Health

Toxic workplaces can take a toll on your mental and physical health, Surgeon General says

By Mallika Marshall, MD

October 24, 2022 / 5:39 PM EDT / CBS Boston

HealthWatch: Toxicity in the workplace; studying procrastination

BOSTON - Is your workplace toxic? If so, it may be harming your health.

The U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is warning Americans that working under stressful conditions can take a toll on their mental and physical health.

Low wages, discrimination, harassment, overwork, and long commutes among other factors are linked to chronic health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, depression, and anxiety and can promote risky behaviors like smoking, unhealthy eating, alcohol and substance use, and relationship troubles.

Dr. Murthy says organizations need to protect workers from harm, foster community, show appreciation, and provide opportunities for growth which will allow employees to be more productive at work and to thrive at home.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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