Work hazards usually not to blame for employees missing work, research says

Are you motivated? Is everyone motivated? Yes or no? Take a look around your lab.

Last year I wrote a column about how “soft skills” are required to succeed in virtually every business today. Even in the sciences, a career path that has traditionally allowed insular personalities to thrive, soft skills are more important than ever.

Following this procedure does several things. It forces you to decide what the rules and policies are going to be, shows everyone that you are concerned about health and safety, and keeps a permanent record of your safety standards.

This column will focus on ethylene oxide, a frequently used and potentially dangerous sterilizing agent. Also known as EtO or EO, it is highly compatible with today’s polymer-based single-use medical devices, procedure kits, surgical trays, etc.

“Steve Jobs, technologist and tastemaker of modern digital culture, described himself as a captain of product design inspiring his teams of workers, as he once said, to go ‘beyond what anyone thought possible’ and to do ‘some great work, really great work that will go down in history.’”

When the individual’s supervisor offers emotional and instrumental support, a stressed employee is more likely to recover without needing to take that extra afternoon or day off.

As the prospect of personalized medicine transitions from concept to reality and begins to truly impact the pharmaceutical industry, almost everyone who works in the sciences could be affected. 

With the current tough economy, leasing laboratory equipment could be the way to go for many labs that must now work with very tight budgets. Though leasing does carry some risk, it also has many advantages. 

Do you get frustrated with the Gen Y’ers in your lab? Do you find them to be lazy, apathetic and self-absorbed? Do you sometimes say to yourself, “Where did this generation’s parents go wrong?” Good news! Gen Y is as hard working as any generation before.