Instant Gratification It’s Not Worth Your Job The title should actually say that instant gratification isn’t worth your job or your reputation. I keep reading stories about employees making decisions that seem to produce instant gratification, yet can ultimately hurt them in the future. The latest, unfortunately, comes from my ‘home state’ of Ohio—specifically Cincinnati (not my hometown, just to note). According to news reports, a woman is suing the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and three of its employees after one of the hospital’s workers posted her medical records on Facebook. Stories say the woman had been treated for a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and “ a screen shot of the womans medical record showing her name and her diagnosis of syphilis was posted to the Facebook group Team No Hoes in September 2013.” Reports say the screen shot was also emailed to members of that Facebook group. Apparently, the woman’s ex-boyfriend works at the hospital and requested that two other workers (one a nurse) post the woman’s medical record on the social media site. According to a press release, Lee Ann Liska, president and CEO of UC Medical Center, claims that one of the employees has since been terminated for her actions in the matter. UC Health became aware of this incident shortly after the screenshot of this patient’s billing record appeared on Facebook, when she brought it to our attention. We took swift action and our investigation revealed that the record had been accessed by a Financial Services employee who did not have a business reason to do so. This employee had been fully trained and acknowledged her responsibilities under law and UC Health policy, but apparently accessed the billing record through a personal motivation. The individual’s employment was terminated, and we reported the incident to federal authorities. *bolded emphasis not in original document* Let’s assess this situation, shall we? A boyfriend, for whatever reason, wanted to get back at or “hurt” his ex-girlfriend. So, he set out to embarrass her by exposing her personal medical information to the online world. And as a result, the worker who granted his request has lost her job. And might I throw in that her reputation in the medical field is certainly damaged as well? This makes me think about the New York Standard Hotel employee who leaked the footage of musicians Solange and Beyonce Knowles and rapper Jay Z in an elevator incident. The employee was fired and, the hotel reported that it had turned all available information over to criminal authorities. In both cases—the former UC Health employee and hotel worker—the “culprits” not only lost their jobs but will most likely face lawsuits. And all this for what? A moment to publicly embarrass someone and probably a hunk of cash from TMZ that, at the moment, seemed much more appealing than working for a hotel. Yet, when the laughs and Facebook comments fade away and all the money is spent…when the instant gratification quickly dissipates, then what? These people are left unemployed, carrying around tarnished reputations and trying to figure out ways to explain that they were fired for leaking company information—actions that can be considered illegal, not to mention. It’s just not worth it. Workers must do a much better job of assessing opportunity costs (not to mention morals, although in these contexts morality can be subjective). An action may look appealing now and provide a sense of instant gratification, but how does this choice compare with its future results? In these cases, tarnished reputations and potential long-term unemployment (or an even greater struggle during the job search) simply outweigh a laugh or chunk of money that will probably end up being blown on court costs. We live in this fast-paced world and want our needs satisfied instantly but oftentimes the gratification is only for a moment. And momentary pleasure just isn’t worth your career or reputation—two of life’s aspects that are supposed to not only last but develop over time.
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These two 25-year-olds may have just solved the plastic crisis These two 25-year-olds may have just solved the plastic crisis It’s comforting to think that once you drop your plastic container into that ubiquitous blue recycling bin, you’ve fulfilled your eco-friendly duty for the day. Unfortunately, the data says otherwise.Only 9% of plastics actually get recycled. The rest is going to landfills and incinerators where it’s being burned for energy, but most of it is emitted as Co2 into the atmosphere. At the current rate of recycling waste plastics, it’s projected that there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050.Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao, the founders of BioCellection Inc. have found a way to address the plastic crisis, head-on. The cofounders relayed their ideation of BioCellection Inc. at the 2019 Women in the World summit held earlier this month.“I think what’s so difficult for consumers to understand is that when we take a piece of plastic and put it in a recycling bin, that’s actually getting recycled. Well, guess what? It’s doesn’t … ” says Wang.The 25-year-old co-founder of BioCellection Inc. graduated from University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology in 2016. Her business partner Yao graduated that same year from the University of Toronto with a BS in Biochemistry and Environmental Sciences. Both received recognition from Forbes 30 under 30 in 2018. Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!Together, the young entrepreneurs have subverted the notion that recycling our plastic is sustainable. Poor waste management and lack of waste collection infrastructure mean a large portion of plastic waste is leaked into our rivers and oceans. Rather than trying to resolve the fallibility of the recycling process, Wang and Yao are going right to the source of the issue by inventing recycling for the least recyclable plastic.How plastic worksTo understand the process, you need to know about Polyethylene. This plastic compound makes up over a third of all plastics produced globally. The reason it can’t breakdown in the environment is because of its size – it’s so large that microbes cannot access it to break it down organically.According to Wang, using our society’s “current Mechanical recycling method, all of the plastics are mechanically broken down, washed, and melted. That’s like taking a tree leaf, cutting it apart and then gluing it together. That’s why recycling is not working.”Instead, working from the concept of a “circular economy”, the chemists plan to take these molecules and fully recycle them to create new usable products, rather than releasing waste into the atmosphere.Yao breaks down this highly complex method into simpler terms:“What we do is use a chemical method to cut this [Polyethylene] chain into small pieces. These small pieces become functionalized with oxygen to develop interesting properties. These chemicals that we make out of plastic are actually precursors to higher value materials. It’s this exact material that is found in things like car parts, electronics, and textiles.”Using this model, the vast majority of waste ( 91% ) that are deemed too contaminated to recycle actually becomes an untapped resource with unprecedented application potential. Rather than trying to fix a broken system, Wang and Yao are inventing their own.What you can do nowEven if you aren’t a precocious chemist, there are still many ways you can help combat the plastic crisis. The simplest way to do so is to cut back on plastic waste altogether. Today, technology makes this easier than ever. One app, from a startup called Omni Calculator, helps you keep track of your plastic waste by tallying up how many plastic bottles you use, and then telling you roughly how many pounds of plastic you use in a year or that you’ll use in your lifetime.Another app, called My Little Plastic Footprint, goes further, helping users track their progress toward zero waste over time. According to Wang, it’s important to remain radically optimistic about combating the plastic crisis, on an international level. “We are convinced that we can solve the plastic pollution problem within our lifetime, it’s just a matter of working with the right people to make it happen,” says Wang.You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people
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