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The effects of poisonous gases that leaked from the <keyword id="23933468" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Carbide" source="keywords">Union Carbide</keyword> factory in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal 40 years ago were seen in the next generations of those who survived the tragedy, a former government forensic doctor has said. At least 3,787 people were killed, and more than five lakh were affected after a toxic gas leaked from the pesticide factory in the city on the intervening nights of December 2 and 3, 1984. Speaking at an event held by organisations of gas tragedy survivors on Saturday, Dr. D. K Satpathy, former head of the forensics department of Bhopal's Gandhi Medical College, said he performed 875 post-mortems on the first day of the disaster and witnessed 18,000 autopsies the next five years. Sathpathy claimed Union Carbide had denied questions about the effects of poisonous gases on unborn children of women survivors and said effects would not cross the placental barrier in the womb in any condition. He said blood samples of pregnant women who died in the tragedy were examined, and it was found that 50% of the poisonous substances found in the mother were also found in the child in her womb. Children born to surviving mothers had the poisonous substances in their system, and this affected the health of the next generation, Sathpathy claimed and questioned why research on this was stopped. Such effects will continue for generations, he said. Satpathy said it was said that MIC gas leaked from the Union Carbide plant, and when it came in contact with water, thousands of gases were formed, and some of these caused cancer, blood pressure, and liver damage. Rachna Dhingra of <keyword id="24137747" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhopal-Group-for-Information-and-Action" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bhopal Group for Information and Action" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Bhopal Group for Information and Action">Bhopal Group for Information and Action</keyword> said Satpathy, who carried out most autopsies, and other first responders in the 1984 disaster, including the senior doctors in the emergency ward and persons involved in mass burials, narrated their experiences during the event. Rashida Bee, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, said a poster exhibition covering every aspect of the disaster will be held till December 4 to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragedy. An anniversary rally will be organised, with a focus on global corporate crimes such as <keyword id="20335495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="industrial-pollution" source="keywords">industrial pollution</keyword> and climate change, she said.

Bhopal gas tragedy: Effects of leak seen in next generation of survivors, says ex-forensic doctor

In 2024, many professionals are letting go of "hustle-culture" and are leaning towards prioritising their health and personal life. <keyword id="19901232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-life-balance" source="keywords">Work-life balance</keyword> is being talked about a lot and people are quick to label working culture of a company as toxic if something doesn't sit right with them. Something similar happened with a British CEO, who denied her employee's two-day wedding leave and put up a post about it on social media. Tickner, who heads a marketing company, posted on Threads about her decision, but instead of gaining support, she found herself in the middle of a <keyword id="20638490" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-media-storm" source="keywords">social media storm</keyword>. <h2>CEO's post goes viral</h2>Tickner’s post, which has since gone viral with over 3 million views, led to accusations of creating a <keyword id="20707311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="toxic-workplace" source="keywords">toxic workplace</keyword> and ‘rage baiting’—posting controversial content to provoke strong reactions. She explained that her employee had already taken 2.5 weeks off and had failed to train someone to cover for them during their wedding, leaving the team with two crucial projects to manage. In her post, Tickner said she had asked the employee to “find a replacement” and train them on their daily tasks before taking any further leave. She also threw in a confusing statement: “With our <keyword id="23637832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="unlimited-time-off" source="keywords">unlimited time off</keyword> policy, don’t ask next time!” leaving readers scratching their heads over the true nature of her company’s leave policy. <div type="image" title="google (15)" msid="114449887" hostid="261"></div> <h2>Unlimited leave, or not?</h2> Tickner attempted to clarify her company’s <keyword id="23637833" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flexible-Time-Off" source="keywords">Flexible Time Off</keyword> policy, which she claimed allows employees to set their own work hours, work from anywhere, and take time off when they choose. However, this policy seemed at odds with her denial of the wedding leave, leading to further criticism. Under this supposedly flexible system, Tickner explained, “A-players don’t respect slackers,” implying that those who take too much time off lose respect within the team. However, her statements only deepened the confusion, as people struggled to reconcile the concept of ‘unlimited time off’ with her actions. <h2>"Typical Corporate," says internet</h2> It didn’t take long for social media users to pick apart her logic. Many pointed out the contradiction in her demanding the employee train a replacement while boasting about the simplicity of her team’s processes. Tickner’s attempts to defend herself—by claiming that most tasks could wait until the employee returned—did little to calm the backlash. One user said, “That’s right, don’t ask next time! She should just tell you that she needs the two days off no matter what. She should tell you next time, not ask. And isn’t finding a replacement your responsibility? Typical corporate." Another user commented that it is the manager's job to ensure that people are able to take their time off, "Well… what if everyone in the team declines to cover for them? Now my “unlimited PTO” is suddenly dependent on whether a colleague is willing to cover for me, which is a terrible idea, unless you have a reasonable, realistic system that incentivizes folks to cover for someone else. In my team - although we don’t have unlimited PTO and people are provided 26 days of PTO (excl. sick leave) - it’s the managers job to make sure people are able to take their time off," they wrote. There are many more reactions on the post and people are calling out the CEO continuously for her posts.

'Typical corporate': CEO boasts about denying 2-day wedding leave to employee, gets schooled on social media

