HI D; This is such an important question to ask even during a time when downsizing is still the norm in the Canadian economy’s of central and eastern Canada. Part of this solution will be in the ability of employers to keep older/experienced skills tradespeople in their jobs longer and in the ability to hire from a larger pool of skilled employees, that being disabled employees. How does a company do this? Through ergonomic and accessible design such that the demands of a job are within the capabilities of more than the traditional 75% of the working population. This means the mental, cognitive and physical demands of a job through excellence in design. And this is in part what ergonomic standards are about and the new AODA Build Code standards for Ontario. JE Sleeth Optimal Performance Consultants.
And a comment about the misuse of the word Stress;
Jane Sleeth • A quick note from our Human Factors specialists at OPC; stress is not a dirty word. Stress is a positive motivator for people to do their best. Distress however is the long term exposure to mental, psychological and/or physiological stressors which the individual perceives negatively. Employees can learn to develop a different view of these distressors (cognitive behavioural approaches) such that these are then turned back to positive interpretations of “stress”. The word stress is being misused and overused and correcting this language will go a long way towards taking a much more positive approach to this issue and one which has cost effective and well researched solutions for it. JE Sleeth and the Ergonomic/Human Factors team at OPC Inc These concepts are well laid out in the book by JE Sleeth published by Carswell 2011.
