tag:theconversation.com,2011:/africa/topics/employers-45685/articlesEmployers – The Conversation2023-11-26T20:36:17Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2155872023-11-26T20:36:17Z2023-11-26T20:36:17ZHere’s why union support is so high right now<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/heres-why-union-support-is-so-high-right-now" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Over 65,000 teachers in Québec <a href="https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-teachers-strike-staff-may-be-on-strike-until-christmas-says-union-vice-president-1.6661466">could remain on strike until Christmas</a> if a deal isn’t reached, their union said on Sunday. The warning comes amid widespread labour unrest in the province, including nearly <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/nearly-570000-of-quebecs-public-sector-workers-are-on-strike-thursday">570,000 workers on strike at the same time</a> last week.</p>
<p>These collective actions are on the heels of the recent “<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/union-labour-summer-of-strikes-1.6970861">summer of strikes</a>,” that saw a number of labour actions take place, including the <a href="https://theconversation.com/actors-are-demanding-that-hollywood-catch-up-with-technological-changes-in-a-sequel-to-a-1960-strike-209829">Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes</a>, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-uaw-unions-tough-bargaining-strategy-is-working-214679">United Auto Workers’ strike</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/starbucks-workers-over-150-stores-strike-over-pride-decor-row-2023-06-23/">a number of Starbucks strikes</a>. In Canada, <a href="https://theconversation.com/b-c-labour-dispute-its-time-for-an-industrial-inquiry-commission-into-ports-and-automation-210779">port workers in British Columbia</a>, <a href="https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/workers-at-ontario-s-public-broadcaster-walk-off-the-job-1.6527764">workers from Ontario’s public broadcaster,</a> and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/sj-inside-workers-agreement-1.6990304">city workers in Saint John</a> also held strikes.</p>
<p>One of the reasons strikes seem to have increased in popularity and publicity is the record high support for workers’ unions. According to a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/398303/approval-labor-unions-highest-point-1965.aspx">recent Gallup poll</a>, 71 per cent of Americans are supportive of labour unions — the highest rate since 1965. A recent <a href="https://angusreid.org/unions-strike-labour-canada-ndp-conservatives-liberals/">Angus Reid survey</a> found three-in-five Canadians believe unions have had a positive impact for workers.</p>
<p>Why is this support so high now? <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/technologies-helping-shape-surge-worker-strikes-us/story?id=102994468">Some have argued</a> that worsening working conditions, wages falling out of step with inflation and the increasing use of artificial intelligence across industries are contributing to workers’ collective action. </p>
<p>However, this is only part of the picture. More important than these conditions are the workers’ <em>perceptions</em> of these conditions. The rise in union support may be better explained by the general rise in people’s acknowledgement of their own disadvantages, and their negative emotional reactions to that disadvantage.</p>
<h2>Importance of perception</h2>
<p>Research shows that recognizing one’s disadvantage, coupled with experiencing an emotional reaction to it — usually anger — is an important predictor of taking part in collective actions like protesting, striking or joining a union. This is true <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1177/1088868311430825">even when accounting for objective measures of disadvantage</a>, like social class, income and education. </p>
<p>When it comes to support for unions specifically, a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/27767155">1991 study found</a> people’s feelings about their perceived social status were more important in predicting union support than their objective social standing, which is determined by factors like income, education and class. In other words, people’s perceptions determined union support.</p>
<p>This perspective also explains why union support hasn’t risen in times when working conditions have worsened. The years following the 2008 recession, for example, brought about many labour issues, including <a href="https://www.kansascityfed.org/Jackson%20Hole/documents/4547/2014vonWachter.pdf">widespread unemployment</a>, <a href="https://u.demog.berkeley.edu/%7Ejrw/Biblio/Eprints/PRB/files/65.1unitedstates.pdf">declining household wages</a> and <a href="https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/knowledge-at-wharton-podcast/great-recession-american-dream/">increased levels of temporary and precarious work</a>. </p>
<p>Despite this, <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/398303/approval-labor-unions-highest-point-1965.aspx">union support among Americans was at a historical low</a> around that time. While no statistics exist for the Canadian context, <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.18740/S4M887">evidence suggests</a> unions were equally unpopular in Canada after the Great Recession. </p>
<h2>The COVID-19 pandemic’s role</h2>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted how we view our lives. Recent studies suggest people are now <a href="https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/pandemics-make-us-more-averse-inequality">more aware of the inequalities present in our societies</a> and are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jesp.2022.104400">more willing to do something about it</a>, compared to the pre-COVID era. </p>
<p>An awareness of the unjust systems that influence our behaviours has been shown to <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1177/1088868311430825">be a prerequisite for the anger</a> that drives collective action. Essentially, the more we recognize injustice, the <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1987.9713692">more likely we are to engage in collective action</a>.</p>
<p>The height of the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with several union strikes that reveal this pattern. For instance, the <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/the-pandemic-has-caused-a-surprising-rebound-for-the-unions-participation-is-now-higher-than/article_04de56b9-3a88-539c-94ef-c1b1f68793d6.html">2020 Dominion grocery store workers’ strikes in Newfoundland</a> were driven by a growing awareness of the disparities between top executives, who earned millions during the pandemic, and front-line workers who saw little to no wage increases. </p>
<p>Although this divide <a href="https://policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/National%20Office/2022/01/Another%20year%20in%20paradise.pdf">had been widening for years</a>, the pandemic accentuated it. <a href="https://nursesunions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/a_time_of_fear_possamai_final_book_digital.pdf">Union statements during the strikes</a> emphasized that the issues faced by workers were exposed by the pandemic, rather than being created by it. </p>
<p>The pandemic has helped create an environment where workers are more likely to feel disadvantaged and angry. Until public perception and awareness of inequality changes, we will likely continue to see an increased number of strikes and other forms of collective action. </p>
<h2>What should employers do?</h2>
<p>Employers have a crucial role to play in all this. If they wish to avoid their workers taking collective action against them, they should demonstrate their support of their employees by attending to their needs. Issues like <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-businesses-can-best-help-employees-disconnect-from-work-174522">work-life balance</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/employers-need-to-prioritize-employee-mental-health-if-they-want-to-attract-new-talent-205738">mental health support</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/diversity-in-the-workplace-isnt-enough-businesses-need-to-work-toward-inclusion-194136">diversity and inclusion</a> are top of mind for employees.</p>
<p>When employees’ needs are met, they are less likely to perceive disadvantages in the workplace and harbour resentment. A <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S321689">recent study found</a> that employees who believed they were being fairly paid for positive workplace behaviours — like co-operating with others and coming in to work early — felt less resentment towards those they considered more advantaged. </p>
<p>Effective communication with workers, fostering participative leadership and encouraging co-operation between workers have also been shown to <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1177/08863680122098298">reduce angry feelings</a> stemming from an employee’s negative workplace comparisons. </p>
<p>These approaches work because they encourage constructive solutions to employee issues. In the end, the link between people’s perceptions of their own lives and their support for unions highlights just how important it is for employers to take their employees’ needs into account.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215587/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nabhan Refaie does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The rise in union support can be explained by the growing recognition people are having of their own disadvantages, and the anger they feel about it.Nabhan Refaie, PhD Candidate in Management (Organizational Behaviour), University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2173412023-11-13T16:26:27Z2023-11-13T16:26:27ZLevelling the playing field: The case for a federal ‘anti-scab’ law<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/levelling-the-playing-field-the-case-for-a-federal-anti-scab-law" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The federal government has just <a href="https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/C-58/first-reading">introduced Bill C-58</a>, its much anticipated <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10081053/canada-anti-scab-legislation/">“anti-scab” legislation</a>. If adopted, the law will prohibit the use of replacement workers in the event of a strike or lockout in any federally regulated industry.</p>
<p>The legislation will also require the parties to negotiate a <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/anti-scab-labour-federally-regulated-workplaces-1.7023020">maintenance of activities agreement</a> in advance of a labour dispute to allow for the undertaking of maintenance work to protect the integrity and safety of the workplace.</p>
<p>The bill, a product of the Liberal and NDP <a href="https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2022/03/22/delivering-canadians-now">confidence-and-supply agreement</a>, represents the first time a federal government has committed to an anti-scab law.</p>
<p><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8717920/ndp-unions-liberals-strikes-anti-scab-law/">Unions have long</a> <a href="https://canadianlabour.ca/canadas-unions-welcome-anti-scab-legislation/">advocated for a ban</a> on replacement workers, arguing their use unduly shifts power to employers and gives the boss an unfair advantage in collective bargaining. </p>
<p>In particular, union leaders justify the need for a ban by pointing to instances where employers chose to <a href="https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/why-we-need-anti-scab-legislation">lock out</a> workers and “starve them out” while continuing to operate with scab labour. </p>
<p>Business organizations, on the other hand, frame their opposition to anti-scab laws by focusing on the potential for economic disruption. They argue that a ban on replacement workers would give unions <a href="https://torontosun.com/news/national/urgent-need-to-rethink-labour-laws-after-b-c-port-strike-cfib">too much power</a>, <a href="https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/en/media/a-ban-on-replacement-workers-is-a-threat-to-small-businesses-and-the-economy">threaten the survival of small businesses</a> and make Canada <a href="https://www.iedm.org/uploaded/pdf/janv05_en.pdf">less competitive</a>. </p>
<h2>Assessing the arguments</h2>
<p>Making sense of these competing perspectives can be tricky because there is no expert consensus on the economic effects of anti-scab laws. The studies that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-232X.1996.tb00405.x">do exist</a> offer contradictory evidence based on <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227383030_The_Laws_of_Unintended_Consequence_The_Effect_of_Labour_Legislation_on_Wages_and_Strikes">different statistical methods</a>, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/cpp.35.1.99">assumptions, time spans</a> and the inclusion or exclusion of certain sectors of the economy. </p>
