The Future of Health Care: Harnessing Digital for Proactive Wellness

Editor, SMEE - November 23, 2023

Our New Zealand health system stands at a precipice due to funding constraints, nurse and doctor shortages, and the rising cost of medicines. Finding a fix may not be as complicated as some think, thanks to the rapidly evolving potential of making greater use of digital technologies in healthcare.    Vino Ramayah, CEO of New Zealand's largest secure healthcare online portal, Manage My Health, which has more than 1.85 million Kiwi members – and which works in partnership with more than ...

Late in life ADHD diagnosis, just the beginning

Editor, SMEE - June 28, 2023

Adults diagnosed with ADHD later in life are being urged to see their diagnosis as only the beginning of a journey to address years of false and destructive beliefs about themselves. Simone-Ellen Keller, a personal transformation strategist and CEO of Genius You, was also diagnosed with ADHD later in life and sees it as part of her mission to help those who learn of their ADHD well into adulthood because the diagnosis is not the end of the journey, but the beginning. Keller—whose consult...

Grass roots first aid for mental health in the workplace improves overall worker safety

Editor, SMEE - March 2, 2023

Employers who tell their employees to 'leave their personal problems at home' may be contributing to a more hazardous workplace by increasing the risk of serious, even fatal, accidents on site.  Stats NZ reports a significant increase in the proportion of people with poor mental well-being, up from 22 per cent in 2018 to 28 per cent in 2021. How this impacts broader health and safety—for example, falls and accidents with machinery, power tools and forklifts—is a significant concern for +...

Men need permission to use their emotions as well as women

Editor, SMEE - February 9, 2023

Male suicide and depression rates could be drastically reduced—and men could get more out of their relationships—if they were permitted to use their emotions the same way as women.  Simone-Ellen Keller, a personal transformation strategist and CEO of Genius You–a consultancy that teaches people how the mind works and how to use it to uncover their brilliance by using emotions constructively– said men are twice as likely to commit suicide as women and that needs to change.  Global...

Smash and grab crime particularly traumatic for family businesses 

Editor, SMEE - October 3, 2022

'Smash and grab robberies', ram raids, red tape and rising costs are taking their toll on New Zealand's SMEs but are particularly tough for family businesses because the trauma goes home with them at night.  New Zealand Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) Implementer and facilitator Vijay Nyayapati said today that recovering from traumatic events in a family business can be challenging when different generations are involved in the business because the conflict and the pain are more perso...

Inflicting shame and pain (on bullies) won’t solve NZ’s bullying problem

Editor, SMEE - August 31, 2022

Sagas such as that of Labour MP Gaurav Sharma and other stories about bullies and bullying will continue to make headlines in New Zealand until people are taught the mental skills they need to protect themselves—and for as long as we continue to shame, expel, and punish the bullies themselves. Simone-Ellen Keller, personal transformation strategist and founder of Genius You—a framework for self-understanding and development—said that bullying is as old as humanity, and we still don't ...

Ricoh teams up with local tech company ‘Tether’ to help monitor the quality of the air we breath

Editor, SMEE - July 19, 2022

Homegrown building performance tech company Tether has caught the eye of Japanese multinational imaging and electronics giant The Ricoh Company Ltd.  Tether delivers a CO2 monitoring solution for managing COVID-19 risk within any government or protection framework. COVID-19 can be spread by breathing in air exhaled by another person, hence high CO2 levels in the environment mean a higher percentage of the air we breathe is shared with other people, which leads to a higher exposure risk.  ...

Winter and economic pressures a slippery slope for workers

Editor, SMEE - May 9, 2022

The coming winter, with its rains and current economic pressures, is a time of heightened danger for Kiwi workers who are still too ready to cut corners to save time but end up losing their lives instead. Jason Braithwaite, the General Manager of New Zealand health and safety training provider Besafe Training Ltd – a company that is an expert in training workers to work safely at heights – is worried that supply shortages will put extreme deadlines and financial pressures on labourers and...

Too many companies neglecting to elect health and safety reps

Editor, SMEE - March 3, 2022

Despite statutory obligations that work site health and safety representatives be elected by their colleagues – which helps ensure better health and safety outcomes – the majority of safety reps who attend health and safety training appeared to be appointed by their employers. Jason Braithwaite, the General Manager of New Zealand health and safety training provider Besafe Training Ltd, says elected health and safety representatives are more passionate about safety. As the voice of the ...

Popularity of branded masks may come back to bite SMEs

Editor, SMEE - February 8, 2022

A health and safety company is warning employers to avoid issuing staff with branded cloth masks. While they're good marketing and may meet current Government guidelines, they are not enough to keep the team safe from Omicron. Jason Braithwaite, the General Manager of New Zealand health and safety training provider Besafe Training Ltd, said employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff on-site, and issuing PPE equipment that is not fit for purpose could have serious impli...

Apathetic bosses one reason workplace accidents still too high

Editor, SMEE - January 13, 2022

Apathy from some senior leaders may be a significant reason why deaths and accidents on New Zealand worksites have not reduced appreciably in the last few years, despite strict legislation. Jason Braithwaite, the General Manager of New Zealand health and safety training provider Besafe Training Ltd, says the most common question he gets from workers attending the company's health and safety programme is: 'How do I persuade my boss to implement these safety measures?' "Safety legislation pa...