Keeping healthy in the workplace during cold and flu season

As the seasons transition from Autumn to Winter, many people are experiencing changes in their bodies as they adjust to the weather shift. From dry skin and hair, to colds, stomach bugs and flu. Unfortunately, this is all too common and as soon as one person gets sick, then it seems to be a domino effect across the office, affecting not only our health but the companies production for the best part of a month.

Prevention is better than a cure so how do we prevent ourselves from getting sick in the first place and strengthening our immune system to prevent the cold and flu roller-coaster?

Eating wholefoods is essential, with a particular emphasis on ensuring you are getting enough Vitamin C and an assortment of B Vitamins. Vitamin C helps to reduce inflammation and is integral in stimulating the immune system; while B vitamins regulate the immune response and the amount of antibodies produced to fight the infection. You can find Vitamin C in foods such as lemons, oranges, broccoli, kiwi fruit, capsicum, kale and asparagus. B vitamins are found in brown rice, quinoa and dark green leafy vegetables.

As the weather gets cooler, consuming warming foods is not only satisfying but very nourishing. Bone Broths are incredibly nourishing as the broth, which is rich in minerals, support the immune system by supporting gut health. Healing compounds like glutamine and collagen, which contains glycine and proline aid in restoring the integrity and health of the gut lining and reducing inflammation. A healthy gut increases your ability to absorb the vitamins you are consuming through your food like vitamin C and B Vitamins which in turn support immunity and stave off cold and flu.

Another factor to consider in your quest to refrain from having days off work sick is to reduce stress. By reducing stress and being mindful in your day to day tasks at work and at home, plays a big part in keeping you healthy. If you do feel yourself getting stressed, then the fastest way to re-centre and allow your body to know it is safe is through diaphragmatic breathing – a long deep belly raising inhale and an equally deep exhale a few times throughout the day will do the trick and slow the production of stress hormones.

So to avoid any unnecessary sick days spent ill under the doona, eat your veggies and breathe deeply to assist you in keeping healthy and staying stress free.

Written by Kelly Stubbs. 

Me, a feminist?

There is one topic within engineering that I have always been uncomfortable with and that is speaking about women in engineering. Yes I know, I am a woman and I recruit engineers both female and male but still this topic makes me uncomfortable.  So, I asked myself why?

I have been uncomfortable with this simply from the perspective that I didn’t understand why we were segregating women and making an ‘issue’.  From my understanding of diversity and equality I felt that in our talking about equality we were making women different and forcing men to token hire into different positions to encourage equality within their company. Did you notice I said forcing men into token hiring?  My natural instinct knows that a male usually runs the company! This is the problem.

Then I realized, I haven’t experienced or haven’t realized the bias that a lot of women experience in a male dominated industry. I am lucky. I also deal with some forward thinking clients who don’t want this attitude in their businesses and I have two directors who are very outspoken on this topic and simply don’t have a sexist attitude.

I didn’t think I was a feminist, or at least the type that I have pictured in my mind who burn their bras running naked through the streets in protest along with no regard for personal hygiene.  But I do want equality, I want equality for you and me.  I want my sister, who is disabled to be given the same opportunities that I am entitled to have despite her physical capability.  I want my stepdaughter to know that she can be and do anything that she wants in this life, even be a soccer player equally to her brother.  I want the wonderfully intelligent women that I meet in my job to stop feeling inadequate and believe that they are able to take on that CEO position, Senior Engineer position or the next step up in their career.  I want them to understand, they ARE capable of doing anything. 

So, a feminist, then I guess yes I am; in that I want all people to be in a work environment where they feel they can achieve anything they put their mind to, regardless of gender, disability or race.

Changing how we tackle Easter

It’s that time of year again when we are frantically tying up business before the list of public holidays in Melbourne occur.  We have Labour Day, Anzac Day and of course Easter.  If you’re like me, you love this series of days off.  It is nice to look forward to having time off with family and friends.  Of course, chocolate, hot cross buns and Easter eggs make it all the nicer.

In the lead up, we often work frantically trying to get things done, meeting tighter deadlines, which translates into more stress so we can enjoy those few days off.

Lack of quality sleep, the stress and pressure associated with time pressure on delivering projects can lead to a multitude of unwanted issues:  gut problems ranging from bloating to intolerances, not feeling refreshed upon waking in the morning, not able to fall asleep at night, inability to concentrate, making bad food choices because you are tired, the list goes on.  Even your recovery from workouts can be affected.  In general you are tired and wired. This isn’t healthy, but the good news is it is something you can prevent.

