A physician I know I’ll call Dr. Good was once passionate about his work and caring for his patients. He exuded compassion, joy and optimism even though he often faced tragic circumstances. I recently reconnected with Dr. Good. The change in his outlook and demeanor was startling. He was morose, cold and seemingly uncaring. I […]
Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are supposed to help employees deal with life and work challenges. The death of a loved one, the heart-breaking end to a long-term relationship and the challenges of caring for children while also supporting an aging parent can affect a person’s well-being and lead to mental health struggles. Since problems at […]
The New York Times recently published a story headlined “Do Workplace Wellness Programs Work? Usually Not.” Understandably, the story got the wellness community gnashing its teeth and wondering how anyone could possibly question the value of wellness. Surely, traditional wellness programs that encourage employees to adopt such healthy practices as increasing physical activity, eating healthy […]
Editor’s note: The following is the second part of a two-part column exploring problems associated with workplace bullies and violence. Consider this hypothetical, but all too common, scenario. Carl, a disgruntled employee, has an angry outburst at Mary, his supervisor. He storms out of the building yelling veiled threats to company leaders. Co-workers have been […]
Editor’s note: The following is the first part of a two-part column exploring problems associated with workplace bullies and violence. One of your best supervisors, Mary, steps into your office, closes the door and struggles to tell you something. Obviously upset and fearful, she explains she’s just come from a meeting with one of her […]
I was confused and a little miffed when I first starting reading “Well-Being: The Five Essential Elements” by Tom Rath and Jim Harter. I own Triad EAP, a Western Slope-based employee assistance program, and thought that surely the “five elements” would include emotional and mental well-being. Every day I observe the chaos and pain that […]