequences of stress and list guidelines for reducing stress.

Competencies

4. Describe the components and benefits of an employee assistance program.

5. Outline the implications of current health issues such as AIDS, depression, wellness programs, workplace smoking, and work life/home life issues.

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

• centralized the regulation of work force safety • expanded workplace safety coverage to all

workers in the US • created three new government agencies:

– Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

– Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC)

– National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

OSHA • branch of the U.S. Department of Labor

– enforces regulations for on-the-job safety – issues citations and penalties

• Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission – an appeal board who adjudicates disputes between

OSHA and organizations cited by OSHA

• National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health – part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

that develops the regulations and enforcement procedures carried out by OSHA

Enforcement of OSHA Standards • OSHA compliance officers inspect workplaces

and issue citations for violations of standards – Typically begin an inspection by determining if a

business has OSHA-required posters displayed in conspicuous places

– Have the right to • observe and interview employees • inspect for hazards • examine health and safety records • check for first-aid and medical devices • examine emergency procedures

OSHA Violations • Compliance officers can issue citations for

violations in eight categories: 1. Imminent danger

2. Willful or repeated violations

3. Serious danger

4. Non-serious danger

5. Failure to correct a violation

6. Willful violation that causes the death of an employee

7. Posting requirements

8. De minimis (or minimal) violations

Employee Rights Under OSHA • Employees cannot be punished for refusing to work

in an unsafe environment or for reporting violations to OSHA.

• The HazComm Standard – requires employers to tell their employees about

hazardous materials they may be required to handle on the job

• MSDS forms – must be shown to employees who use or are exposed to

potentially hazardous products – requires employers to follow steps to comply with the

standard.

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Hospitality and OSHA • Managers can reduce the likelihood of

accidents by focusing on – Signage – Training – Preventative maintenance of equipment

• Employees can incur repetitive strain injuries (RSI)

• Managers must complete and submit appropriate OSHA accident reports when such injuries occur

The results of the following formula project the number of injuries expected for every 100 employees who work 40 hours for 50 weeks:

N TH

x 200,000

N = Number of injuries and illness or lost workdays = Total hours worked by all employees during calendar yearTH

200,000 = 100 full-time employees x 40 hour week x 50 weeks

Measuring Health and Safety

Employee Stress and Emotional Health

• Of employees who are overworked – 20 % make a lot more mistakes than those who

are not overworked – 39% feel very angry toward their employer

• Overworked employees are more likely to have poorer health

• The median absence from work for cases of occupational stress is 23 days, while the median absence for non-stress injuries is one- fourth of that amount.

Sources of Stress • Many stress experts identify four different

sources of stress, or stressors: – Extra organizational sources – Individual sources – Group sources – Organizational sources

• Stress in the hospitality industry is related to – labor shortages – high staff turnover – long and inconvenient hours – long periods of high-pressure conditions

Burnout • Symptoms of burnout are

– emotional exhaustion – a tendency to depersonalize and become unresponsive to

other people – low sense of personal achievement

• Burnout impacts on business – turnover, absenteeism, and decreased productivity

• According to the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, top five most stressful events – death of a spouse, divorce, death of a close family

member, marital separation, and fired at work

• Other common conditions that cause stress – loneliness, high blood pressure, obesity, or high cholesterol

Most Frequently Reported Stressors: 2008

Rank 1

Item % of Respondents

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10

Marriage Death of a close family member Mortgage Vacation Holidays Change in health of family member Retirement Outstanding personal achievement Death of a close friend Son or daughter leaving home

50.2 49.3 48.8 46.4 45.5 35.5 33.6 33.6 25.6 24.6

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Most Frequently Reported Stressors: 1998

Rank 1

Item % of Respondents

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10

Holidays Business adjustment Outstanding personal achievement Vacation Change in responsibilities at work Marriage Change in work hours or conditions Revision of personal habits Change in # of arguments with spouse Change in financial state

56.7 50.9 43.3 39.6 39.6 32.3 30.2 28.3 24.5 20.7

Consequence of Stress • For individuals:

– Alcohol, drug, or tobacco abuse and violent or depressed behavior

– Physical problems such as backaches, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, and coronary disease