Instead of suffering through this situation, let’s make this transition period more enjoyable by giving ourselves the tools to cope and come through unscathed, while actually feeling refreshed on the return to work!

Prevention is better than cure so below are a few things to help you get through:

Give Alcohol a miss:  Easier said than done I hear you say?  How did you feel after Febfast, if you did it?  Alcohol can really affect your immune system.  Studies show that ethanol can impair the immune response at a cellular level, not to mention it can cause systemic inflammation throughout the body.  It can also affect your Liver and its detoxification processes.  Give yourself a limit per week, maybe 2 glasses or avoid alcohol all together.

Drink lots of water: It is so important to stay hydrated during this time, being hydrated keeps everything moving well and helps to sustain a good night sleep; the better your sleep, the less you will wake feeling tired.  The more refreshed you are when you wake up in the morning the less likely you are to eat  something out of being tired and needing a boost (like processed carbs or refined sugars which give you sugar spikes and falls) to keep you going through the day.  It’s a cycle best to avoid.

Be mindful:  If you are starting to feel it is getting a bit much, take some time out to take a few deep breathes or go for a walk to get some fresh air. Each diaphragmatic deep breath you take, where you breathe in for 6 seconds hold it gently for 5 seconds and breathe out for 6 seconds automatically moves you from the sympathetic nervous system – fight or flight response to the parasympathetic – rest and digest response.  The clearer you are in your mind and more relaxed you can be, the more work you will get done. 

Be grateful:  This one sounds so simple but it is very powerful in altering your mindset.  Be grateful for a job to go to everyday, for your family, for a roof over your head and food on the table, be grateful for your health and the health and wellbeing of those around you. Replace the “I’ve got to do this”, with “I get to do this” – it’s a powerful mindset shift.

Always know you will survive when things get frantic I hope these simple tips help.  

Being New

Transitioning into a new environment whether that new environment is a new job, new home, new state or even new country can be tough for people in varying degrees.

Most experienced employers know that giving someone three months or so to find their feet, to settle into the culture and understand how a company works is imperative to that person’s success in the position and the ultimate success of the company.  Unfortunately, sometimes people aren’t given enough support.

I meet lots of different people in my job and some amazing candidates with exceptional talent who have just moved to Australia from countries far away.  Sometimes English is their second language and sometimes it isn’t.  Sometimes, they bring families and sometimes they come on their own.  Whatever the reason, these people are experiencing a huge transition and in a lot of circumstances are extremely brave in moving to a new country especially when the culture may be so different.  We often don’t know what drew these people to Australia. Some could even be from a war torn country, seeing an immense opportunity for their family and career.

It is important as an employer to embrace all transitioning employees to ensure they are making the new person feel really welcome.  It’s the little things that make the difference.  As an example, they may not know that it’s a custom of the company to all eat lunch together on Fridays or potentially have a beer after work from time to time.

Let me ask you this, how well do you know the new person who may have circumstances similar to this?  Have you spoken to them about how they have settled in? Have you asked how they are finding some of the cultural differences?  Have you offered to help or provide them with some advice?

There are some amazingly talented people who may need your help, so be aware of what’s going on around you, take the time to chat to the new person and I promise you, it will never be forgotten.  You just never know when you will be needing them one day.

Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace

Given my interest in nutrition, it’s interesting for me to see the cultural change in companies as they embrace Health and Wellbeing.  Many employees have realised the benefits of creating lifestyle balance which embraces a more active and healthier approach.

Employers embracing the introduction of multifaceted interventions in both physical activity and nutrition are seeing positive effects in the activity levels, eating habits, and stress management of their employees.  Embracing this culture also contributes to obesity prevention and the reduction in musculoskeletal disorders such as lower back pain.  Some research suggests that healthier employee’s work 143 effective hours per month compared to 49 hours per month from those that are less healthy.  Absenteeism also reduces in healthy staff.

I remember a time when candidates I spoke to wanted a ‘work/life balance’ in their new role. Most companies thought that work/life balance meant a coffee machine, afternoon biscuits and a beer at 4pm on a Friday, therefore as a recruiter I failed to find my candidates balance as it just wasn’t there to be found.

Now, thankfully I see many more companies recognising the importance of helping to keep their employee’s healthy and affording them the time to be physically active, spiritually in tune and nutritionally fed; the benefits are starting to show!

