Night workers are some of the most committed and hard-working employees in the country. Altering their entire lifestyle to perform their job duties while everyone else is asleep, these workers do what few others are capable of- but it comes at a cost.
The nocturnal workforce is growing in our country and at an alarming rate. As our economy continues to become more demanding, American workers are being forced to work longer and later hours to keep up. Over 2 million people in our country work the graveyard shift from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., according to an article published by Health Day. In addition to these dedicated workers, an average of 2.5 million workers are taking on rotating shifts, meaning they often switch back and forth between working at day and night. As more and more people opt to work through the night, health experts are finding a slew of negative consequences affecting the physical, emotional, and psychological health of these night owls.
Just because your body is used to working overnight, doesn’t mean it’s good for your health. While night workers are fighting themselves to stay awake, they are also forcing their bodies into an unnatural cycle that puts them at a higher risk for health hazards. The most dangerous of these conditions, listed in an article by Business Insider, include:
So, who are these workers staying up all night? Here are the top 16 Overnight Shift Jobs according to Careers that have workers clocking in after dark:
Most of the overnight shift jobs are being performed by first responders or individuals in the medical field. These employees who dedicate their lives to protecting others are getting little back in return when it comes to their own personal health. Laborers, factory workers, and construction workers are also a part of the overnight labor force. Workers in these industries are especially at risk for occupational injuries due to the already hazardous environments they work in.
For decades, the dream of a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. white collar job was a profession many American workers aspired to. However, white collar workers are now feeling the pressure to work later hours as well, often bringing their work home to complete during hours the office is closed. Computer programmers, financial advisors, IT techs, and other computer-based professions are quickly joining the ranks of nightshift workers who put their health at risk for the sake of their employment. Some experts believe workers who are bringing work home are putting themselves at even more risk of sleep disorders and work-life balance issues because they are practicing a 24/7 work week, barely allowing their body time to rest.
Quitting your job just because the shifts are late is not always an option, and frankly, some workers really enjoy the night shift. Regardless of why workers are choosing to work the graveyard shifts, there are several safety methods highlighted by Health Day night workers can use to help increase their health and safety at both work and home:
For rotating shift workers (where day and night shifts clash) experts recommend getting at least two hours of morning sleep after your shift and following that up with 12-14 hours of sleep that night.
Overnight workers deserve our utmost respect and support for the sacrifices they make to keep our country going while the rest of us are sleeping. And employers should be doing whatever they can to ensure that employees who do take the night shifts are able to recoup their energy without putting their health at risk. If you or a loved one has experienced a work-related injury, Jacobs & Wallace is here to help you get back on your feet. Contact us today for a free case evaluation to explore your options.
New high-tech safety features for vehicles are released every year. But a new survey conducted by Esurance is showing how some of the most technologically advanced cars and systems meant to keep us safe are actually setting us up to drive more poorly than we were before.
If you are distracted, fatigued, impaired, or aggressive behind the wheel, your chances of getting into an accident causing injuries or fatalities greatly increases. The wave of semi-autonomous cars anticipated to hit the roads in the next few years is hoping to prevent some of the accidents caused by driver error but even these new vehicles are lacking in effective safety features. According to an article published by ABC News, a number of new products were revealed last week at the Consumers Electronics Show in Las Vegas to help fill the gaps in safety technology regarding semi-autonomous vehicles. While some of these new gadgets are making drivers more aware and alert, others are having the opposite effect.
When examining distracted driving trends between drivers with high-tech cars and drivers without, 21% of the drivers with advanced safety features admit to often being distracted and 43% admitted to being occasionally distracted. In the group of drivers without the high-tech safety features, only 16% reported being distracted often behind the wheel while 39% reported to being distracted occasionally. Additionally, nearly 30% of semi-autonomous car drivers in the study believed the new alerts, lights, and beeping noises were more of a distraction than a safety feature, and one in four drivers reported they disabled as a result.
Distracted driving has gone up in our country immensely in the last decade, particularly since the smartphone boom. Over 3,450 deaths were caused by distracted driving accidents in 2016 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and with these numbers continuing to rise since. The Esurance survey revealed over 58% of drivers admit to being distracted when driving. Participants of the survey listed these as the most common distractions taking their eyes off the road:
Most of these distractions were no surprise. However, the one that sticks out the most could be a major problem when it comes to the advancement of high-tech safety features: in-car warning sounds. These safety features meant to increase driver alertness seem to be having the opposite effect and some of the new features are more distracting than others.
We know that consumers are looking for safer cars but not everyone is looking for a vehicle that drives itself, monitors their every move, and sounds the alarm every time they check the kids. According to the ABC article, these are some of the high-tech safety features that motorists believe are hindering their driving the most:
Another recent driving accessory that is bound to cause issues on the road is a device that drivers can use to communicate with the cars behind them using an app on their phone. Although made with good intentions in mind, this high-tech device could ultimately lead to fender benders and more distracted driving accidents from people on their phone and drivers paying attention to the emojis on the car in front of them instead of the brake lights.
At least 54% of motorists are actually in support of high-tech safety features according to the ABC article, reporting it makes them better drivers on the road. Millennials are learning to drive with these features from the beginning, so there is less of a learning curve to get used to. However, some experts believe that familiarity with new safety technology could also have a negative effect. When evaluating new features in a variety of vehicles, AAA found that drivers are becoming overly dependent on them. Instead of keeping drivers safe, these features are providing a false sense of safety and creating the idea that with self-driving cars, drivers don’t have to stay alert to the road anymore.