<p>Opponents of the legislation tend to selectively rely on <a href="https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/economic-effects-of-banning-temporary-replacement-workers.pdf">corporate-funded research</a> by right-wing think tanks to make the case that a ban on scab labour will drive away business and wreak havoc more generally. </p>
<p>For example, a <a href="https://medicinehatnews.com/commentary/opinions/2022/11/17/for-what-its-worth-anti-scab-legislation-gives-advantage-to-unions-they-shouldnt-have/">common argument</a> is that if employers can’t use replacement workers, businesses may not be able to operate during a labour dispute and will lose revenue as a result. This outcome would theoretically jeopardize the business and the future job security of the striking workers. </p>
<p>The reality, however, is that <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/majority-of-liberal-mps-join-conservatives-to-vote-down-anti-scab-bill/article1072069/">no union leader</a> is interested in negotiating employers out of business or putting the jobs of their members at risk.</p>
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<p>Despite <a href="https://chamber.ca/news/statement-from-the-canadian-chamber-of-commerce-regarding-anti-replacement-worker-legislation/">corporate objections</a> to the contrary, anti-scab laws can play an integral role in improving union-management relations. At some point, almost all work stoppages end, and workers return to their jobs. </p>
<p>The resentment caused by the use of scab labour lingers, however, poisoning labour relations and leading to <a href="https://www.hrreporter.com/news/hr-news/the-aftermath-of-replacement-workers-can-linger-long-after-the-strike-is-over/310485">lower workplace morale</a>. This is especially true in the case of contentious labour disputes where the use of replacement workers triggered <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/giant-mine-explosion">picket line violence</a> <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/frustration-grows-as-videotron-strike-continues-in-quebec-1.312994">or vandalism</a>.</p>
<p>Such incidents are far <a href="https://www.unifor.org/sites/default/files/documents/fairness_on_the_line_final%20web.pdf">less likely</a> to occur if scab labour is taken out of the equation. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/striking-a-balance-how-the-law-regulates-picket-lines-213111">Striking a balance: How the law regulates picket lines</a>
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<h2>Negotiated settlements</h2>
<p>The other benefit of an anti-scab law is that it would force employers to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/point-counterpoint-anti-scab-smith-1.5531736">focus on reaching negotiated settlements</a> rather than strategizing over how to best undermine and antagonize union members exercising their right to strike. </p>
<p>This levels the playing field and brings the focus back to the bargaining table where deals are made.</p>
<p>The business lobby’s argument that a ban on replacement workers would <a href="https://www.simcoe.com/business/federal-private-member-s-bill-tips-the-scales-toward-unions-in-labour-negotiations-barrie-chamber/article_7312d7ab-1837-54fe-8a16-aed1e99228c4.html">render unions more difficult</a> in bargaining is belied by the fact that anti-scab legislation at the provincial level has not produced “strike-happy” unions. </p>
<p>Québec and British Columbia have had legislative bans on replacement workers in provincially regulated industries for decades. <a href="http://www.justlabour.yorku.ca/volume13/pdfs/02_savage_butovsky_press.pdf">Neither jurisdiction</a> experienced escalating wage demands, dramatic increases in strike activity, or economic collapse as a result. </p>
<p>Why then should we expect different outcomes as a result of a federal anti-scab law? </p>
<h2>Politics of labour law reform</h2>
<p>It’s worth remembering that corporations have <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/highlights-in-canadian-labour-history-1.850282">resisted virtually every single improvement</a> to workers’ rights since the 1800s. </p>
<p>This includes opposition to union recognition, the right to strike, the shorter work week and improved employment standards. Given this history, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the business lobby is keen to defeat or water down Bill C-58.</p>
<p>At a <a href="https://www.cpac.ca/episode?id=09e7f3fe-e565-449d-b458-d30d7d5795b4">recent news conference</a>, Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan indicated the law would not take effect until 18 months after receiving Royal Assent. </p>
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<p>That’s an eternity in politics and provides the business lobby with ample time to <a href="https://thetyee.ca/News/2023/11/13/Unions-Get-More-Power-Replacement-Worker-Ban/">change the government’s mind or pressure it to run out the clock</a> in advance of the next federal election. </p>
<p>In the meantime, unions and their allies are not sitting idle. We can expect unions to continue <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230918460175/en/Demonstration-With-the-NDP-and-CLC-in-Support-of-Anti-Scab-Legislation">organizing rallies</a> <a href="https://canadianlabour.ca/campaigns/we-need-pro-worker-legislation/">and actions</a> to pressure the government to deliver on its commitment.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.socialistproject.ca/relay/relay17_harden.pdf">Previous attempts</a> to win anti-scab legislation through opposition-led bills have usually faltered because Liberal MPs got cold feet and switched their votes on second or third reading under pressure from the business community. </p>
<p>The dynamics are different this time as a result of the confidence-and-supply agreement with the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-ndp-turns-60-its-never-truly-been-the-political-arm-of-organized-labour-161964">union-friendly NDP</a> and the government’s desire to use the legislation as a wedge issue to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-caucus-speech-canadians-hurting-1.6580001">undermine recent Conservative efforts</a> to gain support from blue-collar union members.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pierre-poilievre-is-popular-among-union-members-whats-it-really-all-about-201547">Pierre Poilievre is popular among union members. What's it really all about?</a>
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<p>Whether the legislation will serve that purpose remains an open question.</p>
<p>But that should not distract from the policy goal of reforming labour laws in ways that promote collective bargaining, protect workers’ rights and level the playing field between unions and employers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217341/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Larry Savage receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.</span></em></p>Unions have long advocated for a ban on replacement workers, arguing their use unduly shifts power to employers and gives the boss an unfair advantage in collective bargaining.Larry Savage, Professor, Labour Studies, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2143552023-11-12T14:02:50Z2023-11-12T14:02:50ZHow workplaces can create more inclusive environments for employees with deafness and hearing loss<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558486/original/file-20231108-27-9y4qc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=99%2C71%2C9390%2C6245&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Despite the increasing representation of persons with hearing loss in the workplace, discrimination, a lack of accessibility and isolation still prevent equity and inclusion.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-workplaces-can-create-more-inclusive-environments-for-employees-with-deafness-and-hearing-loss" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Hearing loss is a critical diversity, equity and inclusion issue for managers and employers. Persons with hearing loss are a growing population around the world. According to the World Health Organization, over <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss">five per cent of the world’s population</a> — or 430 million people — have disabling hearing loss. This number is expected to rise to over 700 million by 2050. </p>
<p>Despite the increasing number of persons with hearing loss in the workplace, <a href="https://www.chha.ca/new-govt-of-canada-grant-funded-post-secondary-program-for-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-canadians/">only 20.6 per cent of Canadians</a> with hearing loss are employed full-time. Discrimination, a lack of accessibility and isolation still prevent equity and inclusion at work. Persons with hearing loss also <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26235284">experience higher levels of stress</a> and fatigue and earn lower incomes.</p>
<p>Persons with hearing loss have diverse preferences and skills that can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enz018">affect their career outcomes</a>. Knowledge of disability, reasonable workplace accommodations, effective communication skills and support from mentors and peer networks all contribute to positive career outcomes. </p>
<p>However, experiences can vary greatly by hearing loss type and job demands. For example, sign language users may have more access to Deaf communities and resources, but less access to mainstream opportunities. Spoken language users may have more access to mainstream opportunities, but less access to Deaf communities and resources. </p>
<h2>How do persons with hearing loss cope with isolation at work?</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063221143714">Our new study</a> examines how employees with hearing loss cope with feeling isolated at work. We found that how employees cope depends on both the severity of hearing loss and the quality of their relationship with their supervisors.</p>
<p>Specifically, our results suggest the severity of an employee’s hearing loss influences the degree to which they rely on professional connections for their sense of self. This, in turn, has consequences for their career outcomes, especially for those with less supportive supervisors. </p>
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<img alt="A woman with hearing aids working at a computer" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">About 430 million people have hearing loss — a number expected to rise to over 700 million by 2050.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Surprisingly, we found that employees with more severe hearing loss tend to fare better in terms of the impact of isolation on career outcomes. This is because employees with more severe hearing loss were more likely to experience awkward, anxious and frustrating interactions with co-workers and have a harder time building and maintaining professional connections. </p>
<p>As a result, employees with more severe hearing loss usually placed less importance on professional connections and more importance on connections with other persons with hearing loss, making them less sensitive to isolation from professional connections.</p>
<h2>What can persons with hearing loss do to support themselves?</h2>
<p>Our research found that persons with hearing loss use a number of strategies to help themselves thrive in their careers. One thing persons with hearing loss do is accepting and embracing hearing loss as part of their identity. This positively changes how they view themselves and their relationship to work.</p>
<p>Many persons with hearing loss also redefine their personal definitions of career success. They shift from material achievements to social contributions, personal growth and well-being. Some end up moving to new roles or occupations that better match their changing skills, interests and values.</p>
<p>Some even turn their hearing loss into an asset. For instance, attorneys, doctors or therapists with hearing loss can focus on serving clients and patients who share their condition. </p>
<p>Persons with hearing loss often expanded their professional networks to include others in the community. This may involve affiliations with organizations like the <a href="https://alda.org/">Association of Late-Deafened Adults</a>, <a href="https://www.chha.ca/">Canadian Hard of Hearing Association</a>, <a href="https://cad-asc.ca/">Canadian Association of the Deaf</a>, <a href="https://www.hearingloss.org/">Hearing Loss Association of America</a> and the <a href="https://www.nad.org/">National Association of the Deaf</a>.</p>
<p>Our research underscores the resilience and adaptability of persons with hearing loss in the workplace. By redefining success, shifting their perspectives and expanding their networks to include supportive communities, persons with hearing loss are able to lead rich and fulfilling professional lives.</p>
