Jamaica’s Workplace Health Crisis | Jamaica News

Dr. Cassida Jones-Johnson, head of Jamaica’s HRMA, is rallying employers to urgently strengthen workplace protections for employees battling long-term illness, likening the need to the fierce momentum behind breast cancer awareness. With over 1,300 new cases and nearly 700 deaths in 2022 alone, breast cancer remains the top cancer killer among Jamaican women — and the Jamaica Reach to Recovery Pink Run aims to raise $30 million for a new digital mammography machine. While countries like Sweden and Canada mandate critical illness coverage, Jamaica lags — but Dr. Jones-Johnson says proactive steps are possible: implement Employee Assistance Programs, adopt leave banks and flexible work, and train managers in empathetic communication. She urges businesses to ask four vital questions: Do you offer paid leave? An effective EAP? Critical illness insurance? And do your leaders know how to support someone with a long-term diagnosis? Answer “yes” to all — and you’re truly responsible. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f2dc64f7c6ffd517