Supporting your employee’s does not mean extra expenses, short days in the office and incense burning in the corner while everyone rolls around on fit balls instead of chairs.  Far from it!  It is about having;

• Bright and inviting work spaces
• Natural light
• Clean air
• Plants and some life in the workplace
• Ensuring that nutritious food options are available
• Allowing staff the hour at lunch to exercise in some way if they wish

It could also mean;

• Starting groups that want to get involved in sporting teams
• Learn something creative
• Be educated on nutrition
• Learn some stress relieving techniques etc

The opportunities are endless and starting small will increase employee engagement.

If you currently feel in a bit of a rut and unsure how to initiate Health and Wellbeing in your company and want to know where to start, let us know, we are all about people here and can lead you in the right direction.

Partnering with your recruiter – Why it’s important

According to Mr Google, the definition of partnership is ‘A relationship between individuals or groups that is characterized by mutual cooperation and responsibility, as for the achievement of a specified goal’.

When a partnership works, there is collaboration, understanding and a desire to meet the same goal in an open and honest way.

When hiring, truly partnering with your recruiter based on the past success of working together makes for a very enjoyable process for all involved. 

As a recruiter, being able to understand the DNA of a business; the positives and negatives, the future plans, issues with staffing, what has worked and what hasn’t, and the makeup and dynamics of the current team can all make the difference to finding the ‘right’ person for a client.  From a recruiters view point, understanding and respecting the trust the client has instilled in you is imperative to the success of the partnership. After all, you both want the same outcome.

In a partnership of any description, when it works it works!  One of the biggest compliments a client can give an external recruiter is to say ‘You have nailed the brief!’  To nail the brief means getting the right person for a job, both in terms of skills, experience and fit. 

To follow are my tips for hiring managers to allow your recruiter to understand your business as if they worked there themselves to secure the best fit person for your roles. 

• Spend time with your recruiter, have lengthy conversations to allow them to understand your organisation, your needs and where you see the company in the future
• Be open and honest about any difficulties you are experiencing in finding talent
• Explain what your staff are asking for, what they love and what frustrates them about your company

As you can see there is a lot more to filling a role for a client than you might at first think.  What is imperative is working in partnership to achieve the shared goal.

I have met a lot of candidates over the years who admit to making the wrong decision at one time or another. When I ask them why they made the decision they made, the answers usually came down to more money, prestige and when they were totally honest, a very good sales pitch by the company and/or the recruiter they dealt with. We have all been there, it is nice to be made to feel important and to get a pay rise especially when you feel your hard work hasn’t been recognized.

In my experience, the highest paying company is not always the right company.  The money won’t keep you motivated in the long term, whereas the people you work with, the environment you work in and the projects you work on will.

So before you make any rash decisions, ask yourself; can I work with these people long term?  Do they hold the same values as I do? Is there career progression here?  Would I be willing to work late because I am passionate about the work I’d be doing here? Does the salary on offer give me a lifestyle that I’d be comfortable with?

So before you jump in make sure it’s a company you can call home.

A recent outbreak of flu in our office led to deep discussions on the topic of going to work while you are sick, highlighting the risk of infecting others. June wrote about this in our last blog and I think you will agree it is a tough one, but for the health of those around you and to mitigate the duration of your cold or flu it’s often better to be at home resting and getting better.  By eating a lot more garlic, lemon, chilli, turmeric and lots of water, in addition to a fairly good diet meant I didn’t get a cold to the severity of some.

That discussion also led to ‘how can we boost our immune system so we don’t get the flu or cold or at least not as severely’.

In answerting that quetion I feel the best advcie is to eat good quality vegetables with lots of colour all year round. And at all your meals eat quality protein and some good quality carbohydrates.  Amongst many of the essential nutrients our bodies need (Essential because our bodies don’t produce these nutrients) are vitamins A, C and E and the mineral Zinc. Having these in our diet all year round helps to boost our immune system. These vitamins amongst the others will certainly ensure our bodies are well equipped to handle those colder months and protect us from cold and flu also enabling us to bounce back quickly if we do succumb.

Some sources of the essential nutrients of Vitamin A, C and E, as well as the essential mineral of Zinc include:

In summary, a well-rounded diet is a great place to start to ensure you are keeping your immune system productive for times when you need it!

If you feel you need more focus in establishing a diet rich in vitamins and minerals to help you perform at your optimum levels, please contact us and we can put you in touch with well-regarded naturopaths and nutritionists.

Keep well.