Greater Milwaukee Jobs

2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • October 1, 2015 2.75 times more likely to report their health as "poor" or "fair." (The other options were "good," "very good" or "excellent.") People with blue-collar jobs, service-industry jobs or who worked on farms rated their health as about the same as their white- collar peers. The survey also rated health using a measure called the Health and Activities Limitation Index, or HALex, which includes factors like whether people need help taking care of themselves or have limitations in the kind of work they can do. The 80 per- cent of people with the highest HALex scores were consid- ered to be in good shape, compared with the 20 percent of people who had the lowest scores. The researchers found that unem- ployed and retired senior citizens were nearly six times more likely than the white-collar workers to have a low HALex score. Again, other types of workers scored about the same as white-collar workers. Older Americans with jobs also fared better on more objective measures of health. For instance, the Nation- al Health Interview Survey included information on whether people had ever been diagnosed with serious condi- tions like cancer, dia- betes and heart dis- ease. Compared to those with white- collar jobs, those who were unem- ployed or retired were 49 percent more likely to have a history of at least two of these health problems. By this measure, blue-collar workers were in even better health than white- collar workers: They were 16 percent less likely to have two or more of these health problems. Finally, interview- ers asked whether people needed any assistance or special equipment to do things like stand, walk or climb stairs. Unemployed and retired seniors were 88 percent more likely than white- collar workers to have multiple func- tional limitations, researchers found. In addition, the odds of having two or more limitations were 16 percent lower for blue-collar workers and 18 percent lower for service workers. "Being unem- ployed/retired was seniors . . . from page 1 A publication of Conley Media Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2004 by Conley Media, LLC Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. It is the advertiser's responsibility to be aware of the laws pertaining to employment advertising. Subscriptions are available for $34 (non-refundable) for a 6-month subscription. Call 262-306-5008 for information. Call Center Director: Cindy Shaske 262-306-5016 cshaske@conleynet.com Account Executive: Julie Sears 262-306-5008 jsears@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dan Muckelbauer 262-513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262-513-2690 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS Volume 18 • Number 4 October 1, 2015 To place an ad: Call us at 262-306-5008 or fax us at 262-542-6082 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays One recent emailer told me about a bank that backed out of a hiring offer to a customer service representative because it didn't want to spend $500 on software that would accommo- date his blindness. Discrimination against per- sons with disabilities is a perennial topic in the work- place. I've also heard about a job posting for an accounting manager that required the employee to occasionally lift up to 50 pounds and routinely move or lift 25 pounds. A sep- arate posting, for a university professor's position, required the ability to lift or move up to 15 pounds. Job hunters want to know: What do those physical requirements have to do with the basic functions of the job? And what about employers' responsibilities to provide rea- sonable accommodation if the worker requires that accom- modation to perform the essential functions of the job? Advocates for people with disabilities tell me that, no matter how small the cost, most employers will opt to avoid job candidates who clearly require accommoda- tion. It's not that they're obliv- ious to the applicant's desire to work. It's that they haven't had experience in providing accom- modations or they fear the cost or they worry about taking a chance on the hire. Employers say that listing Physical requirements stymie some job hunters By Diane Stafford The Kansas City Star (TNS) see PHYSICAL . . . page 6 see SENIORS . . . page 6 Examine what separates good work days from the bad & A Q A. My hunch is that it's about context, and understanding the cir- cumstances that set you up for a positive day. Start with the story of the good day. And treat it like a story that happened to someone else, either writing it or recording it to get a bit of emotional distance.What happened? How did you feel going into the situation, and how did you feel as it wrapped up? Then take a step back in time. What was the day before like? How about the preceding week? What about the week to come? Do the same with a hard day, envisioning the hard tasks themselves, and then building rich content around them Having told the stories, take a step back and see what you can observe. It would not be surprising to find that the differ- ences in experience are driven by your general energy level. When you are less positive about the day ahead, are you feeling depleted? Have you been busier than usual? Perhaps you've had less time to yourself or been in crisis management mode for a project. If you're working in an adrenaline-soaked role, this would be even more likely. Understanding is good, but what are you going to do about it? For example, if you find that you don't have energy for the people you have to meet after a week of travel, you can't necessarily clear your calendar. You can, however, identify other rechargers that can help you get through. Look for clues in your "good day" story. Maybe you feel best when you've had time to prep for your meetings. If this is a point of differen- tiation between good and bad, start scheduling prep time on your calendar so that you can feel more ready. If too much back to back does you in, try scheduling 45-minute meetings instead of an hour to give yourself time to breathe. In most cases, this will be plenty of time to accomplish the meet- ing objective (and other people will thank you). I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the tried and true self-care. We all know it, and when we do it, it makes a difference. So remember to get enough sleep, eat foods that give you energy, if you drink, drink in mod- eration, and stay active. Engaging in a spiritual practice can also help you stay grounded. Also be sure to build in opportu- nities for some laughs to keep the positive energy flowing. Regardless of what you do, there will be some days when you just don't feel like doing what needs to be done. Give yourself rewards when you suc- ceed with a task (even if it's just a YouTube moment at your desk) and don't beat yourself up. Notice, though, if the bad starts to outweigh the good so that you can plan next steps when and if you need a more major change. Q. There are days when I like my work and look forward to the things I need to do and the people I need to meet with. There are other days when I dread the same tasks. What can I do to have a more consistent perspective? By Liz Reyer Tribune News Service (TNS) Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at lizdeliverchange.com.

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