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Seema goes into detail about how a pay wage increase can increase productivity. She includes details from different areas with minimum wages and how these wages affect the workers.

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Higher pay for employees has improved service and productivity in department stores and nursing homes. These findings have direct implications for the current pandemic, an economist says.

Credit... Nicolas Ortega

Two new studies show that giving pay raises to low-wage workers is good for consumers, too.

That finding could add momentum to efforts to help grocery store clerks, nursing home workers and delivery drivers who are being paid a minimum wage despite their efforts being so essential during the current pandemic.

The new research shows that raising the minimum wage improves workers' productivity, which translates into businesses offering higher-quality service.

Because many customers are willing to pay more when quality improves, a company can raise its prices without losing sales volume. That means that profits need not suffer even though employee salaries increase.

Moreover, because companies are getting better performance from workers in return for paying them more, a higher minimum wage does not necessarily lead to fewer jobs. With a more productive work force, more economic value is being created and there is more money to go around, so a higher paycheck for one person does not imply another person's loss.

The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour has not increased since 2009, though Democrats in the House of Representatives have tried to raise it. State and local governments can set their own minimum wage, provided that it is above the federal rate. For example, Ohio's minimum wage is $8.70 an hour and New York state's is $11.80. San Francisco' s is $15.59 an hour.

The two new studies, one focused on nursing homes and the other on department stores, looked at the effects of minimum wage changes made at various levels of government. While they are both still working papers and have not appeared in scholarly journals, they were conducted rigorously, by my estimation, and the evidence they offer deserves consideration in the debate on the minimum wage, particularly during our current health and economic crises.

The nursing home study, by the economist Krista Ruffini, a visiting scholar at the Minnesota Federal Reserve, has direct implications in the current pandemic. The improvements in quality it found may be a very a big deal: They imply fewer medical complications and, perhaps, a longer life for patients.

Ms. Ruffini analyzed hundreds of increases in the minimum wage across the United States from 1990 to 2017. In each case, she compared employment in neighboring counties that suddenly had different minimum wage levels.

Her method expands on a landmark study by David Card, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, and Alan Krueger, the former presidential adviser and Princeton economist, who found no drop in fast-food employment when New Jersey raised its minimum wage in 1992 above the level paid across the state line in Pennsylvania.

Similarly, Ms. Ruffini found little change in employment levels in nursing homes. Many employees were paid the minimum wage or somewhat more than that. Even in cases of the workers - nursing assistants - who had been paid more than the minimum wage, an increase in that base wage rippled through the labor market and still raised their salaries.

Ms. Ruffini's most startling finding was that higher minimum wages reduced mortality significantly among nursing home residents. Her research suggests that if every county increased its minimum wage by 10 percent, there could be 15,000 fewer deaths in nursing homes each year, or about a 3 percent reduction.

How did pay increases translate into better patient health and longer lives? It appears that with better pay, jobs in nursing homes became more attractive, so employee turnover decreased. Patients benefited from more continuity in their care.

In addition, the better paid employees may have simply worked harder, perhaps because they cared more about holding onto their jobs. Economists say they have been paid an "efficiency wage": Employees become more productive when their wages are higher.

The higher wage may also have attracted more skilled or industrious people to the job, but this seems to account for at most a small portion of the improvements in patient health.

A crucial finding is that the benefits for workers and patients did not come with any apparent downside to nursing homeowners. Their profits remained steady because they were able to defray their increased costs by charging higher fees. That's one reason these results might not apply in all industries. There are few alternatives to using a nursing home, so if the industry raises prices, it will not lose too many customers.

But, equally important, patients were not charged more for the same service: Quality improved in measurable ways as wages rose.

What unlocked these gains was government action: All nursing homes in a community had to pay employees more. That eliminated competitive disparities that might have made individual operators reluctant to raise wages unilaterally.

Similar effects turned up in a second study, this one focused on department stores. It found that a higher minimum wage increased employee performance, with no significant change in store profits. A team of economists - Decio Coviello at the University of Montreal and my colleagues, Erika Deserranno and Nicola Persico at Northwestern University - used data for 2012 to 2015 from a department store chain that operated 2,000 stores across the United States. They did not disclose the name of the chain. The researchers measured job performance directly by calculating sales revenue per hour.

Each week, an employee was paid either a commission, if her sales were good, or the local minimum wage. Most workers were paid the minimum wage at least some of the time. When the minimum wage increased, their job performance improved.

The study has an important implication during a crisis like this one: When the labor market was weakest, a higher minimum wage led to the biggest improvements in job performance. A period of economic distress is precisely when workers really want to hold onto their jobs, so the "efficiency wage" effect is large.

