Worker Wellness Blog
Date Posted: April 21, 2026
Posted In: Discussion, Workforce,
by Dr. John Gaal
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness blog takes a look at the 89% rise of anxiety-related claims from 2018 to 2024; to how >60% of Canadian workers are logging unpaid overtime; to an architect’s effort to bring more women into the construction industry.
Focal Point: This week I wish to highlight the upcoming STL Building Trades Wellness Coalition’s next quarterly collaborative meeting on Friday, April 24, 2026. This will be held at IBEW Local 1’s Hall and doors open at 8a.[1] The focus of this meeting will be on Recovery Friendly Workplaces (RFW). I had the honor and privilege to work on 2 multi-year projects involving RFW immediately following my retirement from the Carpenters Union in early 2019, as follows:
1) Under the guidance of Dr Ann Marie Dale (since retired from Washington University), we studied the union construction market in the Greater St. Louis area. These findings resulted in providing our industry with a framework to safely bring our workers back on the job sites.[2]
2) In conjunction with University Missouri-Extension’s Dr Doug Swanson and his colleagues we developed a similar protocol—as mentioned above—but for all industries and all counties in the state of Missouri.[3]
Please join us this Friday to learn more about RFWs and how your organization might benefit from recruiting and retaining ‘loyal’ workers.
Sources:
[1] https://www.stlbtwellness.org/event-details/q2-btwc-coalition-meeting
[3] https://recoveryfriendlymo.com/
Additional Links to Check Out
Cannabis’ Impact on Aging Brains
Benefits: Anxiety Utilization Increases
Trump Fast Tracks Psychedelics for MH
Ukraine: Soldiers / War / Addiction
Union Leaders Reviving the Movement
Trump (Walls) v Pope Leo (Bridges)
Canada Promotes Skilled Trades
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
Meeting Today’s Workplace Challenges (4/29)
Mental Health After a TBI (5/11-12)
Self-care & Workplace Wellness (5/13)
AI & Mental Health: Safety & Ethics
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact Dr. John Gaal, Chief Learning Officer, at stlbtwc@gmail.com with related questions or comments.