In a startling development, officials within the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) have voiced deep concerns over a “toxic” work culture under the leadership of Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch. These allegations, formally communicated to the finance ministry, depict a troubling work environment plagued by unattainable demands, unprofessional conduct and mental health crises, according to a report by the Economic Times. In essence, a <keyword id="21410642" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="toxic-work-culture" source="keywords">toxic work culture</keyword> is an environment that fosters negativity, dysfunction and a lack of trust among employees and management. This type of culture can manifest in various ways that are often harmful to both employees and organisations, severely impairing organisational growth and employee well-being. Identifying a toxic work culture is crucial for both employees and organisations. Recognising signs and symptoms of toxic work culture can often be the first step toward addressing and improving <keyword id="20346862" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="workplace-culture" source="keywords">workplace culture</keyword>. Below are 10 indicators that may indicate a toxic environment. High <keyword id="21462876" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="employee-turnover" source="keywords">employee turnover</keyword>: A persistent pattern of employees leaving the organisation often signals dissatisfaction with the work culture. When turnover rates are high, it reflects a breakdown in the employer-employee relationship, typically due to a lack of respect or support from management. <keyword id="14609778" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Quiet-quitting" source="Orion">Quiet quitting</keyword>: This phenomenon occurs when employees disengage from their roles, doing only the minimum required. It highlights a lack of motivation and connection to the organisation's goals, often stemming from a toxic atmosphere. Bullying and harassment: Any form of bullying or harassment, whether verbal or psychological, creates a hostile work environment. Such behaviours not only undermine morale, but also instil fear among employees, leading to increased stress and anxiety. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111982335" title="Employees lack trust in HR’s ability to address workplace bullying effectively—and for good reason, says study" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Constantly changing goals: Frequent shifts in priorities without adequate communication can leave employees feeling disoriented and frustrated. This lack of clear direction can hinder productivity and contribute to a sense of futility in their efforts. <keyword id="23035059" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="poor-leadership" source="keywords">Poor leadership</keyword>: Ineffective or toxic leadership can significantly impact workplace culture. Leaders who exhibit favouritism, lack consistency or disregard employee welfare contribute to a negative environment that can drive talent away. Lack of transparency: When communication is poor and information is not shared openly, it breeds distrust and uncertainty. Employees may feel left in the dark about important decisions, which can exacerbate feelings of insecurity and disengagement. <keyword id="19954076" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="micromanagement" source="keywords">Micromanagement</keyword>: Excessive oversight from management can create an environment of fear and anxiety. Employees who feel constantly monitored may struggle to perform at their best, leading to decreased morale and productivity. Inadequate support systems: Employees who lack sufficient resources or support may feel overwhelmed and undervalued. A toxic environment often sets unrealistic expectations without providing the necessary tools for success. Toxic gossip: While some office chatter is normal, pervasive negative gossip can create a divisive atmosphere. This behaviour undermines teamwork and can lead to a culture of distrust and hostility among colleagues. Poor <keyword id="19901232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-life-balance" source="keywords">work-life balance</keyword>: A culture that prioritises work over personal well-being can lead to burnout. When employees are expected to sacrifice their personal lives for work, it can result in high stress levels and diminished job satisfaction.

Is your work culture toxic? Look out for these 10 signs

<keyword id="19902762" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Google" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Google">Google</keyword> laid off thousands of employees in 2023 and many found their lives turned upside down with just an email notification. After all, when you have given your heart and soul to an organisation, it is never easy accepting the fact that you are being asked to leave at a moment’s notice. The situation becomes even more complicated when you have been with the company for more than a decade. Something similar happened with <keyword id="23300967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nicholas-Whitaker" source="keywords">Nicholas Whitaker</keyword>, who had been working with the company since 2010 and found out about his <keyword id="20118388" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="layoff" source="keywords">layoff</keyword> abruptly. <h2>The 3 am email bringing bad news</h2>“My layoff experience was traumatic. I got an email at 3 am to my personal email, that I only found because a colleague pinged me on Linkedin in the DMs to ask if I was ‘Ok’ and if I was ‘safe’,” Whitaker told <keyword id="21390875" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Business-Insider-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Business Insider India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Business Insider India">Business Insider India</keyword> in a conversation. He added that when his colleague enquired about his safety, he thought it was a “shooting or some natural disaster.” In other words, he didn’t even imagine that he was being laid off from Google. He then revealed that when he checked his work email, he discovered that he was locked out of his laptop and phone. He then checked his personal email and there it was, the “short and impersonal email” that told him that his role at Google was being eliminated. <h2>The layoff process was uncomfortable</h2>When Google announced large-scale layoffs last year, the company made a lot of headlines for handling them in an unprofessional manner. In March 2023, several Google employees had even written an open letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, asking him to deal with layoffs in a better manner. Whitaker, narrating his own experience, shared with Business Insider India that after receiving the dreadful layoff email at 3 am, he spent the next few months completing formalities to get his payments that were due. He said, “It took all of the next several months for me to mail back my laptop, badge and any gear that I had that was Google property. (I also had to) navigate unemployment, health insurance and get all of the documentation I had to submit to "self Offboard" and to receive payments that I was supposed to get.” “Along the way there were multiple errors and miscommunications from the team that made it all even more uncomfortable,” he said. Whitaker also noted a complete lack of communication and empathy from his old team at Google. “I got a single text message from my prior manager asking how I was doing a few days after I was laid off, but otherwise no one reached out to check on me or offer assistance from my old team. Overall I found the process to be brutally impersonal and inhumane,” he said. <h2>Experience at Google</h2>But was Google always “inhumane” in his experience? Not really. There were some amazing days too and Google, according to Whitaker, was a different company when he had joined. “My initial experience working at Google was like it was a completely different company. I started as a temp, contractor and then a vendor for Google back in 2010, and at the time I think it was something like 40,000 employees. It had a real startup feel to it. Teams were agile and collaborative, and there was a lot of room for growth. It may have been specific to my team and org, but it felt like you had a lot more room for experimentation and autonomy to make decisions, and failure wasn't seen as a bad thing, but a necessary part of innovation,” he said. Whitaker also said that a “class system” was there at Google, especially since he was a TVC (Temporary, Vendor and Contractor). “As a TVC you wouldn't be included in many of the activities and learning opportunities that full time employees had, and didn't get invited to extracurricular activities. There was a real bias towards culture at the time, and words like Don't be Evil, and be Googly were often used.” However, in general, he added that the atmosphere was positive and full of possibilities. “Colleagues generally were very supportive, collaborative and encouraging to work with. I was excited as this was my first time working in big tech, or Corporate America and I saw that period of time as a real coming of age for me. I learned how to be a professional at Google and appreciated all of the early guidance and support that I got from colleagues and leaders.” <h2>Helping others</h2>It has now been over a year since Whitaker was laid off. He now has his own venture and helps other people navigate their careers. Talking about what motivated him to kick-start his own venture, he said, “After 13 years in big tech, the last few years in particular being particularly difficult due to toxic teams and leaders, I didn't want to jump right back into that kind of experience again. A year before getting laid off, I had experienced a bad <keyword id="19956983" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mental-health" source="keywords">mental health</keyword> crisis that was the result of workplace bullying, gaslighting and toxic leadership. "I wanted to help others avoid and recover from similar situations and create a community where people can find mutual support and coaching on how to best navigate their careers in a conscious way. My severance after working so long at Google allowed me to fund the launch of my coaching business, and eventually ‘changingwork.org’." <keyword id="23300968" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Changing-Work" source="keywords">Changing Work</keyword>, Whitaker explained, is his way of addressing a deep need in corporate life — helping people rediscover their sense of purpose and alignment in their careers and finding ways to build more conscious leaders and businesses. He added, “What makes this so transformative for me personally is that it allowed me to step into a role where I could integrate all the lessons from my own career—especially the parts that were hardest for me. During my time at Google, I saw firsthand how high-pressure environments can lead to burnout, anxiety, and a disconnect from our true selves.” The recent tragic death of a young CA at Ernst &amp; Young (EY) employee in India has turned the spotlight on toxic work cultures prevalent in many high-pressure industries. Broader debates on burnout, mental health struggles, and unrealistic expectations in corporate environments in the workplace have occupied social media platforms. This incident serves as a painful reminder that companies must prioritize <keyword id="21050364" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="employee-well-being" source="keywords">employee well-being</keyword> and mental health to foster sustainable, humane workplaces. And makes the work that people like Whitaker are doing all the more important. “I’ve spoken publicly about how mindfulness practice, coaching and therapy literally saved my life during some of my darkest times at Google. Changing Work is the culmination of that journey. It’s not just about helping others find balance and fulfillment—it’s about creating a space where I can live those values every day,” he concludes.