<h2>What can co-workers and supervisors do to help make workplaces more inclusive?</h2>
<p>There are a number of practices supervisors can adopt to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726716687388">support employees with hearing loss effectively</a>. These practices include: avoid assuming an employee with a disability is less able, ask persons with hearing loss about their preferred communication methods and <a href="https://askjan.org/about-us/index.cfm">provide reasonable accommodations</a> for them, such as interpreters, captioning, assistive devices and flexible work arrangements.</p>
<p>These can help persons with hearing loss to communicate effectively, participate in meetings and training sessions, access information and resources and perform their jobs effectively. Supervisors should create a sense of openness and flexibility so employees feel comfortable requesting accommodations as needed. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of three people having a conversation using sign language" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Supervisors and co-workers should learn more inclusive communication skills, like basic sign language, to help persons with hearing loss to communicate effectively at work.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In addition, supervisors and co-workers should learn more inclusive communication skills. For example, they can learn basic sign language, use clear and articulate language, speak more slowly and clearly, and avoid covering their mouths when speaking as this can hinder lip-reading. Many persons with hearing loss also find it easier to communicate one-on-one in well-lit, quiet locations.</p>
<p>Regular check-ins with employees to see how things are going, what challenges they are facing and if they need any support are also essential. Supervisors and co-workers should raise awareness, educate others, challenge stereotypes and promote accessibility at work. They should advocate for a more inclusive and respectful work environment for all employees, especially those with hearing loss.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214355/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Liu-Qin Yang receives funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brent John Lyons, Camellia Bryan, and David C Baldridge do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Discrimination, a lack of accessibility and isolation still prevent persons with hearing loss from experiencing equity and inclusion at work.David C Baldridge, Professor of Management/Organizational Behavior, Oregon State UniversityBrent John Lyons, York Research Chair in Stigmatization & Social Identity, Associate Professor of Organization Studies, York University, CanadaCamellia Bryan, Postdoctoral Fellow, Rotman School of Management, University of TorontoLiu-Qin Yang, Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Portland State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2107692023-10-09T15:26:10Z2023-10-09T15:26:10ZHow employers can tackle misconceptions about disabled people in the workplace<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550464/original/file-20230926-17-slcdal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C59%2C7898%2C5225&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many countries adopt legislation to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities. Yet, many still face challenges finding work.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-employers-can-tackle-misconceptions-about-disabled-people-in-the-workplace" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Disability is a common part of the human experience: <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health">the United Nations estimates that 16 per cent of the world’s population is disabled</a>, and a 2019 study from the United States found that over <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7130a3.htm">half of American adults aged 18 to 34</a> have at least one chronic illness.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/disability">being disabled can often mean being poor</a>. One recent report from the U.S. found the <a href="https://disabilitycompendium.org/sites/default/files/user-uploads/Accessible-Annual%20Report%20---%202023%20---%20Accessible.pdf">poverty rate for people with disabilities was just over 25 per cent</a>, whereas the poverty rate for non-disabled people was under 12 per cent. These percentages are very similar <a href="https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/esdc-edsc/documents/programs/disability-inclusion-action-plan-2/action-plan-2022/ESDC_PDF_DIAP_EN_20221005.pdf">in Canada</a>, although the recently passed Canada Disability Benefit <a href="https://theconversation.com/bill-c-22-will-provide-income-security-to-canadians-with-disabilities-but-it-needs-to-be-done-right-213344">may help alleviate this situation</a>. </p>
<p>One reason for this is that people with disabilities can often <a href="https://www.oecd.org/employment/disability-work-and-inclusion-1eaa5e9c-en.htm">lack access to good, well-paying work</a>. Many countries have tried to solve this problem by <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/disability-laws-and-acts-by-country-area.html">adopting legislation</a> that protects disabled people from employment discrimination and guarantees them reasonable accommodations at work. Despite these laws, people with disabilities around the world still have <a href="https://ilostat.ilo.org/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-how-disability-affects-labour-market-outcomes/">much lower rates of employment</a> than non-disabled people.</p>
<p>Researchers are trying to understand why these laws have not closed <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2022/10/31/why-is-the-employment-gap-for-people-with-disabilities-so-consistently-wide/?sh=69d1c27d276b">the disability employment gap</a>, and what <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4938-8">governments, organizations and individuals can do to fix it</a>. </p>
<h2>The PROUD Project</h2>
<p>We are part of a research team called <a href="https://www.theproudproject.ca/">The PROUD Project</a> based at the University of Toronto. The project is focused on understanding how disabled people can beat the odds and find work.</p>
<p>To do this, we interviewed disabled employees, disabled entrepreneurs and managers of disabled workers. For this project, we only included workers with evident physical or sensory disabilities, because they <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/style/invisible-disabilities.html">face different challenges</a> than people with <a href="https://hdsunflower.com/uk/insights/category/invisible-disabilities">invisible disabilities</a>.</p>
<p>We interviewed people in five developed countries: Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, France and Belgium. We wanted to see if different laws, cultures and physical environments had an impact on disability and employment. The more than 80 semi-structured interviews we conducted revealed several factors that allowed disabled people to find work.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man and a woman using sign language to communicate" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The UN estimates that around 16 per cent of the world’s population is disabled.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>Legislation is an important mechanism for supporting disabled workers. In the U.S., many people used <a href="https://rsa.ed.gov/about">the Vocational Rehabilitation program</a> (created by a 1973 law) to establish careers. Meanwhile, France enforces <a href="https://entreprendre.service-public.fr/vosdroits/F23149">a quota</a> which requires businesses with more than 20 employees to have six per cent of their workers identified as disabled or pay an annual fine. </p>
<p>However, many companies do not meet the quota. In 2021, <a href="https://www.vie-publique.fr/en-bref/287047-travailleurs-handicapes-le-taux-demploi-minimal-nest-pas-atteint">only 29 per cent of companies</a> met their obligations. Several of our interviewees observed that some companies even explicitly decide to pay the fine instead of hiring disabled people. Yet, having the quota law forces companies to think about disabled workers. While the majority of employers pay the fine for not meeting the quota, many admitted the annual audit makes them think about the issue.</p>
<p>Endurance and persistence were common themes in the interviews — many participants described themselves as “fighters.” Some of them went to dozens of job interviews before finally landing a position. </p>
<p>In addition, having formal and informal support networks were important for interviewees. In the U.S., the Vocational Rehab program can facilitate this through their counsellors. Often, persistence was encouraged by parents, teachers and other mentors. Several participants said their parents had always treated them as “normal,” and expected them to have a “normal” life path, including a career. </p>
<p>Accessible transportation is also <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/12/03/for-persons-with-disabilities-accessible-transport-provides-pathways-to-opportunity">essential for a successful career</a>. Many of the participants we spoke to lived within walking or rolling distance from their workplace. Some took accessible public transit, while others had adapted transportation to work. </p>
<p>Designing and implementing accessible public transit systems is an important step that governments must take to ensure people with disabilities can get where they need to go. Without the ability to move around, disabled individuals simply cannot get to work. For example, the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work">Access to Work program</a> in the U.K. pays for disabled workers to take taxis to work. This means that people can financially provide for themselves and their families.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-canada-can-make-better-progress-on-disability-inclusion-211988">How Canada can make better progress on disability inclusion</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Reforming government programs</h2>
<p>In some countries, disability pensions <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2022/10/31/why-is-the-employment-gap-for-people-with-disabilities-so-consistently-wide/?sh=54db1d65276b">prevent disabled people from working</a>. Many participants talked about the stress they felt when deciding to take the risk of working and potentially losing their benefits. </p>
<p>Others still received some benefits, but had to be very careful about how much they worked. On the other hand, some participants had independent financial resources that were not subject to restrictive state policies. Governments need to move away from viewing disabled people as burdens and only providing them with subsistence support and move toward facilitating their contribution and participation in communities.</p>
<p>Disabled people also need access to high quality education. In general, <a href="https://ilostat.ilo.org/new-ilo-database-highlights-labour-market-challenges-of-persons-with-disabilities/">disabled people tend to have lower levels of education than the general population</a>. However, the participants we interviewed had higher levels of education than the average in all five countries. </p>
<p>In fact, many disabled workers were overqualified for their current positions. This suggests that disabled people need to have higher levels of education than non-disabled people to get the same job.</p>
<p>They also have to contend with other barriers and preconceptions about their abilities. Fears, misconceptions and <a href="https://aoda.ca/attitudinal-barriers-at-work/">prejudices about disabled persons create barriers to professional inclusion</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman in a wheechair speaks with a man seated on a sofa. Both are using laptops." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fears, misconceptions and prejudices about disabled persons create barriers to professional inclusion.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Supportive workplaces vital</h2>
<p>Our project found that it was much easier for disabled people to find work in sectors, industries and companies where employers were aware, supportive and proactive about disability inclusion. For example, employees with disabilities in all five countries tended to work in non-profit or government sectors, where attitudes toward disability may be more positive than in the private sector.</p>