Supporters of raising the minimum wage usually make their case based on fairness and equity. That rationale is important, but the central finding of these studies - that a higher minimum wage can boost work force productivity and save lives - is a powerful one, too.

Seema Jayachandran is an economics professor at Northwestern University. Follow her on Twitter: @seema_econ

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How a Raise for Workers Can Be a Win for Everybody (Published 2020)

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Higher pay for employees has improved service and productivity in department stores and nursing homes. These findings have direct implications for the current pandemic, an economist says. Two new studies show that giving pay raises to low-wage workers is good for consumers, too.

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Willem goes into detail on how there isn’t a correlation between wages and productivity. This is shown through statistics of productivity growing significantly higher compared to wages over time.

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The growth in productivity has more than doubled that of hourly compensation for U.S. workers since 1948. Image: Unsplash/Wocintechchat

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Productivity of Americans is soaring, but wages are lagging behind. Image: Economic Policy Institute

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Working more for less: How wages in America have stagnated

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The growth in productivity has more than doubled that of hourly compensation for U.S. workers since 1948. Image: Unsplash/Wocintechchat Stay up to date: Workforce and Employment Follow Productivity of Americans is soaring, but wages are lagging behind.

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Alan provides excellent examples of what a healthy work environment is, and how it affects workers. In addition, he provides evidence that shows that employees do appreciate having a clean work environment and evidence showing that a clean work environment increases their productivity.

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In the last 20 years, the modern office has gone through a number of evolutions. The early 2000s saw the death of cubicle farms and the rise of open floorplans, and 2015 brought waves of ping pong and foosball tables to offices everywhere. While office trends come and go, one thing that does not change is the impact that the office environment has on employee health and wellbeing.

A quality workspace design leads to a less stressful and more productive atmosphere. It's essential that employers take the physical work environment of their employees into consideration. Employees need to feel comfortable and calm in their physical work settings to produce their best work.

According to the Fellowes Workplace Wellness Trend Report, employees also want to work in a healthy environment. Here are some findings from the survey:

An overwhelming majority (87%) of workers would like their current employer to offer healthier workspace benefits, with options ranging from wellness rooms, company fitness benefits, sit-stands, healthy lunch options and ergonomic seating.

Interestingly, employees of younger companies are less likely (34%) to be turned down when asking for in-office benefits like sit-stand desks, than employees at established companies (42%).

93% of workers in the tech industry said they would stay longer at a company who would offer healthier workspace benefits, with options ranging from wellness rooms, company fitness benefits, sit-stands, healthy lunch options and ergonomic seating.

One company, ROOM, is addressing the growing need for privacy in the workplace with their phone booth, a sound-proofed, ventilated, powered booth that can give employees a place to take a video call or get some uninterrupted time to focus on work.

"We spend almost a third of our lives in the office, and in order to find and retain top talent, it's essential for companies to foster an environment that empowers people with the right space to work, think and collaborate naturally. Seventy percent of offices today are open plan, and the open plan layout can be fantastic. But it really needs to be implemented correctly with employee productivity and happiness in mind. From offering private rooms to take a call and quiet spaces for meditation to fun, comfortable areas that foster collaboration, it's imperative to think about building office spaces with different environments to maximize employee wellbeing. At ROOM, we're setting a new standard for the workplace, and we believe that our phone booth offers the perfect starting place for teams of all sizes to create a happier, healthier, and more productive work environment," says Morten Meisner-Jensen, Co-Founder of ROOM.

Office design is such a valuable business investment; there's even an international organization that has established requirements to create productive and comfortable indoor environments. The WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) is the premier standard for buildings, interior spaces and communities seeking to implement, validate and measure features that support and advance human health and wellness. Administered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBITM), and certified by Green Business Certification Inc., the WELL Building Standard is the first standard that focuses on human health and wellbeing into design, construction and operations of buildings. According to the IWBITM, workplace design that considers air quality, lighting, views onto nature and the general layout of the interior can significantly impact on health, satisfaction, wellbeing and staff productivity.