Fired from Google after 13 years of service, he used his severance to build a business around helping others with their careers

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="22528669" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="workplace-bullying" source="keywords">Workplace bullying</keyword> erodes confidence and <keyword id="19956983" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mental-health" source="keywords">mental health</keyword>, impacting personal and professional lives.</li><li>One subtle sign of workplace bullying is being "<keyword id="23013097" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="managed-out" source="keywords">managed out</keyword>" by your superior.</li></ul><keyword id="23013098" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Stefanie-Costi" source="keywords">Stefanie Costi</keyword> left her job as a junior lawyer at a law firm, citing PTSD. It took her two years to talk about it, but when she finally did, her post on LinkedIn blew up. It reached 1.2 million people, and she received more than 2,000 messages thanking her for speaking out. "So I knew that it was universal across all different industries," Costi told Business Insider. She continued advocating and sharing more posts about how <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-of-toxic-workplace-how-identify-spot-interview-2024-3">toxic dynamics manifest in the workplace</a>, such as being "managed out" by your superior. Now, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanie-costi/">she has 48,000 followers</a> and a TED Talk in the works. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-wife-threw-me-under-bus-raise-put-up-boundaries-2024-1">Workplace bullying</a> is a critical issue, Costi said, because it impacts someone's entire life. "When people are bullied at work, it erodes their confidence, damages their mental health, and can even spill over into their personal lives," she said. "Addressing it is essential to fostering work environments where people can thrive, innovate and feel valued, rather than being undermined and diminished." <h2>Toxic cycles are perpetuated</h2>According to a landmark survey in 2019 of 7,000 lawyers across 135 countries <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ibanet.org/Bullying-and-sexual-harassment">by the International Bar Association</a>, bullying is rife in the legal profession, particularly in Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The survey found that around one in two female and one in three male respondents said they had been bullied at work. Costi said she thinks these toxic cycles persist because "humans are flawed." "When you put 50 humans in a workplace, all from different walks of life, all raised very differently, all with different attitudes on things, you can't expect it to go swimmingly all the time," she said. The problem also perpetuates if leaders ignore it because "monkey see, monkey does," Costi added. "So if someone is saying that bullying is the way to survive and senior people are doing it, then you better believe that the young folk are going to learn how to do it too," she said. "A fish rots from the head down." Costi said many signs of workplace bullying can be subtle, but they tend to be consistent. They can include being excluded from meetings or social gatherings after work, constantly criticized, micromanaged, or given unrealistic deadlines. "These actions, when persistent, create a hostile environment that gradually erodes your confidence and well-being," said Costi. "If you start to feel anxious about going to work, it's a big red flag." <h2>A workplace bully pushes people out</h2>Another sign of bullying is the act of being managed out, which is when an employee is systematically pushed out of their role through insidious tactics — being given impossible tasks, receiving unfair performance reviews, or being excluded from key projects. "You're being managed out of your job if everything you do is suddenly micromanaged," Costi said. "Or you're being given impossible tasks with unrealistic deadlines, or your boss doesn't give you the tools to do your job, or you are excluded from important meetings, or your achievements are constantly ignored or downplayed, or your position or similar roles are advertised externally." The result is the employee feels "demoralized," Costi said, and questions their own competence. "Which is precisely the outcome the bully desires," she said. "It's a manipulative strategy that slowly forces the victim to leave the organization 'voluntarily,'" Essentially, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-of-narcissistic-boss-2023-11">a toxic boss</a> will opt to push out the employees they no longer want around rather than learn to work with them. To do this, Costi said they <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5-signs-of-a-toxic-workplace-and-you-should-quit-2022-3">make the workplace miserable</a> by never providing help or praise, dismissing achievements, and making their reports feel guilty for asking for basic things such as guidance or advice about career progression. Costi said they also openly play favorites and move goalposts, leaving their targeted employees confused and frustrated. "It just escalates so that those subtle signs turn into more overt signs," Costi said. "What happens is people's confidence is eroded over time, so it's like a death by a thousand cuts." This slow drip of mistreatment over time is so damaging because it leads the victims to blame themselves. It's hard for them to vocalize anything tangible that is being done to them, so they internalize it. It attacks "the core of who they are," Costi said, which can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and a significant loss of self-esteem. "Over time, this <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/mental-health/toxic-workplace">toxic environment</a> creates a sense of helplessness and hopelessness, making it hard for the person to see a way out," she said. "The psychological damage can extend far beyond the workplace, affecting relationships, sleep, and overall quality of life." For many, the only obvious option may be to leave. Costi said this isn't the only choice people have, but it is "the healthiest one." "Especially if the toxicity is pervasive and leadership is unresponsive," she said. "However, before making that decision, it's crucial to document your experiences, seek support from trusted colleagues or mentors, and explore all avenues for resolution, such as HR or legal advice," Costi added. "In some cases, standing up to the toxicity can lead to change, but it requires a great deal of courage and support," she said. "Ultimately, your mental and physical health should be the top priority." Correction: August 27, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated Stefanie Costi’s previous job. She was a junior lawyer at a law firm, not a senior partner.