<p>Once again, France was an outlier; private industry employers we spoke to expressed enthusiasm for hiring individuals with disabilities. They recognized the contributions made by disabled employees and expressed a desire to hire more disabled workers. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-it-makes-good-business-sense-to-hire-people-with-disabilities-164476">Why it makes good business sense to hire people with disabilities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Several French managers wanted to educate non-disabled workers and supervisors about the benefits of including their disabled colleagues. Others argued that social stigma means that some employees who qualify do not want to receive an official designation of disability.</p>
<p>However, it is important to acknowledge that, even for disabled people who had managed to find work, there were still significant problems. Some experienced little or no career development, staying in the same roles for which they had been originally hired. Others could only find work in disability-related positions, even if their education, training and skills were tailored to other industries.</p>
<p>Disabled people are <a href="https://theconversation.com/employers-miss-out-on-talent-by-overlooking-workers-living-with-disabilities-119626">capable, flexible, adaptive and creative</a>. Governments and private companies must do more to include disabled people in the workforce. By not doing so, communities will lose out on the contributions talented people could make.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210769/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chloe G K Atkins receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and TechNation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Isabelle Avakumovic-Pointon receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and TechNation.</span></em></p>Communities and employers miss out when they don’t embrace disabled employees. Companies must be supportive and proactive about including and accommodating people with disabilities.Chloe G K Atkins, Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of TorontoIsabelle Avakumovic-Pointon, PhD Student in History, University of British ColumbiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2107772023-09-12T22:24:31Z2023-09-12T22:24:31ZPeople with dyslexia can bring unique strengths and advantages to the workplace<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546741/original/file-20230906-32499-rq5er9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=50%2C25%2C5523%2C3685&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Employers miss out on untapped potential when they overlook or discount abilities in the workplace.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/people-with-dyslexia-can-bring-unique-strengths-and-advantages-to-the-workplace" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Dyslexia is the <a href="https://dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/dyslexia-faq/">most common learning disability</a> in the world, and up to <a href="https://dyslexiaida.org/frequently-asked-questions-2/">15 to 20 per cent of the population</a> has a language-based learning disability. If you don’t have dyslexia yourself, you likely know someone who does.</p>
<p>Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with reading, writing and spelling. Like other learning disabilities, people with dyslexia <a href="https://ldaamerica.org/types-of-learning-disabilities/">process information and learn differently</a>. </p>
<p>Though learning disabilities are often characterized as a childhood issue, they are lifelong conditions that follow people into the workplace. People with dyslexia <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/dys.1728">find it harder to find jobs</a> and they often experience challenges once they are hired because of their learning disability. </p>
<p>Dyslexia can result in challenges with <a href="https://healthmanagement.co.uk/our-insights/articles/dyslexia-awareness/">organization, time management</a>, reading and writing, <a href="https://my.vanderbilt.edu/speds2430/2020-topics/dyslexia/">effective communication</a> and comprehending complicated instructions. These challenges can be compounded if companies don’t have accommodations in place for people with disabilities.</p>
<p>But people with dyslexia often <a href="https://hbr.org/2017/05/neurodiversity-as-a-competitive-advantage">bring unique strengths to the workplace as well</a>. Employers miss out on untapped potential when they overlook or discount their abilities in the workplace.</p>
<h2>Misconceptions and stigma</h2>
<p>Under the <a href="https://ridm.net/glossary-disability-management-terms/is-dyslexia-considered-a-disability-in-canada/">Canadian Human Rights Act</a>, individuals are protected from discrimination based on disabilities, including learning disabilities such as dyslexia. However, misconceptions and stigma can often make it difficult for people to disclose that they have dyslexia.</p>
<p>While there can be <a href="https://canadianequality.ca/invisible-disabilities-in-the-workplace/">positive impacts from self-disclosure</a>, such as receiving accommodations like text-to-speech software or <a href="https://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/sites/default/files/good_fonts_for_dyslexia_study.pdf">dyslexia-friendly fonts</a> at work, there can also be negative impacts.</p>
<p>Self-disclosure can result in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-017-0242-y">workers feeling isolated</a>, discriminated against and receiving lowered expectations from managers and co-workers.</p>
<p>Some of this can be attributed to the stigma surrounding dyslexia. Even though dyslexia is the most common type of learning disability, it is widely misunderstood. There is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0004-0894.2004.00227.x">more discussion about mental disorders and physical disabilities</a> than learning disabilities, so <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-5826.00069">people tend to know less about them</a>.</p>
<p>One of the most common misconceptions about learning disabilities is that <a href="https://nildcanada.org/learning-disabilities/">having one makes you less intelligent</a>. But this isn’t true; many people with learning disabilities have <a href="https://ldaamerica.org/types-of-learning-disabilities/">average or above-average</a> intelligence.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A sad-looking woman sits in front of a desktop computer screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546740/original/file-20230906-29-3tuk1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546740/original/file-20230906-29-3tuk1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546740/original/file-20230906-29-3tuk1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546740/original/file-20230906-29-3tuk1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546740/original/file-20230906-29-3tuk1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546740/original/file-20230906-29-3tuk1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546740/original/file-20230906-29-3tuk1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Self-disclosure can result in workers feeling isolated and discriminated against.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>This harmful stigma can lead to <a href="https://opus.govst.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1126&context=capstones">lower self-esteem, stress</a>, shame or isolation. It can also result in people with dyslexia <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-5826.00069">being seen as liabilities at work</a>.</p>
<p>Because of this, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-013-9227-9">many people with dyslexia choose not to disclose their condition</a>. This can discourage people from seeking accommodations or help in the workplace, and prevent them from reaching their full potential.</p>
<p>Those that don’t self-disclose must instead find ways to manage their learning disability without the company’s help. For most people with dyslexia, knowing their learning style can help them <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/30035532">adapt and compensate for their learning disability</a>.</p>
<p>It’s crucial for people without dyslexia to learn more about it so they can better understand and support individuals who have it. This knowledge can empower people to advocate for those with dyslexia, reduce the stigma associated with it and create better, more inclusive workplaces.</p>
<h2>Advantages of dyslexic workers</h2>
<p>Because people with dyslexia process information and think differently than others, they can bring distinctive advantages to the workplace. </p>
<p>People with dyslexia tend to be visual thinkers and can often see the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-advantages-of-dyslexia/">big picture</a>. This can help them visualize complicated scenarios and come up with <a href="https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v30i3/4.1268">new, original solutions to problems</a>. </p>
<p>People with dyslexia also have above-average <a href="https://www.dyslexiasupportsouth.org.nz/parent-toolkit/emotional-impact/strengths-of-dyslexia/">problem-solving skills</a>, and are skilled at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2016.1190309">thinking creatively</a> and coming up with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2009.05.034">abstract and unique ideas</a> — all of which results in a more innovative work environment.</p>
<p>In addition, people with dyslexia are often <a href="https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-and-resilience-in-adults-a-psychologists-perspective/">resilient and persevering</a> because of their experience overcoming challenges and barriers. This can lead to a strong work ethic, determination and motivation towards accomplishing their goals.</p>
<h2>Building inclusive workplaces</h2>
<p>Canadian employers have a duty to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with learning disabilities to ensure they have the supports needed to perform their jobs well. </p>
<p><a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2019001-eng.htm">Workplaces can be more accommodating</a> by providing employees with assistive technologies like spellchecking tools, allowing flexible work schedules, modifying job tasks and training methods, and providing instructional materials in a variety of formats.</p>
<p>Support is an ongoing commitment, not a one-time effort. Employers should be ready to provide continuous assistance to their employees and be understanding and supportive towards their needs and preferences.</p>
<p>People with dyslexia can bring a great deal to the workplace. Establishing an inclusive and accommodating work environment for people with learning disabilities like dyslexia can foster a diverse workforce and improve productivity, innovation and performance. Doing this ultimately creates a more supportive and productive work environment for all.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210777/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Rahimi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Establishing an inclusive and accommodating work environment for people with dyslexia can foster a diverse workforce and improve productivity, innovation and performance.Sarah Rahimi, PhD Candidate in Business Administration and Management, Concordia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2107572023-09-08T12:24:18Z2023-09-08T12:24:18ZWhy managers’ attempts to empower their employees often fail – and even lead to unethical behavior<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546547/original/file-20230906-16-vbxixf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Employees need resources, information and support from colleagues to be truly empowered.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mistakes-are-ways-of-learning-what-works-and-what-royalty-free-image/1307840971">Layla Bird/E+ Collection/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A majority of American workers right now are not feeling very motivated on the job, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-06/american-worker-motivation-is-falling-this-year-new-data-shows?srnd=premium">a new survey suggests</a>.</p>
<p>Management experts often encourage business leaders to motivate employees by <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4164863">empowering them</a>. The idea is that when workers are free to make decisions and manage their workday they become more motivated, perform better and work more creatively. </p>
<p>However, for decades, employee empowerment initiatives <a href="https://hbr.org/1998/05/empowerment-the-emperors-new-clothes">have often failed</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.2000.4468067">fallen short of expectations</a>. Zappos, for example, <a href="https://www.inc.com/bill-carmody/holacracy-why-zappos-continues-to-disrupt-itself.html">was once hailed</a> for its <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/tony-hsieh-tells-how-zappos-runs-without-bosses-1445911325?mod=article_inline">no-bosses structure</a>, but that experiment has largely been <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-changes-at-zappos-slowly-dismantle-tony-hsiehs-legacy-5d393647">dismantled and abandoned</a> in recent years.</p>
