COLLINS: Financial stress leads to a decline in workplace productivity

How am I going to deal with Christmas? Can I afford a turkey that will cost me an arm and a leg, can I take the kids skiing, how about my plans to go home for Christmas? These are real worries and they aren’t easy to resolve.

The Bank of Canada keeps raising interest rates to try and curb inflation. Who knows what impact the U.S. midterm elections will have on Canada? The Republican extremists didn’t do as well as everyone thought, but there will still be fallout. In our own country, fiscal updates show there is cause for concern.

The Financial Post said Wednesday that North America is in for some kind of recession next year.

Is it any wonder, then, that workplace productivity has been reduced? How can we expect people to produce at an optimum level when they’re not sure what’s going to be on the table when they get home?

Many companies are working to find ways to help their employees cope. But many companies don’t have the resources to protect employees or even identify what priorities to address. There are people who can help, many who can devise programs at a reasonable cost, but companies have no idea who they are and how to reach out to them.

To be fair, these scenarios may be a while before we feel their full effect, but those on fixed or low incomes are already feeling the pain.

For those seeking shelter from the cold, it’s already a doom and gloom scenario. For you and I, it’s time for action as we resolve not only to deal with our own crises but find a way to help those who are far worse off.

I think we can rise to the occasion. We’ve been there before. We got through it. We certainly can be resilient enough to bend to the task once again.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Doug Collins

COLLINS: Financial stress leads to a decline in workplace productivity

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