Being managed out at work is a type of bullying. This is what to do about it, according to a lawyer.

We live in a world where hustle-culture has been over-glorified by companies. Even though recent studies have shown that the new generation prioritises <keyword id="19901232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-life-balance" source="keywords">work-life balance</keyword> over a bigger pay cheque, the situation is far from changing. Most companies, especially in India, still follow a rigid 9-5 schedule and often tend to overwork their employees to the extent that they sometimes affect their physical and mental health. A grave case has now surfaced where a 26-year-old employee allegedly passed away due to immense <keyword id="21000002" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-pressure" source="keywords">work pressure</keyword>. The woman, named <keyword id="23214242" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anna-Sebastian-Perayil" source="keywords">Anna Sebastian Perayil</keyword>, was a <keyword id="20065808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chartered-Accountant" source="keywords">Chartered Accountant</keyword> who had joined EY in March this year. This was her first job. Her mother, in a letter to the company, expressed her sorrow at losing her daughter and said that she passed away due to immense work pressure. The letter has now gone viral on LinkedIn and people are reacting strongly to the news, calling to end the glorification of hustle culture. <h2>26-year-old dies, mother blames work stress </h2>In her letter to the company, Anna’s mother begins by writing that the young employee passed her CA Exams in November 2023 and joined the company in March this year. "She was full of life, dreams and excitement for the future," she added. She then writes how Anna was thrilled to be a part of the company but passed away four months later, on July 20. "My world collapsed when I received the devastating news," she wrote. In the letter, Anna's mother further explained how the work culture at EY is extremely toxic and that they burden newcomers with "backbreaking" tasks. She added that Anna experienced "anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress" soon after starting her new job. She also added how Anna was working even on the day of her convocation and insisted on getting back to work after they took her to a doctor after she complained of chest pain. "Since she had been complaining of chest constriction upon reaching her PG late at night for the past week, we took her to the hospital in Pune. Her ECG was normal and the cardiologist came to allay our fears, telling us she wasn't getting enough sleep and was eating very late." Anna's mother added that her manager would "reschedule meetings during cricket matches and assign her work at the end of the day." When Anna voiced her concerns, she was told that working late at night is something they all do. “Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing on the bed without even changing her clothes, only to be bombarded with messages asking for more reports. She was putting in her best efforts, working very hard to meet the deadlines. She was a fighter to the core, not someone to give up easily. We told her to quit, but she wanted to learn and gain new exposure. However, the overwhelming pressure proved too much even for her,” the letter read. <h2>'No one attended her funeral'</h2> In addition to this, Anna's mother also wrote that nobody came to attend her funeral. The letter read, “ This absence at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organization until her last breath, is deeply hurtful. Anna deserved better, and so do all the employees who continue to work under these conditions. "My heart aches not just for the loss of my child but also for the lack of empathy shown by those who were supposed to guide and support her. After her funeral, I reached out to her managers, but I received no reply. How can a company that speaks of values and human rights fail to show up for one of its own in their final moments?” <h2>Internet reactions</h2>The internet is reacting strongly to the news and various people have been sharing the letter with their own opinion. “Few managers really need to google the word HUMILITY and incorporate it into their lives. They are already destroying young Indian careers with toxicity, incompetence, and a lack of people management skills,” wrote Manisha Yadav, a CA finalist. “I hope people who did this to you get punished and shamed. I request everyone please take care of yourself, protect yourself. No Job is worth exploiting your mental and physical health,” wrote Fathima Shahjahan, an HR professional. “Very heart breaking to see young professional Anna Sebastian Perayil leaving us! We live in a world where it is difficult to be mentally strong as some things can worry us, affect us and hurt us,” wrote Prabhdeep Singh Baweja, a senior level employee at The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

'The pressure became too much for her': Mother blames 'work stress' for 26-year-old EY employee's death