<p>As a leadership scholar, I have studied the effects of leader behavior on <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=UPtyxVwAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">employee motivation</a> for over a decade. I’ve learned that when companies design and implement empowering leadership initiatives, they often overlook key factors that are necessary for empowerment to work.</p>
<p>As a result, their efforts to empower employees often result in little impact or <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2023-80196-001">are entirely ineffective</a>. In fact, they can even lead employees to <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-41857-001">engage in unethical behavior</a>. </p>
<p>Here are four ways, my research shows, a company can avoid common pitfalls to empowering leadership initiatives. </p>
<h2>1. Provide all needed resources</h2>
<p>Empowered employees need to know they can access whatever resources they need to succeed. For example, a marketing professional might need access to information databases, planning software and a sufficient budget for market research. Employees should also feel that additional resources to support new ideas are readily available if and when needed. </p>
<p>To do this, companies can plan and budget jobs in ways that guarantee that employees have additional, or excess, resources to draw upon. Moreover, companies can communicate frequently – verbally in team meetings and also via digital communications – not only that resources are available when needed but also that these additional resources can be obtained easily and quickly.</p>
<h2>2. Set clear goals and strategies</h2>
<p>“People can’t be self-managing without information,” business management expert <a href="https://hbr.org/2011/12/first-lets-fire-all-the-managers">Gary Hamel once noted</a>. “[T]he goal is to provide staffers with all the information they need to monitor their work and make wise decisions.”</p>
<p>In other words, companies can more effectively empower their employees if they divulge or communicate how their responsibilities fit into the bigger picture or strategic direction of the business. For example, the marketing professional mentioned above might benefit from an understanding of how a new product fits into the organization’s overall product portfolio. </p>
<p>Firms can also offer regular check-ins or town hall meetings at which everybody in the organization can ask questions about the strategic goals and vision of the company. </p>
<h2>3. Signal clear and unwavering support</h2>
<p>Employees who are truly empowered believe they have the emotional and physical support needed from colleagues – including supervisors, peers and subordinates – to do their jobs well. This entails verbal encouragement as well as offers to assist on tasks and projects. </p>
<p>Likewise, managers can emphasize that they believe in employees’ capabilities and are there to enable employee growth and autonomy. Organizations can create a company culture of support by rewarding supportive actions that promote employee self-direction.</p>
<p>My research along with management professor <a href="https://poole.ncsu.edu/people/blkirkma/">Brad Kirkman</a> shows clearly across several studies that when employees do not have access to resources, information and support, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001100">they are not in fact empowered</a>. As a result, the desired performance-boosting effects on their job performance, proactive behavior and creativity do not take place.</p>
<h2>4. Remove red tape and other ‘bad’ stressors</h2>
<p>Unnecessary red tape, office politics, ambiguity and interpersonal conflict create a lot of negative stress for employees, which <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2005.18803921">hinders work performance</a>. These “bad” stressors are different from “good” stressors that can encourage growth. </p>
<p>For example, the marketing professional from the previous examples might have to fill out multiple lengthy forms just to request access to an information database. Or perhaps they have to play political games to garner support for funding of a much-needed planning tool. Conflict, meanwhile, can take the form of unspoken rivalry with co-workers about perceived unjust promotions or resource allocations.</p>
<p>Another study that Kirkman and I conducted showed that an empowering leadership style paired with high amounts of “bad” stressors can actually backfire and be detrimental to a company. We found that employees in those situations are <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-41857-001">more likely to disengage morally</a> from their work and act unethically than employees who work with less empowering leaders. </p>
<p>For example, in one of our experiments, participants were asked to solve unsolvable anagrams as part of their fictitious job. Among participants who faced higher amounts of “bad” stressors before attempting to solve the anagrams, those exposed to an empowering leader were 75% more likely to lie about solving their puzzles for the sake of their organization than those who were exposed to a leader who was described as not empowering.</p>
<p>Empowering leadership instills in employees a mindset to get things done and a desire to pay back the organization for the empowerment received. But without the information, resources and support to succeed – or when there is a lot of negative stress in employees’ work environments – people seem to switch to an expediency mindset whereby anything goes.</p>
<p>If business executives truly want to empower their employees, they cannot merely encourage managers to empower their subordinates. They must go the extra mile and address the four factors identified above. Otherwise, employees can feel left dangling in the void, struggling to prove their ability and even tempted to take actions that could eventually harm the company.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210757/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tobias Dennerlein does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An expert on employee motivation explains four challenges companies should address if they truly want to empower their workers.Tobias Dennerlein, Assistant Professor of Management, Purdue UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2114712023-09-06T12:23:21Z2023-09-06T12:23:21ZEntrepreneurs, beware: Owning your own business can make it harder to get hired later<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545802/original/file-20230831-19-gwq112.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C11%2C7282%2C4792&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Researchers found that ex-entrepreneurs are “burning up upon reentry.”</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/nervous-wait-royalty-free-image/599261894">Sturti/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’ve been thinking about starting your own business lately, you’re not alone. Americans began launching ventures in record numbers during the pandemic, with an above-trend pace <a href="https://fredblog.stlouisfed.org/2023/07/business-formation-is-booming/">continuing through 2023</a>.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, many of of these enterprises <a href="https://www.fundera.com/blog/what-percentage-of-small-businesses-fail">won’t last long</a>: 30% of new businesses fail within two years, and half don’t last past five, according to the Small Business Administration. While some of these unlucky founders will pursue new ventures, many others will try to rejoin the traditional labor force. </p>
<p>You can’t blame them. People often see “going back to work” as a safety net for risk-taking entrepreneurs. As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=TlHSCeQAAAAJ&hl=en">professors of management</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=XFWZXWYAAAAJ">who study entrepreneurship</a>, we wanted to see if this was true. </p>
<p><iframe id="uLa9V" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/uLa9V/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Screened out</h2>
<p>So <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063221117119">we surveyed</a> more than 700 hiring professionals to determine whether founders really can get new jobs that easily, as well as seven former entrepreneurs who successfully made the transition back into the workforce.</p>
<p>We found that former business owners were actually less likely to get interviews compared with applicants with only traditional experience. This was true regardless of whether they had sold or closed their businesses. And the longer they were out of the traditional workforce, the worse their chances of success were. </p>
<p>Why do employers hesitate to take a chance on former business owners? </p>
<p>It starts at the earliest stages, with the recruiters who screen people into – or out of – consideration for interviews. We found that recruiters worried that entrepreneurs would jump ship to start their own companies as soon as they can. This is a problem for employers, since hiring is a long, expensive process that can take months or even years to pay off. </p>
<p>For example, one recruiter told us, “I am looking for candidates that will be long-term employees, as we invest quite a bit into each hire. When I interview people, it is generally a red flag if they say they want to start their own business or already have a business on the side.” </p>
<p>A related fear: A worker who leaves to start a new venture might be tempted to poach talent, clients and tactics from their old employer.</p>
<p>Recruiters were also concerned that former entrepreneurs may refuse to take directions. Spending time as your own boss can make it difficult to adapt to a lower place on the organizational hierarchy. As one recruiter in our study put it, former business owners “are used to being the one who makes all the decisions.”</p>
<p>They also raised issues of job fit, questioning whether ex-entrepreneurs’ knowledge and abilities would translate to traditional work. “The concern would be the skills they have developed don’t transfer,” said one of our interviewees. In addition, for entrepreneurs who have worked alone, it can be difficult for recruiters to know how well they’ll perform with others.</p>
<p>Even when a former entrepreneur is a good match for a position, recruiters can fail to make the connection because of stereotypes or misunderstandings about their experience. A former bakery owner we interviewed recalled applying for a position and being pigeonholed based on their experience: “They said, ‘Oh, I wish we were hiring for a baker!’ and I said, ‘No, no, no, I’m applying for your front office.’ It was like they thought all I knew was just a baker, but that is far from the truth.”</p>
<h2>Landing an interview</h2>
<p>Our research adds to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1592">growing body of evidence</a> that ex-entrepreneurs struggle to get interviews and offers. Thankfully, it also offers insights that organizations can use to improve their applicant pool – and that enterprising job seekers can use to boost their odds.</p>
<p>Our study found that former entrepreneurs face less bias when they apply to roles that seem entrepreneurish – in other words, that are in line with stereotypes about business owners. So, for example, they’re more likely to land interviews when applying for positions with a lot of autonomy, such as in new business development, rather than those that require following lots of rules, such as in legal compliance.</p>
<p>Relatedly, our research suggests that recruiters – perhaps unintentionally – have biases against ex-entrepreneurs. Acknowledging such tendencies is a good first step toward minimizing their influence. Moreover, not all recruiters are equally affected: Another recent study showed that recruiters who also have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12607">prior entrepreneurial experience</a> – as well as women and those who were recently hired – were less likely to screen out former business owners. So organizations with more diverse hiring teams and a deeper understanding of entrepreneurial experience might see less-biased results.</p>
<p>For their part, ex-entrepreneur job applicants would be wise to highlight in-demand aspects of their work history. For instance, a recent survey by Boston Consulting Group found that executives rank innovation as one of their <a href="https://www.bcg.com/press/23may2023-companies-rank-innovation-as-top-three-priority-2023">top three priorities</a>. Former entrepreneurs should emphasize their many valuable characteristics – such as being <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2016.05.002">passionate</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(03)00005-3">creative</a> – that contribute to innovation.</p>