The WELL Building Standard focuses on seven concepts of building performance: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind. Even if you have no immediate plans (or the budget!) to become WELL Certified, companies can still utilize the principles to help create a healthier environment. Let's dive in deeper and see how you can bring these concepts to your company:
Air
The quality of air within an office can have a significant impact on your employees' health and in turn productivity. Research carried out by the World Green Building Council recorded an 11% increase in productivity as a result of increased fresh air to the workstation and a reduction in pollutants. Here are a few ways you can impact the air quality:

Implement a no-smoking policy

Develop green cleaning protocols and keep office clutter-free

Install air filtration systems

Maintain a healthy level of humidity

Add some office plants

Open windows

Water
Our brains are 73% water, so water consumption helps improve sleep quality and energy levels, as well as our ability to focus, our clarity of mind, and our awareness and alertness. This, in turn, helps us become more productive at work. Here are a few ways you can help your employees increase their water intake:

Provide safe drinking water

Install a water cooler

Educate employees about the benefits of drinking water

Host water challenges

Nourishment
We've all heard the saying "you are what you eat," and this saying might be especially true in the workplace. What your employees eat fuels and powers their days at the office. If you want your employees to feel energized, focused, and productive, you'll want them eating a nutritious, balanced diet that supplies them with the nourishment their bodies need to succeed. Encourage better eating habits and food culture with these tips:

Improve the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables

Limit access to processed foods

Label food clearly for food allergies

Improve access to good hand washing facilities

Make nutritional information available

Promote healthy food options over advertising unhealthy ones

Foster mindful eating - create dedicated eating spaces

Light
A conducted by the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell showed that employees seated within 10 feet of a window reported an 84% decrease in eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision symptoms. Here are a few ways to rethink your office lighting design:

Consider adding skylights

Control glare

Maximize natural lighting

Move big, bulky furniture that blocks sunlight

Replace flickering lights

Layer different types of lighting in a workspace, such as ambient and task lighting

Fitness
Our bodies were made to move, not sit all day. Employees who lead an active lifestyle are likely to be more productive. Because exercise increases the blood flow to the brain, employees will get a boost of energy and alertness. This can also sharpen their concentration and decision-making skill. A few ways to encourage movement at work include offering:

Open and accessible stairways

Shower facilities

Bicycle storage

Adjustable workstations

Space for physical activity

Comfort
The office should be a place of comfort. The use of correct ergonomics can lessen muscle fatigue, increase productivity, and reduce the severity of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which are the most frequently cited causes of lost work time. A few ways to create distraction-free, comfortable environments include:

Ergonomically crafted work areas with the ability to alternate from sitting to standing positions

Provide employees with different areas to work during their day

Limit sound from building systems and create quiet zones

Create breakout areas, hot desking and informal meeting areas, and creative spaces for brainstorming

Mind
The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace showed that people who work in spaces with natural features reported 15% higher levels of overall wellbeing. Furthermore, the respondents expressed feeling 6% more productive and 15% more creative at work. If the interior design of an office considers the occupants such as creating both breakout space and social space, improvements are found in concentration, collaboration, confidentiality and creativity. Optimize employees' emotional health through these strategies:

Create collaborative spaces, as well as areas to relax and de-stress

Add greenery: potted plants, living walls or flower gardens

Design outdoor spaces (rooftop patio or staff garden)

Offer flexibility - give options for where and how employees want to work

The research shows how workplace design positively influences health, wellbeing, employee satisfaction, and performance. There is huge potential for improving and making a positive impact on employee wellbeing through human-centered design. By simply offering employees areas to recharge and taking their comfort into consideration, you can easily make subtle changes to improve the physical environment at your office.

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How Your Office Space Impacts Employee Well-Being

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In the last 20 years, the modern office has gone through a number of evolutions. The early 2000s saw the death of cubicle farms and the rise of open floorplans, and 2015 brought waves of ping pong and foosball tables to offices everywhere.

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The Psychological reasons why having a great workplace environment promotes productivity 

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The Psychological reasons why having a great workplace environment promotes productivity 

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This was an amazing article from Kailash that perfectly summed up how everything from other articles had made a difference on them, how mentally this affects employees and why this affects them.

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Human Resources for Workplace Environment

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Human Resources for Workplace Environment

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This article by Anton provides great examples of what human resources do to improve work productivity. In addition, this article goes over management skills such as having a positive attitude, and it goes over a clean work environment.

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The effects of heat on people in the workforce

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The effects of heat on people in the workforce

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This article talks about the effects of heat on people in the workplace. I think that this is important because I always found this important for myself when working at any of my jobs I found that working in the heat made it harder for me to focus on what I was doing and how fast I could work at my job. I think that having a cooler temperature in the workplace, especially during the summer is vital to work.

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Abstract

Background: Global climate change is already increasing the average temperature and direct heat exposure in many places around the world.

Objectives: To assess the potential impact on occupational health and work capacity for people exposed at work to increasing heat due to climate change.