<ul class="summary-list"><li>SpaceX workers got stuck on a barge with a spaceship full of toxic fuel in 2010, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-grimes-baby-name-new-book-character-limit-2024">a new book reports</a>.</li><li>After the Dragon spaceship's first flight, a SpaceX crew retrieved it from the ocean.</li></ul>If you think your job is exciting, try <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/early-spacex-engineer-crawled-inside-imploding-rocket-liftoff-book-2021-3">working at SpaceX</a> in its early days.As author Eric Berger puts it, "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/working-for-elon-musk-spacex-workplace-culture-twitter-jim-cantrell-2022-11">SpaceX was not a job; it was a lifestyle</a>."In his first book, for example, one engineer told him about crawling inside an imploding rocket, while others talked about<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-rocket-engineers-island-without-food-mutiny-liftoff-book-2021-3"> running out of food on a small Pacific island</a>.For his latest, "Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age," published in September, Berger spoke with about 100 current and former SpaceX employees.In the new book, Berger recounts the night SpaceX engineers got stuck on a barge and slept near a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-discovers-urine-leak-on-crew-dragon-spaceships-2021-10">spaceship</a> full of potentially explosive gases.The team was helping SpaceX secure much-needed cash flow from NASA. CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spouse-married">Elon Musk</a> had been "weeks away from personal bankruptcy" just two years earlier, Berger, who is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, writes.Here's what happened, according to Berger's book.SpaceX did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.<h2 id="4fe7f3df-1143-41c3-8d2f-4549d8db431a">Dragon's first flight</h2>Musk wanted SpaceX's flagship Dragon spaceship — designed to shuttle cargo and NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station — to be reusable.Reusability is the company's signature, making its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-setback-mishap-with-nasa-astronaut-rescue-mission-2024-10">Falcon 9 rocket</a> launches significantly cheaper than NASA's Space Shuttles.<div type="image" title="crew dragon endeavour crew 2 spacex iss arrival" height="1280" width="1920" msid="114825661" hostid="261" sizebytes="86124"></div>That meant SpaceX engineers had to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-spacex-nasa-crew2-astronaut-mission-splashdown-landing-ocean-2021-4">retrieve Dragon from the Pacific Ocean</a> after its first flight in December 2010.It didn't go exactly as planned.<h2 id="f71787eb-f77e-4e05-bfb0-2bad68072bcd">The danger of Dragon's explosive fuel</h2>The fuel inside Dragon is hypergolic, meaning its components spontaneously combust when they meet. That makes it simple to ignite the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-thruster-tests-may-take-weeks-before-astronauts-come-home-2024-7">thrusters</a> — just open the valves between the fuel components.It also put the ship's first recovery crew at risk.SpaceX had never flown Dragon before, so nobody knew how much damage it would sustain during reentry. It could have fuel leaks, which would pose an explosion risk.That's why SpaceX workers immediately <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-robot-dog-wreckage-exploded-starship-rocket-2021-3">checked for leaks</a>, according to the book. An engineer named Kevin Mock extended a 20-foot pole with a "sniffer" tool, which can detect propellant gases in the air, toward the spaceship bobbing in the water.<div type="image" title="person in a hardhat works on equipment on the outside of a towering, dirty-looking white spaceship" height="1536" width="1920" msid="114825573" hostid="261" sizebytes="412400"></div>With no leaks detected, the team hauled Dragon onto the barge with a crane. Then, two engineers and three technicians donned protective gear and independent air supplies, boarded the barge, and began the hazardous task of emptying the spaceship's fuel tanks.That went off without a hitch, and the team returned to the crew boat to sleep. The next day brought trouble.<h2 id="a643d234-ad9f-43c1-b27f-18b991659a1a">Stuck sleeping in a shipping container</h2>On day two, Mock's five-person team spent about eight hours draining fuel from the spaceship's system and storing it in containers.The ocean became rough, buffeting the barge with large waves by nightfall. When the workers were ready to return to the crew boat, the captain decided conditions were too dangerous for them to cross over.Mock and his crew were stuck on a barge full of toxic, highly reactive fuel and had no beds for the night.The SpaceX employees on the crew boat filled a trash bag with snacks and a thermos of coffee, shoved sleeping bags into another trash bag, and threw both onto the barge. Mock's crew laid their sleeping bags inside a 20-foot-long shipping container on board the barge."We got the best night's sleep we could," Mock told Berger. "We were exhausted, so I can't say that I slept terribly that night."The next day, they finished emptying the spaceship's propellant."It's the hardest work I've ever seen at SpaceX or anywhere," Roger Carlson, a physicist who was watching from the crew boat, told Berger.Berger's new book said that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-workers-took-adderall-slept-bathroom-iv-treatments-deadlines-report-2023-11">working at SpaceX</a> in those days was tough, but the gig had a strong appeal."You're going to work super hard, but you're also going to get to work on cutting-edge stuff," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-autocratic-style-success-politics-harm-2024-9">Berger told BI when promoting the book</a>. "After a few years there with that on your résumé, you can basically write your ticket anywhere in the industry you want to go."Berger wrote that after that first flight, SpaceX got authorization to ship Dragon back to its facilities on land after depressurizing the propellant system.Future crews did not have to spend days offloading hypergolic fuel at sea. These days, retrieving a Dragon only takes a few hours and hasn't caused deadly explosions.The Dragon spaceship went on to become a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-spacex-administrator-bill-nelson-boeing-starliner-rocket-elon-musk-2022-9">staple of NASA's programming</a>, transporting supplies and astronaut crews to and from the International Space Station. It's also flown five <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-polaris-dawn-splashdown-mission-advanced-elon-musk-mars-plan-2024-9">private crew missions</a>.

Early SpaceX workers got stuck overnight on an ocean barge with a toxic spaceship, new book reports