<p>The lack of a traditional employment history may create obstacles for entrepreneurs trying to rejoin the workforce. Recruiters who overlook their value risk missing out on strong candidates.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211471/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Returning to a 9-to-5 job is more challenging than many expect.Jacob A. Waddingham, Assistant Professor of Management, Texas State UniversityMiles Zachary, Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, Auburn UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2113972023-08-21T22:12:14Z2023-08-21T22:12:14ZReimagining time will help employers better support workers with disabilities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543102/original/file-20230816-27-e4h4e9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=19%2C39%2C6507%2C4305&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Individuals with disabilities are under-represented in the Canadian labour market compared to their able-bodied counterparts.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/reimagining-time-will-help-employers-better-support-workers-with-disabilities" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Despite the fact that people with disabilities are entitled to equality under the <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-12.html">Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms</a> and the provincial <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h19">Human Rights Codes</a>, they continue to face systemic barriers in accessing employment, education, transportation and housing. </p>
<p>Individuals with disabilities are <a href="https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/esdc-edsc/documents/programs/disability-inclusion-action-plan-2/action-plan-2022/ESDC_PDF_DIAP_EN_20221005.pdf">under-represented</a> in the Canadian labour market. <a href="https://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/about/economics/economics-publications/post.other-publications.insights-views.disabilities-and-labour-markets--november-30--2022-.html">Only 60 per cent of people with disabilities are employed</a> in Canada, compared to 80 per cent of those without disabilities. </p>
<p>Studies also indicate that Canadians with more severe disabilities are more likely to work part-time than their able-bodied peers. Men with disabilities, for example, are three times more likely to work <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2018002-eng.htm#n6-refa">part-time</a> than their able-bodied counterparts.</p>
<p>Working-age individuals with disabilities are also twice as likely to live in poverty compared to those without disabilities. </p>
<p>Recent initiatives like the <a href="https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/C-22/royal-assent">Canada Disability Benefit Act</a> and legislation like the <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/a-0.6/">Accessible Canada Act</a> are important steps towards equality for people with disabilities, but more needs to be done to ensure they can flourish in the workplace.</p>
<h2>‘Crip time’</h2>
<p>One way to dramatically improve the lives of people with disabilities is by understanding time in a way that considers how people with disabilities experience barriers — something known as “<a href="https://www.firstpost.com/living/the-value-of-crip-time-discarding-notions-of-productivity-and-guilt-to-listen-to-the-rhythms-of-our-bodies-8440551.html">crip time</a>.”</p>
<p>It acknowledges the lived reality of people with disabilities and how they experience time in domains as diverse as transportation, employment and even recreation.</p>
<p>The concept of crip time, originally developed by scholars of disability studies such as <a href="https://iupress.org/9780253009340/feminist-queer-crip/">Alison Kafer</a> and <a href="https://dsq-sds.org/index.php/dsq/article/view/5824/4684">Ellen Samuels</a>, has the potential to help Canadians reimagine how we think about disability.</p>
<p>Consider Joanna, a fictional example. She is a quadriplegic who uses specialized door-to-door paratransit buses to get around and pre-booked attendant services to assist her with daily activities. </p>
<p>Someone like Joanna is likely to face frequent delays when commuting to work because <a href="https://capitalcurrent.ca/dissatisfied-para-transpo-riders-demand-changes-to-the-system">paratransit often involves long wait times</a>. In many cases, <a href="https://thelocal.to/wheel-trans-accessibility-cuts-ttc">no paratransit bookings are available</a>, forcing people with disabilities to use inaccessible transit systems. </p>
<p>Alternatives to paratransit, such as wheelchair-accessible taxis, are often unavailable or unaffordable for people with disabilities. The <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-accessible-taxi-dispatch-1.6878168">severe shortage of wheelchair-accessible taxis</a> has only worsened over the past several years. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A person in a wheelchair waiting to board a city bus" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When paratransit bookings are unavailable, people with disabilities must resort to commuting with inaccessible transit systems, which can be difficult for them to use.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Joanna is also likely to face barriers when attendants are tardy or fail to show up at all. Even recreation programs that are accessible to wheelchair users may have waiting lists or require significant time to access.</p>
<p>Together, these barriers have the potential to significantly curtail Joanna’s ability to do her job. By understanding how these barriers affect people with disabilities — as well as other areas of daily living — crip time can guide policymakers and advocates towards more effective solutions.</p>
<h2>Remote work</h2>
<p>In a dramatic departure from pre-pandemic norms, a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-shift-to-working-from-home-will-be-difficult-to-reverse-208728">growing number of workplaces have embraced working from home</a> in the wake of COVID-19. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminlaker/2021/11/03/workers-believe-there-is-a-negative-stigma-is-associated-with-working-from-home/">No longer stigmatized</a>, remote work now offers a tool <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10926-020-09936-5">to level the playing field</a> for people with disabilities.</p>
<p>In an ongoing study of working adults with disabilities, we found that many participants flourished when they were given the opportunity to work at home.</p>
<p>One participant shared: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I have never been as productive and as happy, both personally and professionally, as when my work was 100 per cent remote.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another participant disclosed remote work as being beneficial to their personal health: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I had more time to focus on my own self, my appointments and [my] mental health. So I feel remote work has been amazing for me.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It’s clear that remote work has the potential to help people with disabilities excel professionally. In light of this, companies should be proactive in offering such workplace accommodations to employees.</p>
<h2>More inclusive workplaces</h2>
<p>We need to reconsider how workplaces view productivity. Creating flexible workplaces that allow people to work part-time and/or from home is a more inclusive approach. </p>
<p>By creating more inclusive workplaces, companies can harness the talent of individuals who might otherwise be excluded from the workplace. Companies <a href="https://theconversation.com/employers-miss-out-on-talent-by-overlooking-workers-living-with-disabilities-119626">miss out on talent opportunities</a> when they don’t hire people with disabilities.</p>
<p>Flexible workplaces could also benefit people without disabilities, such as single parents and students who are only able to work part-time. With appropriate support from governments and employers to ensure part-time workers receive adequate benefits, the potential of crip time as a policy tool is profound.</p>
<p>Although our study is still ongoing, we’re hopeful our preliminary findings will change how we think about the role time plays in the lives of people with disabilities. </p>
<p>By understanding and addressing the ways people with disabilities experience time differently than able-bodied people in their everyday lives, we can build more inclusive — and productive — workplaces for all of us.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211397/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ravi Malhotra receives funding from SSHRC.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julia Dobrowolski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>One way to dramatically improve the lives of people with disabilities is by understanding time in a way that considers how people with disabilities experience barriers — something known as “crip time.”Ravi Malhotra, Professor of Law, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaJulia Dobrowolski, Research Assistant, Telfer School of Management, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2072892023-07-03T12:05:54Z2023-07-03T12:05:54ZIf companies want to stop quiet quitting they need to take burnout seriously<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534165/original/file-20230626-27-r5orsw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=122%2C73%2C5340%2C3563&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Unless businesses deal with the root causes of employee burnout, they will struggle to retain their workforce.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In 2023, between a <a href="https://www.mhrc.ca/findings-of-poll-16">quarter</a> and a <a href="https://www.bcg.com/en-ca/publications/2023/workplace-burnout-costing-canadian-companies-billions">third</a> of Canadians are feeling burned out. Burnout has not declined <a href="https://www.hcamag.com/ca/specialization/mental-health/canadians-more-burned-out-now-than-this-time-last-year/447897">compared to last year</a>. A full <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2023/06/09/a-third-of-canadian-professionals-are-reporting-burnout-heres-why.html">36 per cent of employees</a> are more burned out now than last year. </p>
<p>If you aren’t burned out, it may well be because you did some <a href="https://theconversation.com/quiet-quitting-why-doing-less-at-work-could-be-good-for-you-and-your-employer-188617">quiet quitting</a> to keep work at bay. Most workplaces haven’t changed their workload or how work is done, although there are a growing number of exceptions.</p>
<p>My research focuses on <a href="https://doi.org/10.7146/kkf.v31i3.128517">organizational governance</a>. I study organizations and employees’ experiences of their workplaces. Last summer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-deal-with-burnout-at-work-184994">I wrote about how employee burnout remained high in Canada</a> and discussed how it could be addressed. I cautioned that often, workplaces hold employees responsible for managing burnout. </p>
<p>However, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/13505084231156267">addressing the root causes of burnout</a> requires workplaces to examine the workload and expectations they place on employees. How can workplaces change their approach to burnout? Are they now more concerned with handling the root causes of burnout? </p>
<h2>Burnout and quiet quitting</h2>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/mh/mentalhealth_jobburnout.html">Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety</a>, burnout includes a variety of symptoms from being emotionally depleted to detachment and cynicism to a sense of low personal accomplishment and depersonalization — the feeling that work does not belong to oneself.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534166/original/file-20230626-23-aa5w3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A stressed man in front of a laptop places his fingers on his forehead" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534166/original/file-20230626-23-aa5w3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534166/original/file-20230626-23-aa5w3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534166/original/file-20230626-23-aa5w3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534166/original/file-20230626-23-aa5w3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534166/original/file-20230626-23-aa5w3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534166/original/file-20230626-23-aa5w3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534166/original/file-20230626-23-aa5w3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">To address burnout businesses should examine how much work their employees have and how they expect them to do it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>The fact that burnout hasn’t decreased suggests that organizations have not addressed its root causes. Instead, employees have taken matters into their own hands and done some quiet quitting. </p>