Regardless of what the future holds for self-driving cars and the safety features they come with, drivers around the country need to start focusing less on how to avoid staying alert and more on paying attention to the road. Esurance lists a number of ways drivers can reduce accidents by decreasing distractions behind the wheel, such as:
If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, our knowledgeable team of personal injury attorneys is here to fight back for your rights to safe roads. Call the law firm of Jacobs & Wallace today for a free case evaluation to review your options for seeking justice.
This year, the law firm of Jacobs & Wallace was honored to join the Connecticut Food Bank in helping to support their mission to end the hunger struggle in Connecticut. There are nearly half a million residents in Connecticut who are food insecure and the holiday season is a perfect time to support our neighbors in need.
A number of Americans have the misconception that Connecticut is too wealthy to have hunger residents- this stereotype is far from the truth. Hunger is a true struggle in Connecticut, especially during the cold winter months. Approximately 1 in 8 people struggle with hunger in our state. Of these, 1 in 6 are children, who in addition to seniors, working parents, and people with disabilities, are the most at risk for food insecurity.
Residents struggling from hunger are often torn between eating and living, stretching their finances in a number of different directions. In a 2014 survey of Connecticut clients participating in food pantries and soup kitchens:
Individuals who suffer from food insecurity are more at risk for a number of other negative consequences others than an achy stomach: illnesses, chronic diseases, a decline in physical and mental health, poor academic achievement, social anxiety, aggression and more.
Fighting back against hunger is a tireless mission that the Connecticut Food Bank has been dedicated to for over 36 years. Founded in 1982, the Connecticut Food Bank partners with retailers, growers, donors, and volunteers to source and distribute food to programs that help food insecure individuals and families in our local communities. The Connecticut Food Bank services more than 300,000 people in Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London and Windham counties, last year preparing more than 21 million meals!
The Connecticut Food Bank fights back against hunger by direct food distribution programs, working with affiliated member agencies such as Feeding America and End Hunger Connecticut!, as well as spreading awareness on the hunger epidemic in the state. Products provided by the Connecticut Food Bank go to shelters, food pantries, residential programs, day programs, and soup kitchens to help those struggling get the nutrition they need to survive. They are the largest centralized source of emergency food in Connecticut, but they always in need of more help.
When presented with the opportunity to partner with the Connecticut Food Bank for the second year in a row, our team jumped at the chance. To help spread awareness, Jacob & Wallace donated $1 for every Like received on our Facebook page to be used to provide meals to those in need. Even $1 provides a meal to two children and with the help of our friends and supporters, our team was able to donate $1,163 to Connecticut Food Bank- 2,326 meals!
On December 19th, our team also volunteered at the Connecticut Food Bank warehouse in Bridgeport, jumping in to help combat hunger in CT by sorting and packing food. We helped pack 520 meal-kits filled with food, drinks, and snacks to be put discreetly into children’s backpacks on Fridays to make sure food-insecure children had meals to eat over the weekends when school food programs are unavailable. The experience was extremely eye-opening. So many of these struggling individuals and families live in our very own backyard. It was humbling to see just how many of them a few dollars can feed.
To find out more about the Connecticut Food Bank and how you can help out this worthy cause, visit their website at http://www.ctfoodbank.org/ and consider volunteering in a community near you.
Our 61 year old Claimant had a significant slip and fall injury while delivering oil, injuring his shoulder, knee and back. He was taken out of work due to the severity of his injuries.
Claimant was referred for a knee replacement and was told he potentially needed a back fusion as well. Claimant became depressed, for the first time in his life, and sought treatment with his primary care physician.
While the insurance company accepted that there was a compensable injury, they denied that the need for the knee replacement was related to the compensable injury, and litigation ensued. Claimant became increasingly depressed, was in substantial pain, and, unfortunately, committed suicide by ingesting more than 200 pills. The insurance carrier denied that the suicide was causally connected to the work-related injury, however, after several hard-fought Formal Hearings, the Trial Commissioner found that the Claimant’s death was substantially related to his work-related injury and awarded his widow benefits.
According to a recent article in the CT Post, flu activity in Connecticut has “rapidly increased.” The state Department of Public Health says the death total from the contagious illness is slowly but steadily rising.
As of Dec. 22 — the most recent date for which statistics were available — a total of 527 people had tested positive for the flu in the state of Connecticut. There also have been three flu-associated deaths in the state, and 162 people have been hospitalized for flu.
Even as the season progresses, the state urges residents to protect themselves against the flu.
“Now is still a good time for you and your family to obtain your flu vaccine and take steps to prevent influenza-related illness and hospitalization,” a release from the DPH reads.
To find out more, click here.
Here are some ways to protect yourself and others from the flu:
To find a flu clinic near you, click here.
New year, new laws! Now that 2019 has arrived, Connecticut residents should be aware of some new laws that could be life-changing for some and annoying for others.
Starting January 1, a number of laws went into effect that everyone in the state should know about before starting their year off in full swing. While some laws may seem minor, others could drastically affect your everyday lifestyle. Here are some of the most important laws to know about:
Employment:
Health:
Home:
Last year was also a big year for new laws in Connecticut. Here is a summary of some of the most significant changes in 2018:
For more information on new Connecticut laws, visit the Connecticut Patch for the full article.
If you or loved one has been injured in an accident, Jacobs & Wallace is here to seek justice for you. Contact our knowledgeable team of personal injury attorneys for a free consultation and to review all of your options for fighting back.