Design: A brief review of basic thermal physiology mechanisms, occupational heat exposure guidelines and heat exposure changes in selected cities.

Results: In countries with very hot seasons, workers are already affected by working environments hotter than that with which human physiological mechanisms can cope. To protect workers from excessive heat, a number of heat exposure indices have been developed. One that is commonly used in occupational health is the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). We use WBGT to illustrate assessing the proportion of a working hour during which a worker can sustain work and the proportion of that same working hour that (s)he needs to rest to cool the body down and maintain core body temperature below 38°C. Using this proportion a 'work capacity' estimate was calculated for selected heat exposure levels and work intensity levels. The work capacity rapidly reduces as the WBGT exceeds 26-30°C and this can be used to estimate the impact of increasing heat exposure as a result of climate change in tropical countries.

Conclusions: One result of climate change is a reduced work capacity in heat-exposed jobs and greater difficulty in achieving economic and social development in the countries affected by this somewhat neglected impact of climate change.

Introduction

Global climate change will affect living and working environments, and create health threats for millions of people 1 2. The average global temperature is increasing and it is estimated that it will go up a further 1.8-4.0°C (estimated average 3.0°C) by 2100 1, depending on actions to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The extent of local climate change will vary depending on geographic and local meteorological conditions. Modern urban development can add several degrees to local temperatures through heat absorption in concrete buildings, road tar-seal, etc.: the 'urban heat island effect' 3.

Increasing local ambient temperature means higher human exposure to heat, which during hot seasons in hot parts of the world can create very unhealthy environments for people who are not able to protect themselves with air conditioning or other cooling methods. Both general living environments and working environments are affected. The latter may create impacts both on workers' health and on economic conditions 4. Workers in low and middle-income tropical countries are likely to be at highest risk of excessive heat exposure.

The aim of this paper is to briefly introduce the most commonly used occupational heat stress index and how working people are likely to be affected at different heat exposure levels, an important aspect of the health effects of climate change 5. We will highlight the potential impacts of increasing heat exposure due to climate change in low and middle-income tropical countries.

Physiological and clinical impacts of heat stress

The human body is designed to maintain a core body temperature of 37°C. A person carrying out physical activity (for instance while working) creates metabolic heat inside the body, which needs to be transferred to the person's external environment in order to avoid a dangerous increase of core body temperature 6. The body heat balance is determined by the 'six fundamental factors' 6:

If cooling via sweating and convection (via contact with cooler air and air movement) is not sufficient, the metabolic heat generation needs to be reduced to avoid heat strain and heat stroke 7. This creates limits to the extent to which physical activity and work output can be maintained without rest periods.

When physical activity is high in a hot working environment, the worker is at risk of increased core body temperature (above 38°C), diminished physical work capacity 8 9, diminished mental task ability 10, increased accident risk 11 and eventually heat exhaustion or heat stroke 12. The main factor underlying these effects is the increased core body temperature 13, but dehydration due to sweating and inadequate liquid intake is also of major importance 14. Symptomatic exhaustion and clinical diseases, particularly kidney disease 14, can be the result of excessive dehydration 9.

When body temperature exceeds 39°C, acute heat disorders (heat stroke) may occur, and above 40.6°C life-threatening 'severe hyperpyrexia' starts to occur 13. Many of these references may look outdated, but the fact is that much of the relevant research was carried out several decades ago, and more recent studies have confirmed the understanding of the basic mechanisms 9.

Assessing workplace heat stress

To protect workers from the effects of heat exposure 'heat stress indices' and protective guidelines have been developed 7. The most commonly used in occupational health is the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index developed by the US Army many decades ago 15. This index takes into account air temperature, radiant temperature, humidity and air movement, and is the basis for time limitations of work in different heat exposure standards. Other indices of heat exposure (e.g. heat stress index, index of thermal stress, predicted four-hour sweat rate) 8 are likely to be correlated to WBGT.

The WBGT is a combination of three local climate measurements 16: the natural wet bulb temperature, T nwb; the globe temperature, T g; and the air temperature, T a. WBGT-outdoors = 0.7×T nwb+0.2×T g+0.1×T a; WBGT-indoors = 0.7×T nwb+0.3×T g. Special equipment is required to measure T nwb and T g 6, and these variables are not routinely measured at weather stations. Descriptions of the equipment and the physical science basis for the three temperature measurements can be found on web-sites or in textbooks 6.

In order to assess time trends of human heat exposure in the past and likely future trends during climate change, it would be very useful if available weather station data could be used to estimate WBGT. However, the relationships between the different variables are complex.