<p>Quiet quitting refers to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-10-2022-0792">doing what our job requires and nothing more</a>. Gone are the days of overwork and constant availability. According to a <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace-2022-report.aspx">2023 Gallup report</a>, most employees around the world are quiet quitting. Because employees who quiet quit may <a href="https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/quiet-quitting/">set better boundaries around their work</a>, quiet quitting enables them to prevent burnout.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/quiet-quitting-is-a-new-name-for-an-old-method-of-industrial-action-189752">Quiet quitting is a new name for an old method of industrial action</a>
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<p>The fact that many employees have resorted to quiet quitting suggests workplaces are not addressing or taking burnout seriously enough.</p>
<p>As a result, work remains the <a href="https://www.bcg.com/en-ca/publications/2023/workplace-burnout-costing-canadian-companies-billions">primary source of stress</a> for Canadians. We have <a href="https://www.hcamag.com/ca/specialization/mental-health/heavy-workloads-see-more-employees-burned-out-report/447917">too much work, work in organizational cultures that are too toxic and don’t feel supported enough</a>. </p>
<p>Not surprisingly then, a recent survey found one third of Canadians have <a href="https://blog.canadianprosperityproject.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Pollara_TPP-W6_Workplace_Report.pdf">left a job</a> due to burnout. <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-621-m/11-621-m2022022-eng.htm">One in four businesses</a> in Canada have had challenges with employee retention.</p>
<h2>How workplaces can address burnout</h2>
<p>Employers need to revisit the workload they place on their employees. They should consider how realistic it is for employees to complete their work within the required time frame. </p>
<p>They also need to address their culture and question how it can be <a href="https://theconversation.com/toxic-work-cultures-start-with-incivility-and-mediocre-leadership-what-can-you-do-about-it-204198">toxic</a>, notably concerning how <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-let-go-of-toxic-workplace-emotional-labour-108245">work is done</a>, and how toxicity can be addressed. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534168/original/file-20230626-21-pgg5t8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman working on a laptop with a baby beside her in a high chair" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534168/original/file-20230626-21-pgg5t8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534168/original/file-20230626-21-pgg5t8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=281&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534168/original/file-20230626-21-pgg5t8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=281&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534168/original/file-20230626-21-pgg5t8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=281&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534168/original/file-20230626-21-pgg5t8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534168/original/file-20230626-21-pgg5t8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534168/original/file-20230626-21-pgg5t8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">By accommodating the needs of their employees, businesses can improve retention and reduce burnout.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Finally, organizational leaders need to listen to their employees and set a <a href="https://theconversation.com/corporate-leadership-why-the-tone-at-the-top-has-moral-consequences-172134">tone</a> that is supportive, shows empathy and is not merely rhetoric. Words have to be followed by actions to ensure the work environment fits the <a href="https://hbr.org/2023/03/to-curb-burnout-design-jobs-to-better-match-employees-needs">needs of employees</a>.</p>
<p>Paying employees more isn’t sufficient. Having a good work-life balance is often <a href="https://thewalrus.ca/canada-vacation-days/">more important than higher salaries</a>. </p>
<p>There are signs that some workplaces are serious about addressing the root causes of burnout. They are concerned with reducing workload. For instance, they can offer prolonged, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/parents-burnout-leave-1.6767710">or even unlimited</a>, paid leave. They can provide more <a href="https://thewalrus.ca/canada-vacation-days/">days off</a> to allow employees to <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/adv/article-best-workplaces-in-canada-2023-1000-employees/">recharge</a>.</p>
<p>A growing number of businesses are also embracing <a href="https://www.4dayweek.com/">four-day work weeks</a> as a way of boosting employee morale. Other workplaces give their employees the flexibility to <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/adv/article-best-workplaces-in-canada-2023-1000-employees/">work onsite and remotely</a>. </p>
<p>Flexibility is essential for employees who also shoulder care work. Care work in many households is still done by women more than men. Women with young children take time away from their paid work for family responsibilities and miss more than twice as many days at work than men, leaving <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/parents-burnout-leave-1.6767710">many mothers drained</a>. </p>
<p>More than one third of working mothers in Canada say it is <a href="https://www.pollara.com/burnout-is-the-new-threat-to-canadas-economy-especially-for-women/">difficult for them to arrange child care</a>. Mothers are about 20 per cent more likely than fathers to consider leaving their job because they struggle to find child care. </p>
<p>Employees need accommodating and flexible workplaces that understand their needs. Workplaces need to be mindful of that flexibility and should not view employees who seek it <a href="https://claudinemangen.com/les-structures-organisationnelles-sont-elles-faites-pour-les-femmes-aussi/">as less reliable</a> than those who can work in offices for longer hours.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207289/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Claudine Mangen receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>Many Canadians are still feeling burned out at work. Companies can help by being more accommodating of their workers’ needs and addressing some of the root causes of burnout.Claudine Mangen, RBC Professor in Responsible Organizations and Associate Professor, Concordia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2078002023-06-25T13:34:55Z2023-06-25T13:34:55ZOrganizations are leaving disabled workers behind in their DEI efforts — here’s how they can do better<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533558/original/file-20230622-16-nrceij.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=12%2C84%2C4007%2C2344&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Canadians with invisible and on-again/off-again disabilities have been experiencing increasing amounts of illegal discrimination in the workplace.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are becoming <a href="https://www.un.org/en/content/disabilitystrategy">increasingly commonplace worldwide</a>. However, when it comes to these efforts, disability is often not <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12321">given the same level of attention</a> as other factors like gender, ethnicity, culture, race or sexuality. This <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-06-2020-0156">needs to change</a>.</p>
<p>Only <a href="https://www.rod-group.com/sites/default/files/2020%20Annual%20Report%20-%20The%20Global%20Economics%20of%20Disability.pdf">four per cent of organizations</a> explicitly consider disability in their inclusion initiatives and over 50 per cent of global boards and executives report never discussing it. Many organizations <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/rep0000258">leave it out of their DEI efforts altogether</a>.</p>
<p>Despite <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/A-0.6/FullText.html">Canadian legislation</a> prohibiting disability discrimination, disabled people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-018-9602-5">still don’t have equal employment opportunities</a>. <a href="https://chrcreport.ca/by-the-numbers.html">Over 50 per cent of discrimination complaints</a> in Canada involve disability. </p>
<p>Additionally, disabled people are more likely to experience <a href="https://doi.org/10.25318/1110009001-eng">low income</a>, <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2018002-eng.htm">unemployment</a>, underemployment and <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2022001-eng.htm">health-related stress</a> than non-disabled people are. </p>
<h2>Not all disability is visible or constant</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2018002-eng.htm">2017 Canadian Survey on Disability</a> found that over 22 per cent of working age Canadians — about 6.2 million — had one or more disabilities. Globally, the number is about <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health">1.3 billion</a>. </p>
<p>The survey also aimed to capture a more accurate picture of disability by including those with invisible and <a href="https://hiddendisabilitiesstore.com/insights/category/invisible-disabilities">episodic</a> (on-again off-again) disabilities. Examples of these kinds of disabilities include hearing loss, mobility issues, <a href="https://theconversation.com/chronic-pain-an-invisible-disease-whose-sufferers-are-unfairly-stigmatized-189288">chronic pain</a>, Crohn’s, colitis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, addiction and mental health disorders. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A man rubs his temple while wincing in pain" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533560/original/file-20230622-17-bnmu6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533560/original/file-20230622-17-bnmu6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533560/original/file-20230622-17-bnmu6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533560/original/file-20230622-17-bnmu6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533560/original/file-20230622-17-bnmu6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533560/original/file-20230622-17-bnmu6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533560/original/file-20230622-17-bnmu6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The majority of disabilities among Canadians are invisible and/or episodic, like mobility issues and chronic pain.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Recent data from Statistics Canada shows that the majority of disabilities among Canadians <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2019002-eng.htm">are invisible and/or episodic</a>.</p>
<p>Canadians with <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/invisible-disabilities-1.6216071">episodic and/or invisible</a> disabilities have been experiencing <a href="https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/pwdcc-phcc/docs/RSD_RR2021_Persons-with-Disability-Central-Canada-EN.pdf">increasing amounts of illegal discrimination</a> in the workplace. </p>
<p>They face <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/iops.12134">a variety of challenges</a>, including feeling as though they can’t <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2113038">safely disclose their disability</a> at work. They also experience a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-020-09901-2">lack of organizational support</a>. Over 20 per cent of disabled Canadians indicated <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2019001-eng.htm">they were not receiving adequate workplace accommodations</a> in 2017.</p>
<h2>Disability inclusion is good for business</h2>
<p>Better-designed DEI efforts can help organizations <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-018-9756-z">achieve inclusion outcomes and alleviate stigma</a> that leads to negative employment experiences for people with disabilities. </p>
<p>Organizations’ efforts to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-04-2022-376">market their DEI initiatives are a key part</a> of developing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2018.1496125">an image of inclusivity</a>.</p>
<p>These efforts — successful or not — can bring increased <a href="https://doi.org/10.5171/2019.463316">profitability to businesses</a> and improve access to <a href="https://www.weforum.org/impact/disability-inclusion">a broader spectrum of talented job applicants</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-it-makes-good-business-sense-to-hire-people-with-disabilities-164476">Why it makes good business sense to hire people with disabilities</a>
