Poll: Companies Get High Marks On Economy, World Affairs

STAMFORD — Residents of Fairfield County are the most confident that their employers are doing a good job addressing financial issues relating to the economy and security stemming from world affairs, according to a poll commissioned by Community Health Charities of Connecticut.

The health charity federation, which began its annual workplace giving campaign this month, commissioned the University of Connecticut’s Center for Survey Research and Analysis to poll full-time employees about their overall health and well-being during a time of economic and international instability. The poll of 502 people around Connecticut was conducted in June, shortly after President Bush announced the end of major combat in Iraq.

Among the questions posed to the poll participants was whether they think their employers are doing a good job addressing the economy and world affairs. Fifty-four percent of the full-time employees in Fairfield County who participated in the poll said yes, compared to 50 percent of the full-time employees from New Haven County and 46 percent of those from Hartford County.

“A person’s health can be affected by disease, stress over the economy, or the turmoil of world affairs,” said Kevin Canavan, president of Community Health Charities of Connecticut. “Community Health Charities of Connecticut used the poll to identify the level of that stress. It’s just one health issue addressed by the 37 member charities that make up our membership.”

Not surprisingly, the survey found that Fairfield County residents were also the most concerned about world affairs of the three most populous counties in the state. Sixty-six percent of Fairfield County residents said they were concerned about world affairs, compared to 63 percent of New Haven County residents, and 60 percent of Hartford County residents.

New Haven County residents, however, were more concerned about the economy. Sixty-eight percent of New Haven County residents expressed a higher level of concern for the economy, compared to 65 percent of Fairfield County residents and 56 percent of Hartford County residents.

Meanwhile, though, only 36 percent the full-time employees from Fairfield County said their companies offer wellness programs that encourage improvements in employee physical and mental health. This compares to the 54 percent of Hartford County residents said their companies offer wellness programs

“Stress over the economy, world affairs, or anything else only exacerbates the health of someone afflicted with a disease. We need to minimize these concerns so we can concentrate on treating and eliminating disease through medical research,” said Mr Canavan.