Different mathematical models to calculate WBGT from weather station data have been developed and a recent one, based on a detailed analysis of the physical principles behind heat and energy transfer 17, appears the most accurate. The computer software can be obtained from the authors on request 17. This elaborate model makes it possible to compare calculated WBGT estimates for different seasons and places.

Occupational heat exposure guidelines based on WBGT 16 18 state maximum heat exposures in jobs at different work intensity (in Watts). The international standard 18 presents the proportions of work hours during which workers need to take rest periods, depending on work intensity and WBGT, in order to avoid the core body temperature exceeding 38°C for an average worker. A table in the international standard presents WBGT 'reference values' (the point at which some preventive action should be taken) ( Table 1) shows the WBGT levels that require no hourly rest, or rest to the extent of 25, 50 and 75% (rest/work ratios) during the working hour. The US guidelines 16 also includes a WBGT level at which no work should be carried out without special protective clothing at a higher level of heat exposure. These standards have been summarised in Table 2.

Workplace heat stress, health and productivity - an increasing challenge for low and middle-income countries during climate change

Workplace heat stress, health and productivity - an increasing challenge for low and middle-income countries during climate change

At light work intensity (200 Watts) the need for rest periods each hour starts at a WBGT of 31°C, while at heavy work intensity (500 W) this threshold occurs at a WBGT of approximately 25.5°C ( Table 2). The need for preventive actions to avoid excessive heat exposure starts even earlier in accordance with the 'reference values' (30 and 23°C, respectively; Table 2).

The US Army and Air Force has issued advice on heat effect prevention 15 that is similar to the levels in Table 1, but this advice naturally assumes that a soldier can cope with somewhat more heat. For example, at WBGT = 32°C a soldier doing moderate work in relatively light clothing (425 W) is allowed to work 20 minutes of every hour, while the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommendation is for 15 minutes work per hour. As pointed out in Table 2, all of these recommendations depend on the clothing worn. The heavier the clothing is, the more rest time is required.

The WBGT is not considered ideal as an occupational heat stress index for individual work situations 19 20 and other alternatives have been proposed; e.g. the Required Sweat Rate index 21, the Predicted Heat Strain index 22 and the Thermal Work Limit 23 24. For the purposes of this paper we used WBGT primarily as an illustration of one of the potential consequences at population level of global climate change.

Table 2 shows a strikingly narrow WBGT range between the heat exposure level that is acceptable for continuous workplace exposure (e.g. 25.5°C at 500 W) and a 75% rest time requirement (31°C at 500 W). Kjellstrom 4 defined work capacity as the percentage of a working hour that a worker can perform his/her intended work. If no rest time is needed, because of heat, during a working hour, then the work capacity is 100%. If 75% rest time is needed, the work capacity is 25%, etc. Using this approach, Table 2 can be used to estimate loss of work capacity in heat exposed occupations for every hour of the day.

Impacts of workplace heat exposure on clinical health

Heat-related deaths at work have occasionally been reported, starting with classical studies in South Africa 25. A recent study of 423 heat-related deaths among agricultural workers in the USA, 1992-2006 26 shows that the problem is still occurring. There are few systematic studies in low and middle-income countries of deaths or serious clinical heat stroke among heat-exposed workers, except for India where considerable research on the physiology of heat exposure and preventive approaches has been carried out by Nag and colleagues at the National Institute of Occupational Health. For instance, one study using experimental exposure chambers quantifies the 'tolerance time' of work at different intensities until core body temperature reaches 39°C 27. At a WBGT of 34°C, the tolerance time in heavy work goes below one hour, and it reduces by 4-5 minutes per 1°C increase of WBGT 27. These WBGT thresholds for 'safe' hourly continuous work are higher than those in Tables 1 and 2, but this is a natural result of using 39°C as an acceptable core body temperature rather than 38°C as in the tables. The latter temperature provides a greater safety margin for heat stroke among the workers who are sensitive to heat exposure.

The physiological basis for the different levels of clinical health damage was described briefly above and more details are given by Parsons 6 and Bridger 9. Beyond the acute heat stress, more chronic effects on the heart and kidneys may develop after repeated excessive body heating or dehydration 9.

