Tech Trends e-Newsletter

Under Pressure

Employee stress can kill your company’s productivity and profits. Here are some strategies to keep it under control.

Stress, as nearly everyone knows these days, can be a killer. When not dealt with properly, it can lead to everything from headaches, an upset stomach, and insomnia to, on a more serious level, chronic colds and infections, high blood pressure, heart disease, and even forms of cancer.

While that may seem like bad news, it only gets worse when you consider the effect that employee stress has on companies. According to a study by the Northwestern Life Insurance firm, seven out of every 10 U.S. workers say that job stress causes frequent health problems and makes them less productive. Forty-six percent of the study’s respondents reported their job was very stressful, 34 percent had thought of quitting their jobs, and 14 percent actually left because of stress. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that workers who must take time off work because of stress, anxiety, or a related disorder will be off the job for about 20 days. And the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine notes that health care expenditures are nearly 50 percent greater for workers who report high levels of stress.

In short, it’s a big problem—and one that goes straight to your bottom line. What can you do about it?

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News, notes, and information from all over.

Thanks in part to a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) has established a new Institute for Computer Security and Forensics. The institute is a two-year initiative to train key IT staff from nonprofit organizations in techniques to secure computer/technology systems, and to train law enforcement and criminal justice systems staff in information security, computer forensics, and procedures for digital investigations. MCTC is also offering new degree programs in computer security and forensics beginning this fall.

Is your operation RoHS compliant? Not if it’s like the majority of manufacturers around the country. That’s the result of a new study of manufacturing firms which tracks the implementation of the EU directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical or electronic equipment sold or used in the European Union after July 1, 2006. (The substances are lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers.) According to Arena Solutions, a Foster City, Calif., provider of product lifecycle management software, 83 percent of the study’s respondents couldn’t demonstrate compliance or due diligence for RoHS based on their documentation-management capabilities. In addition, 59 percent of respondents reported that they lack a good understanding of RoHS regulations or how to demonstrate compliance and due diligence, and 60 percent of respondents are not confident that they can track all parts and materials in their products or that they can verify compliance independently of any regulatory requirement. To see the full study results and a free online assessment tool, go to www.arenasolutions.com/internal_campaigns/
active_campaigns/rohs_poll_webinar/701000000004i4a_banner/
poll.html.

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A monthly roundup of tips, data, and ideas from around the state.

Free DIY, part 1

A pair of Twin Cities companies, Minneapolis-based VISI, and St. Paul-based MindTouch, have launched ViaWiki, a free new hosted Web creation and collaboration program that allows anyone to create and edit Web pages using a Web browser. Located at www.viawiki.com, the tool allows users to complete a variety of applications, including creating a corporate Intranet, conducting online brainstorming sessions, and updating documents and proposals. According to the companies, Viawiki is user-friendly enough that even non-techies can quickly master its nuances.

Free DIY, part 2

Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone service has been rapidly gaining market share in recent years, thanks in part to its typically low cost and efficiency advantages. For users not ready to fully embrace VoIP, a company called K7 is offering a way to test the waters. The company’s K7 Unified Messaging gives users a free voicemail/fax mail box that is not attached to any of your actual phone numbers, and which allows you to receive faxes and voice messages the same way you receive your e-mail (voice messages and fax messages are sent as email attachments and can be viewed with the click of a mouse). For more information go to www.k7.net.

Free DIY, part 3

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal turned up yet another useful—and free—Web-based application. This one is Pando, a program that allows users to send and receive large e-mail attachments (up to 1 gigabyte). Available in both Windows and Mac versions. Check it out at www.pando.com.

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