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wbjournal.com | May 13, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 23 By Michelle Grasso Michelle Grasso is the owner of Synergy Wellness Center in Hudson. 1) Prioritize work-life balance. Encour- age employees to set clear boundaries around work hours and workload expec- tations. Encourage breaks throughout the day and discourage overworking or working during off-hours. Leaders who walk the talk model healthy behaviors by respecting their own work-life balance. 2) Provide wellness resources. Offer access to mental health services, fitness facilities, or wellness programs. Consider partnering with local wellness centers to offer wellness coaching, educational onsite workshops, or chair massages. 3) Encourage physical activity. Promote walking meetings, standing desks, or group fitness challenges. Physical activity not only improves physical health but boosts mood, focus, and productivity. 4) Support mental health. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Provide referrals and support for mental health, such as counseling services or mindfulness workshops. Create an envi- ronment where employees feel comfort- able discussing concerns without fear of stigma or judgment. 5) Promote healthy eating habits. Pro- vide nutritious snacks in the office, offer healthy options in vending machines or cafeteria, and organize wellness events focused on nutrition. Consider hosting lunch-and-learn sessions with nutritionists and provide resources on healthy eating habits. 6) Foster social connections. Organize team-building activities, social events, or volunteer opportunities. Strong social connections in the workplace can improve morale, reduce stress, and foster a sense of belonging. Encourage managers to create opportunities for team bonding. 7) Lead by example. For example, Synergy Wellness Center offers work- place wellness packages and services, and offers monthly chair massages to its employees, quarterly educational forums on topics such as improving gut health, and encourages daily wellness walks as a team. Small yet consistent wellness initia- tives show your team wellness is a priority and you mean what you say. Does password complexity really matter? BY SLOANE M. PERRON Special to WBJ Y ou spend eight hours a day, five days a week, at your job sur- rounded by co-workers, supervi- sors, and clients. Conflicts are bound to happen. Learning to deescalate negative situations when they arise and remove yourself from workplace drama will make your office a more productive and peaceful place. Speaking up, maintain- ing boundaries, and active listening are all effective tools you can use. Speak up in the moment. Although it can be hard, letting your perspective be known the moment something happens can prevent resentment from festering. Office conflicts that are more complex should be carefully documented with human resources. However, sometimes a clear-cut conversation letting some- one know where you stand on an issue can help to resolve the problem. If you decide to speak up for yourself amid a workplace conflict, focus on sticking to the facts. "Keep it factual, keep it short, and keep it as kind as possible," Diana Opong, Janet W. Lee, and Connie Han- zhang Jin write for NPR.org. Build strong boundaries. When resolving conflict, go directly to the per- son you have a problem with and talk it out. You can emphasize you want to maintain a healthy working relationship. is requires each side to be open about their needs and expectations. If this dis- cussion turns into personal attacks and toxic behavior, it is important to have boundaries to protect yourself, Liesbeth van der Linden writes for Forbes. A third-party mediator may be helpful. Actively listen to the other side. When trying to resolve a workplace con- flict, try to think logically and not emo- tionally. Actively listen to what the other person is saying. Target the problem, not the person, Amanda Ripley advises in a story from Harvard Business Review. You want to find common ground and a way both parties can move forward. HOW TO HANDLE WORKPLACE CONFLICT BY ROB CLEARY Special to WBJ W hen it comes to creating a password for online accounts, we are oen advised to use complex passwords to keep our accounts secure. However, with the advent of multi-fac- tor authentication, some users wonder if password complexity really matters. While a strong password can help keep your account safe, there are certain scenarios where password complexity matters less or not at all. When creating a password for an on- line account containing sensitive infor- mation or an account you want to protect from hackers, you'll want to increase the complexity of your password. Complex passwords e best passwords combine upper- case and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters in a random sequence to create a unique and complex pass- word. Complex passwords are typically more challenging for hackers to guess or crack. It makes it more difficult for them to access your account and potentially steal your sensitive data or engage in malicious activities. Every extra charac- ter in your password increases hackers' difficulty in cracking it. In addition, using unique passwords for each account can further enhance your security, reduc- ing the likelihood of multiple accounts being compromised if one password is compromised. Using complex passwords in conjunc- tion with multi-factor authentication can further protect your personal informa- tion and prevent unauthorized access. Ideally, you want to set this up for your email and banking account information. Password managers You can use a password manager, such as 1Password, to store all your complex passwords, so you don't have to worry about memorizing them. You'll only need to remember a single master pass- word to access all your login information stored in the password manager. is master password should be something you won't forget but hard for someone to guess or hack. A multi-word passphrase would be ideal for use as your master password. Passphrases Passphrases are longer phrases made up of random words or words mean- ingful to you. ey are generally easier to remember and type than a string of random characters, but they can still be complex and challenging to guess. Less complex password use On the flip side, there are a few situa- tions where password complexity is less critical. For example, password complex- ity is less important if you need to create a password for an account not containing sensitive information, such as pet-relat- ed sites, or if you need a password for offline accounts. In this case, a shorter, easy-to-remember password may be sufficient. Although, it's still important to avoid using easily guessable information like your name, birthdate, or common dictionary words as your password. Wrapping up In summary, password complexity still matters, even when using multi-fac- tor authentication. Having a complex password is still essential to keeping your accounts secure, as it makes it harder for malicious actors to guess or brute force your password. Additionally, multi-factor authentication is not a substitute for a strong password. It simply adds an addi- tional layer of security. 7 Things I know about … ... Successful workplace wellness programs W Rob Cleary is CEO of ClearCom It Solutions in Sturbridge. Reach him at rob@clearcomit. com. W W