Every evening, it’s the same. You are determined to leave on time. Yet again, you find yourself finishing one more thing, answering one more email, or talking to one more co-worker. Or perhaps you spend a few hours every weekend catching up on your to-do list.

Either way, it adds up: Americans on average spend 47 hours a week at work, more than any other industrialized country. Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers. Four in 10 Americans said they work more than 50 hours every week, with two in 10 working more than 60 hours.

Yet the research is clear: Long hours — working in the morning, evenings and weekends — is not only hard health-wise on the person doing all that extra work but it doesn’t pay off to the degree that workers and their organizations expect. John Pencavel of Stanford University is one of many researchers who have found that output falls sharply after a 50-hour work-week — even more sharply after 55 hours. Other studies show work weeks of 50 or more hours can lead to a variety of health issues. With that in mind, here are some goals you may want to consider:

Don’t work more than 10 hours each day. Several studies show that more than 10 hours of work a day dramatically increases your risk of cardiovascular and other health issues. One study concluded that working 10-plus hours each day results in a 60 percent increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Stop sitting so much. It’s difficult when you work in an office not to sit all day. But studies show that it’s hazardous to our health to sit for eight to 10 hours a day. Make it a goal to stand up or walk around for several minutes once every half an hour or hour. Take a walk during your lunch hour, in the morning and/or in the evening.

Schedule times to unplug from work. That means no work-related phone calls or email for specified times throughout the week. Consider making at least part of your weekend a time you don’t do any work. The key is to set specific times and stick with them — even if it’s only an hour at a time.

Take vacations. Americans take on average only 16 days of vacation each year, down from 20 days a year. More than half of all Americans do not take all of their vacation time each year. Studies show that vacation time — even if spent at home — helps us recharge and boosts our productivity. Take time off — and encourage your employees to do the same.

Telecommuting is definitely taking off as COVID-19 disrupts our traditional ways of doing business. For companies, it solves the problem of social distancing and keeping employees from getting sick. And studies show most employees love working at home at least part of the time.

Yet allowing employees to work at home can expose your company to risks that you don’t encounter when your workforce is physically located at your company’s facilities. At Accurate Protection, we specialize in working with companies to better manage ever-evolving risks. That’s why we wanted to share with you some great ways employers can better manage the liability risks of remote workers:

Create a telecommuting policy. Setting clear work-at-home guidelines and communicating them to employees can help prevent misunderstandings. Make it clear that you have the right to rescind their work-from-home privileges at any time and for any reason. Have all employees review and acknowledge your company’s telecommuting policy.

Re-evaluate your insurance coverage. Make sure your insurance program effectively addresses the unique risks of having some of your employees working remotely. (We can help with that.)

Make sure employees are using secure wi-fi. All of your employees should be using private and secured Wi-Fi networks while working remotely. Using an unsecured network — public wi-fi — can put your company’s private information at risk. Require anyone who uses public wi-fi to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which keeps their web browsing secure.

Make sure employees are using devices that are secure with up-to-date firewalls and anti-virus software. This applies to laptops, tablets, and smartphones. It’s your responsibility to keep your customer and client information safe.
Use secure virtual meeting rooms. Make sure that private conversations and presentations cannot be monitored by unauthorized third parties.

Make sure you’re complying with federal wage and hour rules. To avoid violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers should require non-exempt employees working from home to record the time they work each day and stick to the hours they should be working each day. Non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay whether they are working at your company’s facility or at home, so it’s important that employees know they must adhere to their normal working hours and that they are prohibited from working additional hours without your approval.

Make sure you’re classifying workers correctly for workers compensation insurance. When employees switch to working from home, some workers compensation insurers may want to change classification codes. As an employer, it’s important to know that you could be potentially be held liable if an employee is hurt on the job and employees may be eligible for workers’ compensation if they are hurt while working at home.

We’re here to help your company better manage its risks. Want to learn more? Visit our website: https://accurateprotection.com/.

To help combat the spread of COVID-19, many offices are allowing employees to work from home. But few companies can shut down completely and must have at least some workers coming to the office each day. Here are some recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help keep COVID-19 from spreading in your workplace, even with reduced staffing levels:

Encourage good hygiene. Send hand washing reminders by e-mail and encourage all employees to wash their hands immediately after reporting to work. Post hand-washing reminders in the bathroom. Make hand sanitizer freely available wherever employees are. Remind employees to avoid touching their faces and cover coughs and sneezes.

Stop hand shaking. Use other non-contact methods of greeting. Try to keep employees who are in the office separated as much as possible.

Step up cleaning efforts. Surfaces like doorknobs, tables, desks, and handrails should be disinfected more frequently.

Use videoconferencing for meetings when possible. When not possible, hold meetings in open, well-ventilated spaces. Consider postponing large meetings or gatherings.

Encourage sick workers to stay home. Studies show that many employees nationwide come to work even if they have a cold or flu. In some offices, it’s a badge of honor to come to work even if you aren’t feeling well. Make sure employees know that if they aren’t feeling well, have been tested for COVID-19 or have a member of their household with COVID-19, they should stay home. The coronavirus can incubate from anywhere between 2-14 days. In the early stages, it doesn’t always present symptoms and some people who have it do not have significant symptoms.

Assist employees who are at higher risk. Some employees, such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions, may be at higher risk for serious illness. Employers may want to consider minimizing face-to-face contact between these employees and other employees or customers and/or assigning work tasks that allow them to maintain a distance of six feet from other colleagues and customers.

Don’t forget about mental health. The coronavirus pandemic is having wide-reaching effects on almost every aspect of American life. Understandably, many people report feeling anxious, afraid and unsure about what’s next. You can’t predict the future, but you can encourage your employees to care for their mental health — whether they are at home or at the office.

It’s estimated that on-the-job stress costs U.S. companies more than $300 billion annually in increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, increased health care costs and employee turnover. Stress, however, is a very individualized phenomenon — what causes stress in one person may not cause stress in another. The good news is that research has identified a number of stressors that often affect large groups of employees — and the ways employers can help address them.

Surveys show that probably the biggest source of stress for workers is balancing work and family demands. That’s why telecommuting and flextime are sought-after options for a growing number of workers nationwide. Studies show allowing workers the option of working just one day of each week at home can dramatically reduce their stress levels. Telecommuting isn’t the only answer, however. Ask your employees how you can help them meet the demands of work and family life. A bit of flexibility in how they get their job done can make all the difference.

Some other ways to reduce stress at the office:

Let the sick stay home. At many companies, it’s a badge of honor to go into work sick. Leaders often set the example by doing it themselves. Create a culture where people do not feel guilty staying home when they are ill. Even more important, encourage your employees to take all of their vacation days each year. One study showed that 52 percent of American workers did not use all of their allotted vacation time last year.

Create an after-hours work policy. Another big stressor? After-hours e-mails. Studies show that many employees feel like they have to answer e-mails and solve client problems after-hours. Simply put, it is stressing workers out. France even passed a law addressing the issue.

Be a good communicator. When was the last time you simply talked with your employees about the changes happening in your company? Sometimes not knowing what is happening or why changes are being made can affect stress levels. It doesn’t mean your employees need to know the sensitive information; but basic information can calm their nerves.

Offer food. Do you order in food for your employees occasionally? How about breakfast during a morning meeting and offering some bagels, fruit, yogurt and coffee? Need to have a training meeting? How about incorporating it over the lunch hour and have lunch catered? It’s a proven way to raise morale at the office.

Have a sense of humor. Humor can be a powerful tool for relieving stress. Share a laugh with your employees. It’s a great way to help diffuse a stressful situation.