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Middle managers are tired.</li><li>The last few years have brought a whole new slew of challenges to the job.</li></ul>In May, Kyle made a career move that was years in the making.The 35-year-old, who is based in Michigan, said his job as a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-might-kill-middle-management-2023-11">middle manager</a> at a staffing company had <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/middle-management-having-worst-year-ever-rto-layoffs-burnout-2023-9">grown increasingly unbearable</a> over his seven-year tenure.A combination of layoffs and a hiring freeze had downsized his team, and he was succumbing to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-deal-with-stress-burnout-work-mental-health-professional-2023-11">burnout</a>."I was tired of being stuck between upper management — who became more and more ruthless at enforcing hard metrics designed to root out anyone with a work-life balance, wildly unpopular return to office policies, and layoff after layoff on one side — and employees who wanted more money, more flexibility, and a more relaxed philosophy of work," said Kyle, who asked for partial anonymity due to his fear of professional repercussions.After exploring his options, he moved to a non-managerial role at the same company, which he said came with a pay cut.The last few years have been particularly challenging for many middle managers, whose <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/middle-managers-highest-burnout-levels-worst-work-life-balance-2022-10">burnout</a> rates have <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/357404/manager-burnout-getting-worse.aspx">risen</a>. They've been targeted for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-are-unbossing-workplaces-and-millennials-are-at-risk-2024-5">layoffs</a> as companies look to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/middle-managers-layoffs-2023-meta-tech-companies-jobs-employment-2024-3">cut costs</a>, and those who remain have often been asked to do more with less amid <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jobs-report-labor-market-hiring-layoffs-quits-recession-sahm-rule-2024-8">hiring slowdowns</a>. Some face challenges managing remote teams or enforcing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-dell-workers-reject-return-to-office-hybrid-work-2024-6">return-to-office policies</a>. And with companies scaling back on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/job-switchers-big-pay-raise-some-disappointment-great-resignation-quitting-2024-7">pay increases</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/promotions-salaries-cut-career-advancement-stagnation-2024-7">promotions</a>, middle managers are often the bearers of bad news. Some say the job isn't worth it anymore — and are looking for a way out."To some degree, middle managers are historically the glue that translates high-level strategy to individual actions that frontline workers execute on," Aaron Terrazas, chief economist at Glassdoor, told Business Insider. "But that glue is becoming a little bit undone in recent months just because there is so much pressure pulling in both opposite directions for that group."<h2 id="1ee18ce6-1972-4ad9-ac75-2894708bfc01">Caught between a rock and a hard place</h2>While middle managers have always had to please the people above them while maintaining credibility below, Terrazas said "that's a very tough position to be in right now, and I think you see that in a lot of their sentiments."Layne Tisdel Martin, a 43-year-old middle manager for a US-based tech company, said she's "all too familiar" with this feeling."Sometimes I feel like the workers see me as an agent of the 'evil overlords' and the C-suite sees me as a union rep," she told BI. "It's part of my job to reconcile their interests."Part of this involves telling workers more than in the recent past that a raise or a title bump isn't coming. A <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.workday.com/en-us/2024/insights-from-the-workday-hiring-trends-report-the-big-stay-poised-to-become-the-big-leave.html">Workday</a> report showed median promotion rates in 2023 were lower than those in 2022 for all 10 industries measured, with tech, professional services, retail, and insurance seeing drops of more than 20%.Raises are getting smaller and less frequent. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unemployment-rate-job-growth-interest-rate-cuts-federal-reserve-recession-2024-9">August's year-over-year</a> increase in average hourly wages was 3.8%, lower than the most recent peak of 5.9% in March 2022.Tsvetelina Nasteva, a 32-year-old human resources manager for <a target="_blank" href="http://Casinoreviews.net">Casinoreviews.net</a>, said one of the most difficult parts of her job is communicating disappointing raises to employees on her team, something she's had to do more of in recent years. She tries to "soften the blow" by reminding her team of her company's benefits, work-life balance, and growth opportunities."But I know it's still tough for people to hear," she said.Benjamin Granger, chief workplace psychologist at Qualtrics, told BI that the crux of the middle manager's job is to understand why a decision is being made and then clearly relay this reasoning to workers."Sometimes in academic literature, we call that 'procedural justice,' where I might not like the outcome, but at least you took the time to explain to me the rationale," Granger said, adding that managers also have to go further and explain why the decision is relevant to the worker — and maybe even find a silver lining.A new sticking point in the post-pandemic world is the return-to-office mandate. In recent years, workers who have been asked to return to the office have found myriad ways to game the system: "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workers-still-coffee-badging-office-returning-home-linkedin-poll-2024-7">Coffee-badging</a>" means swiping your badge in case bosses are tracking, but not staying at the office to work, and "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hushed-hybrid-return-to-office-rto-wfh-workplace-explained-how-2024-8">hushed hybrid</a>" means working remotely more than the policy allows, hoping you'll fly under the radar.Terrazas calls RTO "a special place of friction" for middle managers because "it deputizes them to be the enforcers."Tiago Pita, a 37-year-old brand and e-commerce director based in the UK, manages a team with both in-person and remote workers. He said it can be challenging to ensure that both groups of employees feel "equally included and engaged.""It was a learning curve for everyone involved," he told BI.<h2 id="1e6ee65d-6e74-4288-b6c5-fb079a56978d">Doing more with less</h2>Glassdoor's lead economist, Daniel Zhao, wrote in a March <a target="_blank" href="https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/glassdoor-employee-confidence-index-february-2024/">post</a> that increased pressure on middle managers in recent years could be due to the "<a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://about.fb.com/news/2023/03/mark-zuckerberg-meta-year-of-efficiency/">year of efficiency</a>" — a term used by Meta's Mark Zuckerberg last year to describe a period of layoffs, project cutting, and reduced hiring — extending into 2024."Middle managers are under more pressure to do more with less, managing demands from leaders while placating anxious employees," Zhao wrote.Vanessa Yuen, a 34-year-old engineering manager for a US-based SaaS company, said one of her biggest challenges in recent years has been the downsizing of her team.She said her team began taking on extra work during a hiring slowdown and is not sure when the "extra burden" will end. She said it's become challenging to keep her team motivated and prevent burnout."The hardest part is balancing the need to meet company goals with the reality that my team is working at full capacity, if not beyond it," she told BI.Not having enough time or power was a common theme in BI's reporting on middle manager <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://futureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Future-Forum-Pulse-Report-Fall-2022.pdf">burnout</a>."In many cases, they don't have full autonomy to make decisions, but they're held accountable as if they do," Granger said.Bryan Hancock, a McKinsey partner and one of the authors of the book "Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work," agreed, saying, "In a world where they're spending less than a third of their time managing people and the people leadership expectations are increasing, it's just creating added stress and tension in the role."<h2 id="a29107d2-c257-4068-adbe-abfcf252bc5b">The question of whether to go for a promotion or demotion</h2>The stress of the job is among the reasons some middle managers told BI they've considered asking for a demotion. But for now, many said their plan is to try to deal with the stress and make the situation better."Taking a demotion or stepping away is a very big decision, and for now, I believe in tackling these issues head-on," Pita said.Tisdel Martin has a different perspective. She said she's focused on working hard and getting promoted so she can "call more of the shots and make things better."But this path doesn't make sense for everyone.While Kyle left his middle manager job earlier this year, he said his new non-managerial role has several similarities to his old position. However, he has no direct reports — which means he doesn't have to worry about firing people or holding them accountable to company policies.He said his role has "manager" in the title because his company didn't want his job switch to "look like a step-down" — but he expects his new role to pay less than his old one once commissions are accounted for. However, the income decline that comes with having a lower-stress job is worth it."I've honestly never been happier," he said.Are you a middle manager or have you left middle management? Reach out to these reporters at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jzinkula@businessinsider.com">jzinkula@businessinsider.com</a> and <a target="_blank" href="mailto:mhoff@businessinsider.com">mhoff@businessinsider.com</a> to share your experience.