Impacts of workplace heat exposure on worker productivity

The relationship between occupational heat exposure and productivity was pointed out as long ago as 1974 by Axelsson 28 and was further commented upon by Holmer 29, but very little research has been carried out aiming at quantifying this relationship in work situations where workers are 'self-paced'. The slowing down of work as a defence mechanism during severe heat exposure is labelled 'autonomous adaptation' by climate change researchers 30. Productivity has also been analysed for indoor climates in relation to air conditioning needs 6. The first report on this issue in the context of global climate change 4 likened the heat effect on work output to the 'disability' caused by defined diseases, and concluded that this effect may contribute to disability in a population to a greater degree than most diseases.

A number of recent studies have analysed different aspects of the effects of heat exposure on productivity. In indoor environments, increased heat exposure reduces performance 31 32 33 and reducing humidity of office air in the tropics was shown to improve the perception of the work environment 34. In Bangladesh, heat reduced work performance in metal workshops 35. Protective clothing increased heat stress and reduced performance 36.

Heat stress is likely to be common during hot seasons, but culturally accepted methods to reduce impacts on health and work capacity (such as 'siesta') are generally effective in avoiding serious health impacts. However, these culturally accepted methods will undoubtedly reduce the hourly productivity of the exposed workers. More research to document these conditions is needed to make accurate estimates of the impacts of climate change.

Modelling the impacts of workplace heat exposure

Lemke and Kjellstrom (to be published) used the model by Liljegren et al. 17 to calculate WBGT based on daily weather data for a selection of cities in countries with hot seasons. The WBGT levels during the hot seasons are very high in outdoor work where sun exposure is a major contributor to high WBGTs. For instance, in Delhi the calculated WBGTs during afternoons in May (the hottest month) reach above 30°C on average ( Fig. 1). The resulting work capacity during different hours for a person who works at a heavy work intensity of 500 W is very low: on average only 20% of work capacity remains at 12 noon ( Fig. 1). In order to avoid the midday work capacity loss, people use 'siesta', night work, or similar approaches to work primarily during less hot parts of each 24-hour period. However, night work is not possible for workers who rely on daylight to see their worksite (e.g. poor farmers in tropical countries). Additional examples are provided in recent technical reports 37 38 where more detail about the methods used and the results for major cities are given.

Climate change and heat stress trends in tropical countries

The ongoing global climate change has until now been described primarily in terms of the average global temperature change. To describe changes in workplace, heat stress requires trend analysis of local temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation. We will show temperature trends for selected locations as indicators of the likely trends of actual heat stress, but more detailed analysis is required for projections of future heat stress impacts.

The highest expected temperature increase due to climate change is expected close to the North Pole 1, which creates major problems for the environment, but few people live there. Densely populated areas around the planet that are expected to get the highest temperature increases due to global climate change are mainly inland areas within the large continents with an increase of 1-3°C by 2020 and 3-5°C by 2080 1. In many of these areas the maximum temperatures during the hottest part of the year are already close to 40°C (examples in Kjellstrom et al. 37 and increasing over time ( Table 3). An additional 3-5°C will make heavy work (e.g. in agriculture and construction work) very difficult during the hottest periods in most of these cities and in tropical countries in general. The ongoing changes of temperature are caused partly by the 'heat island effect' in many of these cities and may only partly be due to global atmospheric change.

Workplace heat stress, health and productivity - an increasing challenge for low and middle-income countries during climate change

Modelling by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 1 forecasts substantial increases of future annual average temperatures (and in many places also increases of humidity) in areas populated by billions of people, and it is likely that for many workers increasing WBGT index levels will affect their work capacity and create health risks. The eventual occupational impacts of such increasing heat exposure are dependent on shading from trees or roofs, clothing, radiated heat and wind speed in workplaces, but it is most likely that global climate change is a threat to safe, comfortable and productive thermal working environments for a significant part of the global population. To limit these impacts, urban planning and workplace design should consider the impacts of climate change.

Conclusions

The impact on human function and health in work situations is a 'neglected' effect of global climate change. The potential health risks and worker productivity reductions due to climate change are substantial. The lack of attention until recently may well be due to the fact that this is mostly a problem in low and middle-income tropical countries where climate change impacts during this century will be prominent and air conditioning is not widely available, while in high-income countries air conditioning is already very common in workplaces.

The increasing heat exposure due to local climate changes is likely to create occupational health risks and to have a significant impact on the productivity of many workers, unless effective preventive measures ('adaptation') reducing the occupational heat stress are implemented. This may be practically and economically possible for indoor environments, but it is much more difficult for outdoor environments. Eventually, this will hamper economic and social development in affected countries unless appropriate preventive measures are taken in the planning processes for workplaces and urban development.

Conflict of interest and funding

The authors have not received any funding or benefits from industry to conduct this study.

