| Stressed-out workers spend $1,500 more on health care each year | | |  | FRI, JUN 21, 2019 | | | | | | TECH, TRANSFORMATION AND THE FUTURE OF WORK | | | | Think a friend or colleague should be getting this newsletter? Share this link with them to sign up.
Physically dangerous workplaces are regulated by OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. There are rules about the safe spacing of rungs on a ladder, the types of protective gear required for jobs, and the labeling of hazardous materials.
Is it time we have rules for dangerous digital workplaces, too?
That's on my mind this week because on CNBC's Squawk Alley, Casey Newton of The Verge joined us to talk about a highly disturbing story he reported. The gist: Sites like Facebook and YouTube employ a legion of low-paid contractors to keep the most vile and horrifying content away from the public. But that comes at a cost to the workers themselves: They have to watch the material that's too disturbing for the rest of us, and some say they are traumatized by it.
Examples included video of puppies being beaten to death with a baseball bat, and footage of child pornography. Some workers said they had trouble sleeping after viewing repeated images, that their breaks were too short, and that their visits with counselors to talk about the experience were cursory at best.
I'm obviously not a mental health professional, so this raises questions for me. Primarily: What happens to our brains when they're fed toxic images for hours and days on end?
I couldn't find clear answers. Under OSHA rules, employers are not required to report illness or injury on the job if "the illness is a mental illness. Mental illness will not be considered work-related unless the employee voluntarily provides the employer with an opinion from a physician or other licensed health care professional with appropriate training and experience (psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, etc.) stating that the employee has a mental illness that is work-related."
Most of the literature I found focused on prevention – making sure people who are prone to depression don't end up with these jobs. It doesn't address what happens to otherwise healthy people who find themselves immersed in this content.
The reason why this is important to the future of work: There's a lot of talk about regulating content on social networks, but not as much discussion of the downstream effects. Until artificial intelligence can shoulder the whole burden – and that day is a long way off – we should probably study whether the jobs we're giving content moderators are safe enough.
Event reminder: @Work Human Capital + Finance is coming up July 16. To start the day we will be talking the business of sport and the sport of business. We have IBM's heir apparent Martin Schroeter, former NFL player and venture capital firm founder Isaiah Kacyvenski, a Philadelphia 76'ers data scientist, Gen.G Esports CEO Chris Park and more. Space is limited, , so apply now to join us!
Until next week, | | @Work Human Capital + Finance
Investing in the Future of Work
Innovations in technology present exciting opportunities to increase productivity, efficiency, and innovation, especially when coupled with the brains, EQ, and interpersonal skills of a highly skilled workforce. CNBC's @Work is an exclusive three-part event series that will examine the impact of new technology on three different disciplines—human resources, IT and finance.
CNBC's @Work Human Capital + Finance summit will bring together financial leaders who play a critical role in shaping the workplace of the future to discuss new technology, funding innovation and growing the bottom line. | | @Work Human Capital + Finance July 16, 2019
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⊙Ⓢ▽〖@HuLu~〗 2019 Justicia del ártico PelÃcula Completa En LÃnea released 2019. story: Swifty, el zorro ártico, trabaja en la sala de corre...
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