Being a middle manager is getting more and more toxic

A disturbing report by The Economic Times has revealed that over 100 <keyword id="21300086" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cough-syrup" source="keywords">cough syrup</keyword> samples manufactured in India failed quality control tests. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (<keyword id="20109095" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CDSCO" source="keywords">CDSCO</keyword>) analysed over 7,000 batches of cough syrup, finding that 353 did not meet quality standards. The reasons for these failures are particularly concerning. Nine batches contained di<keyword id="21957039" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ethylene-glycol" source="keywords">ethylene glycol</keyword> (DEG) or ethylene glycol (EG), toxins previously linked to the deaths of children in Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon. These toxins can cause serious health problems, including vomiting, convulsions, circulatory issues, and acute kidney failure. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="94675384" title="Indian drug regulator kicks off probe on cough syrup linked to deaths of Gambian children" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>What are <keyword id="15176477" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="diethylene-glycol" source="Orion">diethylene glycol</keyword> and ethylene glycol?</h2>For the unversed, DEG is a colourless, odourless and sweetish chemical. It is also a common industrial liquid used in many products, like antifreeze, car brakes, wallpaper removal solutions and in making fabrics and dyes. Similarly, EG is also a colourless and odourless alcoholic compound with a sweet-tasting and syrupy composition. It has known applications as an automotive antifreeze and as a raw material for manufacturing polyester fibres. It is also usually present in products like hydraulic brake fluids, stamp pad inks, ballpoint pens, solvents, paints, cosmetics and plastics. However, cough syrup manufacturers sometimes use EG and DEG as a replacement to non-toxic solvents like glycerine or propylene glycol simply because they are cheaper. Unfortunately, swallowing DEG and EG can be very dangerous. If someone drinks it, it can cause serious problems throughout their body and nervous system, leading to coma, seizures, nerve damage, and even liver and kidney failure, as per the CDC. <h2>Who is responsible?</h2>According to The Economic Times, the CDSCO blames unsecured supply chains and inadequate testing for the presence of these toxins. This news comes after a series of global alerts issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022 regarding cough syrups manufactured in India that were linked to the deaths of over 140 children worldwide. The first alert came in October 2022, when the WHO flagged four cough syrups produced by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals. Authorities in Gambia linked these medications to 66 deaths, primarily from acute kidney failure. In December 2022, the WHO recommended avoiding two cough syrups made by Marion Biotech after Uzbekistan reported 18 child deaths linked to their Dok 1 Max syrup. Most recently, in August 2023, the WHO issued another alert for a batch of Indian common cold syrup found to contain unacceptable levels of DEG and EG as contaminants. This marked the fifth such alert issued by the WHO since 2022 regarding Indian-made cough syrups. <h2>CDSCO considers waiving testing requirement before exploring cough syrups</h2>The discovery of toxic components in something that’s as commonly sold as cough syrup should have prompted authorities to tighten texting processes. However, the apex drugs regulatory authority, is reportedly examining stakeholders’ proposal to waive the requirement for testing cough syrups being exported to the US, the UK, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Korea and Switzerland at the prescribed laboratory. These repeated failures and global health warnings raise serious concerns about the safety of cough syrups manufactured in India. The Indian government is urged to take immediate action to address these issues by strengthening quality control measures, securing supply chains and ensuring thorough testing to prevent further tragedies. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="96935179" title="WHO alert against use of Indian cough syrups in Uzbekistan" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Why are over 300 batches of Indian cough syrup being deemed "toxic"?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Glossing, a form of toxic positivity, is prevalent in workplaces, an expert said</li><li>Leaders can set the tone for glossing, creating a culture of fear and guarded behavior.</li></ul>If you have a tendency to say "everything's fine" at work and brush things under the rug, you might be "glossing."Glossing is a form of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-toxic-positivity-how-to-address-at-work-2021-1">toxic positivity</a> — in which people suppress and deny their negative emotions — and it could be holding you back.Leena Rinne, Skillsoft's global head of coaching, told Business Insider there are many reasons "glossing" happens in the workplace, but it tends to occur during periods of stressful change and when people want to "fly under the radar.""I think it's a natural response to anxiety or fear," Rinne said.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.leadershipiq.com/blogs/leadershipiq/study-the-risks-of-ignoring-employee-feedback">A Leadership IQ survey</a> of 27,048 executives, managers, and employees last year found that just 15% of employees thought their employer always openly shared its challenges, and 21% said they believed their organization was never upfront about the difficult times.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.scienceofpeople.com/toxic-positivity/">A survey conducted by the newsletter Science of People</a> in June and answered by hundreds of readers also found that almost 68% of respondents believed they'd experienced toxic positivity in the last week.Rinne said this behavior is usually imprinted on a workforce from the top down, and managers and their reports will "gloss" for different reasons."Leaders create culture," Rinne said. "If I show up to a meeting with big feelings and my leader's like, 'Hi everybody,' and just glosses, then the signal to me is that that's what we need to do here."Leaders keeping their heads down and employees feeling fearful creates "a perfect storm for people to show up very carefully," said Rinne.When the workforce is guarded, everyone loses out, Rinne said."I'm less willing to evaluate the problems for better solutions. I'm less willing to take risks and be innovative," she said. "So I think senior leaders and all leaders should be concerned about this."<h2 id="40ca7682-0489-440e-9b26-a822d36fa622">Work friendships are dying out</h2>Fewer people are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-working-from-home-office-misses-friends-loneliness-remote-2024-6">making friends at work</a>. Some even think <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/office-friendship-dead-remote-work-employers-turnover-great-resignation-2022-4">office friendships are dead</a> since remote working became the norm, and layoffs are sweeping over many industries.While some believe <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-friends-are-over-remote-jobs-gen-z-relationships-pandemic-2024-6">it's for the better</a>, others think those connections are vital for our mental well-being — particularly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-friends-spouses-loneliness-remote-hybrid-benefits-of-work-connections-2024-6">in combating loneliness</a>.Rinne said this has formed a culture where employees believe they are treated transactionally and are showing up <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-job-satisfaction-unhappy-work-salary-promotion-loyalty-2024-2">to do a job and little else</a>, which has, in turn, made glossing more prevalent.People don't want to bring their full selves, or even their best selves, to work because they feel less secure that they'll be around long enough."There's a reason why we show up this way at work, and I think that senior leaders in particular need to take a pretty hard look to say, what are we creating, and how are we motivating people to show up in this way?" Rinne said. "Because it's not random, it's not laziness."<h2 id="dccf8f08-1a1b-43bd-93fc-1c8caa01e047">It's not rocket science</h2>Rinne said some signs of a glossing workforce are people not talking about tough issues at all or talking only behind their manager's back. They might also not be turning on their cameras for remote meetings anymore.If that's happening, leaders need to do some self-reflection, Rinne said, and ask themselves if they've been glossing.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28703602/">negative impacts</a> of toxic glossing can manifest as a burned-out workforce that feels stressed and ashamed, blames themselves and feels isolated, and calls in sick more frequently. It could even lead to employees taking extended periods of time off due to poor mental health.Tackling the issue isn't rocket science, though, Rinne said.When a company is going through a tough quarter, managers may be tempted to gloss over it because it's not wholly positive news, and they want to keep morale up. But Rinne said managers should pause and acknowledge the harder times."Hey, we are in a period of disruption, and disruption is hard," she said. "We know it's hard, and we're so grateful you're on this ride with us. There's no one we'd rather have than you."Rinne said managers don't have to take responsibility for the entire company. They can create "a bubble culture" for their own teams."It can be bananas out there," she said. "Because of that, whatever it is, I can create a subculture in the larger culture of calm — people feeling seen, people feeling heard, people feeling focused."One manager Rinne worked with said they had begun starting meetings by getting everyone to stand up and stretch for 60 seconds."It's no time at all," Rinne said. "And everyone shows up just a little differently for the meeting."<h2 id="b2830a1c-af58-4b61-8bbd-2c918d0728f4">Framing bad news</h2>This skill isn't intuitive to many leaders, though, Rinne added, and many could benefit from coaching to help them navigate tough conversations. Some go too far the other way and are far too blunt and harsh when difficulties arise."Hearing from a leader how the disruptive change on the horizon is going to be so difficult," Rinne said. "There's a way to frame that eases anxiety, and there's a way to frame it that probably amps it up."Leaders need to be taught the skills to be transparent in a way that builds trust, "not transparent in a way that scares people," she said.Ultimately, people appreciate honesty, even when the news isn't wholly positive.Rinne said employees would much rather not be shocked when layoffs are announced or a restructure breaks up their team. If they aren't kept in the dark, they are more likely to be engaged after periods of disruption."You get more when people feel safe and feel engaged than if they're punching that clock and glossing for hours," Rinne said.