• For organizations: – High turnovers – Low productivity – Numerous workers’ compensation claims

Stress Reduction • Stress reduction programs have two goals: to

reduce individual-induced stress and to reduce organizational-induced stress

• A simple stress reduction plan might recommend the following guidelines: – Rate tasks by importance; address the most

important task first – Delegate authority whenever possible – Set and follow realistic deadlines and schedules – Plan ahead to avoid surprises

Employee Assistance Programs • Research shows that substance abuse can cost a

hospitality operation $7,500 per abusing employee annually

• EAPs can help employees cope with personal problems like drug and alcohol abuse

• EAP costs are usually less than one-half of one percent of a company’s health care budget

• Most EAPs in the United States offer – alcohol and drug abuse counseling – pre-retirement counseling – stress-reduction counseling – career counseling

1. Identification of workplace problems: Assessment may include observations, interviews, and personality testing.

2. Program development: Many EAPs use both internal and external services and programs.

3. Implementation: The most critical elements of this stage are management support, insurance of employee anonymity or confidentiality, and thorough communication about the services and how employees can access them.

Setting up an EAP is a four-stage process:

4. Evaluation: To determine EAP savings, multiply the business’s total annual wage cost by .17 and multiply the resulting number by 25%.

Setting Up EAPs Costs Saved by EAPs • According to one study, companies receive between

$5.17 and $6.47 in return for every dollar they spend on an EAP

• Combining EAPs with other health care programs to realize even further reductions in employer costs. – Attempting early detection, identification, and referral of

employees with problems. – Attempting to increase confidentiality to encourage

reluctant employees to use the services. – Moving EAPs off-site in order to access more professional

services.

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Depression Among Employees

• Depression is now the most common health problem around the globe

• It affects one in five people during some point in their lifetime

• It is estimated that over six million workdays are lost annually due to the illness.

• One employee in 40 is likely suffering from untreated depression.

Wellness Programs

• The theory behind wellness programs is that healthier employees are more likely to be productive, satisfied, and reliable, and should save the company on health care costs. Most have three components: – Health screening and assessment – Physical fitness programs – Education and training

Smoking in the Workplace

• Smokers have: – Higher absenteeism rates (40% for men and 25%

for women). – More dips in productivity (from smoking breaks). – Higher medical costs

• Overall, Americans who smoke miss up to 10% of their workdays

• A smoking employee costs the employer at leas $3391 more per year in total direct and indirect healthcare costs

Two-Income Family Issues • The “sandwich generation” represents the largest

percentage of employed persons in the US • Almost half of women and just over 60%of men ages

25 to 29 have never married—an all-time high • The percentage of childless women rose from 10% of

40- to 45-year-olds in 1976 to 17.5% in 1994, another all-time high.

• Many employees expect their employers to help them balance work and family problems – companies that respond to this expectation are rewarded

with lower turnover and absenteeism, increased productivity, and an edge in recruiting.

Elder and Child Care Issues

• Parents lose an average of eight working days per year due to child care problems and spend an average of eight hours a year—mostly while at work—arranging for child care.

• In five out of six two-income families, the work hours of parents do not overlap.

• A 1997 study identified a large contingent of people who spend from eight to ten hours weekly providing elder care for their parents.

Critical Incidents in the Workplace • A critical incident is any condition that elicits

powerful emotional responses and is stressful enough to affect a person’s ability to do the job.

• About one of every six violent crimes occurs in the workplace

• The fallout for organizations affected by workplace violence includes: – Changes in employee work performance – Changes in relationships between employees – Changes in employee perceptions of management – Changes in management-employee relationships

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The Ergo-Smart Workplace • It is a manager’s responsibility to monitor workplace

ergonomics – the applied science of equipment design intended to

maximize productivity by reducing fatigue and discomfort

• Work habits, task design, equipment, individual risks, – the most common cause of workers’ compensation – results in 90 million lost work days per year

• 1.8 million workers suffer from repetitive motion or overexertion injuries

• 1/3 of workplace injuries are caused by musculoskeletal injuries – such as carpal tunnel syndrome and back strain