Metabolic rate classa (work intensity)

0 (rest)

1 (light work)

2 (medium work)

3 (intense work)

4 (very intense work)

Approximate metabolic rate, M (W)

100

200

300

400

500

WBGT reference values b (°C)

33

30

28

25

23

Metabolic rate class (work intensity)

1 (light work) WBGT (°C)

2 (medium work) WBGT (°C)

3 (heavy work) WBGT (°C)

4 (very heavy work) WBGT (°C)

No work at all (100% rest/hour) b

39

37

36

34

Time trends, fitted line,temperature increase for

City

Maximum temp. (oC/century)

Average temp. (oC/century)

Minimum temp. (oC/century)

Acknowledgements

Part of this information was presented at the International Conference on Biometeorology in Tokyo, Japan, in September 2008. The research was supported by funds from the Australian National University and Lund University.

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IPCC. Fourth assessment report. Geneva, Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2007. Available from: www.ipcc.ch [cited 18 October 2008].

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Workplace heat stress, health and productivity - an increasing challenge for low and middle-income countries during climate change

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Abstract Background: Global climate change is already increasing the average temperature and direct heat exposure in many places around the world. Objectives: To assess the potential impact on occupational health and work capacity for people exposed at work to increasing heat due to climate change.

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A scholarly article on motivation in the workplace

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A scholarly article on motivation in the workplace

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This article goes over the ways that workers can be motivated, and how this affects them and the psychology of how.

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The Importance of motivation in the workplace

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The Importance of motivation in the workplace

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Motivation in the workplace is very important because it enhances the ability of the workers to feel confident in their jobs and to feel like they are able to be apart of something bigger and that their ideas are being heard.

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The effects of positive feedback on workers

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The effects of positive feedback on workers

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The author, Christine Porath, gives important statistics on how having positive feedback can ultimately influence workers to become more involved in their work, hence increasing productivity. She has authority in her writing because of her information and where she has posted her article which is in Harvard Business Review, upon research this website is very credible.

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Research shows that one of the best ways to help employees thrive is to give them feedback. It's one of the primary levers leaders have to increase a sense of learning and vitality. Giving your direct reports regular updates on personal performance, as well as on how the business is doing, helps them feel valued. Negative or directive feedback provides guidance, leading people to become, over time, more certain about their behavior and more confident in their competence.

Highlighting an employee's strengths can help generate a sense of accomplishment and motivation. A Gallup survey found that 67% of employees whose managers focused on their strengths were fully engaged in their work, as compared to only 31% of employees whose managers focused on their weaknesses. IBM's WorkTrends survey of over 19,000 workers in 26 countries, across industries and thousands of organizations, revealed that the engagement level of employees who receive recognition is almost three times higher than the engagement level of those who do not. The same survey showed that employees who receive recognition are also far less likely to quit. Recognition has been shown to increase happiness at work in general and is tied to cultural and business results, such as job satisfaction and retention.

Offering positive feedback can generate wins for managers, too. High performers offer more positive feedback to peers; in fact, high-performing teams share nearly six times more positive feedback than average teams. Meanwhile, low-performing teams share nearly twice as much negative feedback than average teams.

You and Your Team Series

Giving and Receiving Feedback

Consider which of your team members' positive contributions you currently take for granted. Make a list, and start calling out team members for their strengths when you see them in action - and try to catch people at it in the moment. The more specific you are, the better. The more you notice what's meaningful to a person, the greater your potential impact will be. Some people prefer a pat on the back in private; others want to bask in the glory of a crowd. If you don't tend to give much feedback, start scheduling one-on-one meetings. Tell each individual what you want them to start, stop, and continue doing. See if you can list a few straightforward actions for each of these prompts. You may ask one employee to start speaking up and sharing their ideas in a meeting, and stop being critical if they don't voice their concerns during the production process. You might compliment them on their creative design ideas and their efforts mentoring employees. Let your employee know that you appreciate these efforts - and that you'd love for them to continue doing these specifics.

There are several things you can do to make your feedback even more powerful and productive. Try to identify with the recipient of feedback and understand the emotions he or she may be feeling. In a straightforward and honest way, explain the reason for the feedback. Imagine that you're giving yourself the feedback: How would you want to hear it? Make sure to focus on the future: What can your employee do to move forward?

Pay attention to your facial expressions when you deliver feedback. How you say things is just as important as what you're saying. Researcher Marie Dasborough studied the effects of delivery on feedback when she observed two groups, one whose members received negative feedback accompanied by positive emotional signals, such as nods and smiles, and one whose members received positive feedback delivered with frowns and narrowed eyes. People who received positive feedback accompanied by negative emotional signals reported feeling worse about their performance than participants who received good-natured negative feedback. The delivery of feedback can often be more important than the message itself.