'Glossing' at work is a form of toxic positivity, and it may be holding you back

All Indian <keyword id="19926225" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="salt" source="keywords">salt</keyword> and <keyword id="20109149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sugar" source="keywords">sugar</keyword> brands, whether big or small, packaged or unpackaged, contain <keyword id="19970180" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="microplastics" source="keywords">microplastics</keyword>, according to a study published on Tuesday. The study, titled "Microplastics in Salt and Sugar" and conducted by the <keyword id="22774411" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="environmental-research-organisation" source="keywords">environmental research organisation</keyword> <keyword id="21593811" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Toxics-Link" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Toxics Link" meta.hostid="281" meta.entityid="Toxics Link">Toxics Link</keyword>, tested 10 types of salt -- including table salt, rock salt, <keyword id="158885" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sea-salt" source="Orion">sea salt</keyword> and local raw salt -- and five types of sugar purchased from both online and local markets. The study revealed the presence of microplastics in all salt and sugar samples, in various forms, including fibre, pellets, films and fragments. The size of these microplastics ranged from 0.1 mm to 5 mm. The highest levels of microplastics were found in <keyword id="630077" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iodised-salt" source="Orion">iodised salt</keyword>, in the form of multi-coloured thin fibre and films. Toxics Link founder-director Ravi Agarwal said, "The objective of our study was to contribute to the existing scientific database on microplastics, so that the global plastic treaty can address this issue in a concrete and focused manner." "We also aim to trigger policy action and attract researchers' attention to potential technological interventions that could reduce exposure risks to microplastics." Toxics Link associate director Satish Sinha added, "Our study's finding of substantial amounts of microplastics in all salt and sugar samples is concerning and calls for urgent, comprehensive research into the long-term health impacts of microplastics on human health." The concentration of microplastics in the salt samples ranged from 6.71 to 89.15 pieces per kilogramme of dry weight, the report said. Iodised salt had the highest concentration of microplastics (89.15 pieces per kilogramme) while organic rock salt had the lowest (6.70 pieces per kilogramme), according to the study. In sugar samples, the concentration of microplastics ranged from 11.85 to 68.25 pieces per kilogramme, with the highest concentration found in non-organic sugar. Microplastics are a growing global concern because they can harm both health and the environment. These tiny plastic particles can enter the human body through food, water and air. Recent research has found microplastics in human organs such as the lungs, heart, and even in breast milk and unborn babies. Previous studies found that the average Indian consumes 10.98 grams of salt and around 10 spoons of sugar every day -- much higher than the <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="keywords">World Health Organization</keyword>'s recommended limits.

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