Survey Says Work Can Make You Sick

Wow people must really have sordid preconceptions about work and what it's like to work if research shows that work is deemed hazardous to health.

Global recruitment firm Kelly Services conducted an international survey where nearly a fifth of employees say their work makes them ill or unhealthy. The sample consist of 115,000 respondents in 33 countries in Europe, Asia and the Pacific and North America this year.

Results showed that on average,

• 19 percent of respondents globally said their job was adversely affecting their health
• an additional 13 percent saying their work was so stressful it was making it hard for them to sleep at night
• In Japan 60 percent of respondents said they had suffered from work-related health problems
• Canada had the second-highest percentage of employees who said their health was affected, while employees in New Zealand, India and Australia were among those least affected
• A third of employees said they had taken three or more days of sick leave in the past year, but 35 percent said they had been made to feel guilty about the time off
• By contrast, 15 percent admitted to taking sick leave when they were not genuinely sick
• While the majority of workers polled said their health was their employer's responsibility, not everyone is asking for access to a gym, flexible hours or nutrition classes.

"In economies everywhere, people are spending more time at work, sometimes at the expense of personal health and wellbeing," said the Kelly Global Workforce Survey.

"A significant number of people also believe that the state of their health is at risk because of workplace conditions. Not only do employees see their health being affected, but they expect employers to actively address the issue," it said.

You know what I notice about most people in the office is that they take work way to personally. Work is a job. I love my work (sometimes). We take pride in what we do and that's good - I think that's what's called work integrity. It allows us give the best of what we have to our job.

But I don't think it's right to stay in the office for twelve hours a day and working your ass off, taking every bit of failure personally. Allowing work-related stress to permeate the rest of your life will drive you insane. That will indeed make anybody sick, not to mention burnt out.


This is why work has been restricted to only eight hours a day, because the powers that be know that there has to be life beyond work. I've learned there's such a thing as separating yourself from your job. Letting it be JUST a job. That doesn't mean we don't work hard, it just means shit happens and we take it but then we let it pass. So my advice to people who are working sick... get a life! Please!

Prohibited Items When Traveling to America

So many people I know are just leaving the country either on vacation or for migration. So I thought why not check on stuff for these people? If you're going to America, here are some tips on items NOT to bring

1. Cash amounting to more than USD 10,000: This is included in the list of things that you cannot bring when traveling to and from America. Immigration policy in US states that it is illegal to import and export over USD 10,000 in any Asian countries to prevent the possibility of supporting terrorism.
2. Fake signature items: Do not attempt to bring imitation items such as Louis Vuitton bags, Guess watches, etc. as you risk being questioned by the custom officers of America.
3. Pirated DVD’s/CD’s: The call to eradicate piracy is worldwide so pirated video and audio tapes are banned. It doesn’t matter if it is only one or two pirated CD’s with you, you will still be questioned and punished.
4. Pirated Books: As requested by the American Association of Publishers (AAP), custom officials in America are also on the look out for pirated books. Any traveler caught with fake print materials is charged with violation of intellectual property rights and will be automatically deported as punishment.
5. If you are a nurse or nursing student that wishes to take NCLEX or CGFNS in USA, make sure that your reviewers and reference books are not pirated.

OFW Advisory: Secure Clearances for the Christmas Holiday. POEA Office Will Be Open On Peak Days

Care of the OFW guide, Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) planning to go back to the Philippines for a vacation this December are advised by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to secure their exit clearances early. This can be done by going to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in their respective host countries before their flight back to the Philippines.


By taking care of exit clearances even before arriving to the Philippines, you don’t need to go the POEA office in Ortigas to get clearances when it is time for you to return to your host county. It will also prevent long lines and crowds at the POEA so the OFWs and the government agency are spared of the holiday hassle.


Accoding to Jennifer Jardin-Manalili, POEA Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili long lines at the Balik-Manggagawa Processing Center has long been a common sight at the POEA office after the holiday season.

OFWs that are going back to Philippine provinces may get exit clearance in POEA offices located in Clark Field in Pampanga and the cities of Baguio, Tuguegarao, San Fernando in La Union, Calamba, Legazpi, Tacloban, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, and Davao.

Manalili also said OFWs could use the overseas employment certificate courier system available at their website (http://www.poea.gov.ph).

All POEA offices will remain open during the peak days of December 22, 23, 24, 26, and 29; and January 9, 2009.

Top Four Things To Consider Should You Apply For A Job Abroad

Everybody's leaving the country, either as a nurse in the US or a chef in the Middle East or even just to migrate to Canada or New Zealand. Everybody is setting their minds on opportunities outside the country. Is this the course for me? Should I try getting a job outside of the country? Will it be worth it? How will it affect my family? If you're considering working overseas, bear in mind these questions.

Here are the top four things of the non-personal things that should be at the top of your list if you plan on applying abroad:

1. What type of job would you like to pursue? Of course the popular jobs abroad are medical (nursing, PT), teaching, construction and engineering jobs, as well as design and development positions. You're going to have to decide the career path you'd like to go one because this will most likely dictate what you'll be d
   



2. TOEFL test (or IELTS), people often think both exams are the same but they're not. Sometimes they're determined according to the location you want to go. IELTS is usually considered for Canada and the UK but TOEFL is said to be for the USA. I don't think that's the determining factor.
   
   As a personal note Test of English as a Foreign Language or TOEFL actually is used more often as basis for English proficiency even when people have already taken the IELTS. But just so we define it as well, IELTS stands for the International English Language Testing system. It operates on a nine point band, where a nine indicates that the student has a level of English equivalent to a highly educated native speaker, and it tests all four skills ( reading, writing, listening and speaking) in an academic context.



3. Prepare your VISA, make sure you read on How to get a VISA for the location abroad you will be relocating to. Research the area and know your way around so you don't get lost or worse yet become a victim of fraud.
   



4. Be sure your employment is sure and guaranteed before you leave the country. As best you can, work your employment requirements while still in your hometown. It will be more difficult to complete them when you're miles away. Also be wary of fake job opportunities that swindle people. Do not pay upfront for the job. Avoid sending money to your employer. If they truly want to hire you, they will spend money to get you there.

Letting The Job Find You

Sometimes it just gets tiring trying to look for a job. It feels like you will never find the right one and it's frustrating. To address that though is a strategy that will put your name out there. In my many readings about how to find the right career path. I've come across so many instances that say to the same effect - the right job will find you, if you let it.

So here's how a job applicant becomes a prey and NOT a hunter:

• Publish your work. If companies are looking for talent such as yourself then they will go to these places and maybe find you.
  
• Post your resume, or information about your work/ skills and expertise on job sites like Jobstreet where employers can search databases to find the right applicant.
  
• Network - Join communities. Make friends or acquaintances. This is difficult for me because I'm not the type. I often look aloof. I don't really like to talk to people I don't know too well. And then I get shy around people who look the least bit successful - sort of afraid to embarrass myself so I just shut up
• Improve yourself - learn more about your trade, become the best whether by taking classes or just be being self-taught it doesn't matter. The more you know the better.
• Take advantage of the internet - the internet has made the world so small that if you're at the right place or on the right website at the right time, you just might get an offer from the other side of the continent.
  

These days there are too many applicants lining up to get the job. I know it's difficult to play hard to get when you really need the job, and so go ahead and apply. But when you've got the word of mouth going in your favor then these opportunities will come to you.