How do you know whether your delivery is having a positive effect or you're provoking resentment, defensiveness, and ill will? Most of us have blind spots. Tone of voice, for example, is particularly difficult for us to detect accurately. Our facial expressions are another source of blind spots. We may feel ourselves smile, but we often don't sense other facial movements, such as our eyebrows shooting up in shock, fear, or disgust. As you feel judgment, anger, or frustration racing in, are you really able to hide it?

Another blind spot stems from the gap that exists between the intent and impact of our actions. Let's say that you gave your direct report some critical developmental feedback because you thought it was exactly what she needed to improve. You want to groom her for a promotion and career success. Yet she felt like you belittled her - in front of the whole team. As Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen point out in Thanks for the Feedback, we judge ourselves by our intentions, while others judge us by the effects of our actions. Trying doesn't count for much. If we fare poorly in how we execute delivering feedback, others count it against us.

How deeply do you understand your ability to give feedback well? To gain self-awareness, solicit others' help using the following strategies:

Ask for focused feedback. Ask 10 or more people - including coworkers, friends, and family - how good you are at giving feedback. Ask for specific details and examples. What was the context, what happened, and what did you do to make others respond positively to your (negative or positive) feedback? Look closely for recurring commonalities. Ideally, you'll home in on a couple of specific areas for improvement. Then use leadership coach Marshall Goldsmith's "feed forward" process, which involves five steps:

1. Describe your goal clearly. Explain that you want to provide critical feedback better. You don't want to offend people or have them become defensive. You have heard repeatedly that you are abrasive and your feedback stings.

2. Ask for suggestions. Encourage creativity. How can you connect better with employees generally, such that they feel that you care about them and their development? Employees may be less defensive when you give them critical feedback. Ask if they notice anything in particular that is responsible for you being perceived as abrasive. What specifically do they recommend that you do differently?

3. Listen carefully.

4. Thank the person. Tell the person that you appreciate them taking the time to help you and to offer specific suggestions. You might mention that you are going to check in to see how you're progressing. Don't make excuses or get defensive.

5. Repeat this process with additional people.

If you use this approach, you'll wind up with concrete suggestions from a number of people invested in your success. Check in periodically with these people, because they can help you gauge your improvement over time.

Work with a coach. Coaches can uncover weaknesses by independently surveying and interviewing your colleagues and by shadowing you at meetings and events. A great coach can detect subtleties in your behavior of which you might not be aware and can identify underlying assumptions, experiences, and personal qualities that make you prone to being uncivil or delivering feedback poorly. What are you doing that shuts people down, closes them off to your feedback, or creates resentment?

Use colleagues or friends as coaches. Not everyone has access to coaches, but you can also reach out to colleagues and peers for help. I have personally had MBAs and executives coach one another, which has been a very effective and cost-efficient way to improve giving and receiving feedback.

While you're working to improve your own feedback (and interpersonal) skills, encourage your team members to do the same. Have an open discussion with your team about what you and your teammates do or say that conveys respect and is effective when providing feedback. What could you do or say better? Discuss what the team will gain by providing greater feedback and by delivering it with greater respect and tact. When I've done this group exercise in the past, I've found that colleagues will often spontaneously coach one another and offer candid feedback, such as: "You need to share the credit more often" or "You'd be more effective if you were more direct." It's one of the best ways to get honest, direct feedback that can move your entire team forward.

Providing effective feedback is a crucial managerial skill. Highlight the progress your team is making. Researchers Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer have shown that a sense of progress is the most powerful motivator in the workplace, even stronger than personal recognition or pay. Encourage people's strengths by providing your employees with specific feedback on how they are helping your team or organization. Focus on how you deliver the feedback. Home in on potential blind spots that could be limiting the power of your feedback - or, worse, having a detrimental effect on employees. Gather feedback from others. By providing effective feedback well, you can ignite your employees, helping them and your organization thrive.

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Give Your Team More-Effective Positive Feedback

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Research shows that one of the best ways to help employees thrive is to give them feedback. It's one of the primary levers leaders have to increase a sense of learning and vitality. Giving your direct reports regular updates on personal performance, as well as on how the business is doing, helps them feel valued.

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Social Exchanges on participation in the workplace

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Social Exchanges on participation in the workplace

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I found this article on my DVC library website, and it goes over the ways that businesses work on creating a better experience for their workers and ways to improve their productivity and performance.