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<p>However, the current reality of <a href="https://theconversation.com/employers-miss-out-on-talent-by-overlooking-workers-living-with-disabilities-119626">overlooking disabled people as potential employees</a> means missed opportunities for everyone involved. This is especially true considering the prevalence of invisible and episodic disabilities.</p>
<p>To achieve real and lasting disability inclusion, organizations should move beyond mostly <a href="https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529757187">ineffective approaches</a> that rely solely on special accommodations. These approaches put <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022307">too much onus on disabled people</a> and too little on business leadership.</p>
<h2>What can be done?</h2>
<p>There must be a focus on improving leaders’ knowledge and understanding regarding <a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/2040-7149.htm">how to include</a> disabled people in the workforce. </p>
<p>One interesting approach involves identifying, guiding and mentoring potential leaders who may be overlooked due to their disabilities. One example of this is <a href="https://www.thevaluable500.com">The Generation Valuable Program</a>, which provides mentorship opportunities to disabled people. The <a href="https://www.thevaluable500.com/our-work/leadership">program’s first cohort of 75 is currently in progress</a>.</p>
<p>The growth of the gig economy also holds potential for addressing the challenges faced by individuals with invisible and episodic disabilities. In the gig economy, people have the flexibility to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0308022617728679">manage their work hours and pace of work</a> without having to disclose specific details about their disabilities.</p>
<p>Disabled gig workers could <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-020-09937-4">leverage available technologies and services</a> to level the playing field in workplaces. To date, however, the gig economy has not yet had a substantial impact on the underemployment of disabled people. There is a need for much more impactful, profound, systemic change.</p>
<h2>Exclusive solutions are not inclusive</h2>
<p>Organizational decision-makers should think more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05095-0">in terms of ability rather than disability</a>, and the untapped talent pool. To make inclusion a reality, it’s important for organizations to adopt a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02674648666780021">social model of disability</a>, where disability is viewed as just another difference, like gender or sexuality. </p>
<p>This stands in contrast to the <a href="https://policycommons.net/artifacts/3353311/employers-lessons-learned-in-hiring-retaining-and-advancing-employees-with/4152203">more common medical model of disability</a> that characterizes disability as a problem that requires accommodation.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A hand flipping two blocks that say EX on the bottom so the row of blocks beside them spell out the word INCLUSIVE." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533311/original/file-20230621-21-m0jh3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533311/original/file-20230621-21-m0jh3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533311/original/file-20230621-21-m0jh3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533311/original/file-20230621-21-m0jh3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533311/original/file-20230621-21-m0jh3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533311/original/file-20230621-21-m0jh3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533311/original/file-20230621-21-m0jh3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Organizations need to work towards more inclusive — not exclusive — models of disability.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>A social model of disability involves actively and consistently <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00800-w">working towards removing barriers</a> to full participation in employment. </p>
<p>A useful analogy for this approach is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2020.23">gender-inclusive approach</a> where all bathrooms are designated as gender-neutral, rather than having a single gender-neutral bathroom among a sea of gender-aligned ones.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the responsibility for these types of changes should not rest with disabled people, but with <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349537413_Harnessing_Talent_Alliance_for_Recruiting_and_Retaining_Canadians_with_Disabilities_Organization_Readiness_Research_Project#pf10">businesses and their leadership</a>.</p>
<h2>Combining social and commercial interests</h2>
<p>I recently spoke with social entrepreneur, author and <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/gil_winch_how_we_can_use_the_hiring_process_to_bring_out_the_best_in_people">Ted Talk speaker</a>, <a href="https://gilwinch.com">Gil Winch</a> about his outsourcing call centre business that employs people with disabilities. It <a href="https://eng.callyachol.co.il">creates a supportive working environment</a> for people with disabilities from recruitment, to training, to physical accommodations.</p>
<p>Winch’s business is an example of a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206318793196">social enterprise</a> that combines social good with market-based, commercial interests. With respect to disability, social enterprises aim to develop businesses <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19420676.2013.829116">“where people with a specific disability will have…the same capacity”</a> as non-disabled workers.</p>
<p>Winch encourages organizations worldwide to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gil-winch-40a96711a_reservedemployment-diversity-peoplewithdisabilities-activity-7061366284264865792-Ixyz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop">reserve employment for people with disabilities</a>. His reasoning is this: “If we can reserve parking for those with disabilities, why not jobs?”</p>
<p>Given the broad skill set of the world’s <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health">1.3 billion disabled people</a>, this idea could help bridge the employment gap.</p>
<p>Why must employment for disabled people be an exception, accommodation or special favour provided by an employer? Why must disabled people feel they have to get permission for flexibility? </p>
<p>Organizations who are serious about DEI must adopt the frame of producing <a href="https://hbr.org/2011/01/the-big-idea-creating-shared-value">shared value where business and social goods exist side-by-side</a>. Creating real inclusion in employment based on ability is what DEI leadership is all about.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207800/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Friedman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Organizations that are serious about diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace need to actively and consistently work towards removing barriers to employment for employees with disabilities.Stephen Friedman, Adjunct Professor of Organizational Studies, Schulich School of Business, York University, CanadaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2057382023-05-28T11:32:26Z2023-05-28T11:32:26ZEmployers need to prioritize employee mental health if they want to attract new talent<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528082/original/file-20230524-24637-qqcbz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=47%2C11%2C7940%2C5161&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The job market is experiencing an influx of job-seekers at the moment, putting the responsibility on employers to attract employees to their organizations.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Canadian employers are currently facing <a href="https://www.roberthalf.ca/en/employment-trends-demand-for-skilled-talent">significant challenges in attracting and retaining talent in the workplace</a>, putting the responsibility on employers to attract employees to their organizations.</p>
<p>One key way for employers to achieve this is by prioritizing the mental health of their employees. Workplaces <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/01/trends-worker-well-being">are increasingly recognizing</a> that productive employees actively seek out workplaces <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/mhw.33627">that prioritize mental well-being and offer flexible working conditions</a>.</p>
<p>This recognition is well-founded, as employees tend to be more productive when they are <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-it-makes-good-business-sense-for-your-employer-to-look-after-your-mental-health-177503">not burdened by mental health challenges</a>.</p>
<p>As a teacher of current and future leaders, my experience confirms that employees want workplaces that facilitate well-being. Many of my students have indicated that <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-well-being/2022-mental-health-support">mental health support at work</a> is a must-have.</p>
<h2>Mental health stigma</h2>
<p>Mental health is a pressing issue for many. In 2021, <a href="https://www.bcg.com/en-ca/publications/2023/workplace-burnout-costing-canadian-companies-billions">a quarter of Canadians reported having symptoms of a mental health disorder</a>. Five million reported needing professional help, and over one-third said they were burned out. Forty per cent of workers aged 18 to 24 indicated they were at a “breaking point.”</p>
<p>Although many employers are starting to recognize the importance of mental health support in the workplace, <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/mental-illness-increasingly-recognized-as-disability">stigma still persists</a>, resulting in negative attitudes and discriminatory behaviours.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man and a woman having a discussion while seated at a table." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527863/original/file-20230523-17-d9e2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527863/original/file-20230523-17-d9e2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527863/original/file-20230523-17-d9e2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527863/original/file-20230523-17-d9e2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527863/original/file-20230523-17-d9e2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527863/original/file-20230523-17-d9e2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527863/original/file-20230523-17-d9e2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One way to fight mental health stigma at work is by encouraging workplace leaders to share stories about their personal struggles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Leaders <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000312">play a crucial role in addressing mental health stigma</a> by modelling risk and vulnerability. By using <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsys.2023.01.003">informal communication</a>, like sharing stories about their personal struggles, leaders can support the mental health of their employees.</p>
<p>There is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000002688">growing evidence that shows</a> stigma decreases when leaders disclose their own mental health and substance use problems. This reduction in stigma, in turn, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11020438">encourages employees to share their own stories</a> and seek out treatment.</p>
<h2>Being mindful of language</h2>
<p>Leaders need to be careful about how they go about addressing stigma. Even those with good intentions can unintentionally cause harm. For example, using <a href="https://psychcentral.com/blog/words-can-change-your-brain">the word resilience to discuss mental health</a> can be problematic.</p>
<p>Framing resilience as a necessary skill for battling mental illness overlooks the fact that some mental health conditions are disabilities that cannot be toughed out. Assuming that mental toughness is an inextricable part of addressing disability <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843221106561">is a form of ableism</a>.</p>
<p>Any employee who is suffering from mental health issues that cannot be fixed by resilience may avoid telling their story or seeking support for fear of being seen as weak.</p>
<p>It’s important for leaders to be mindful of the language they use to foster mentally safe and supportive working environments.</p>
<h2>Workplace flexibility</h2>
<p>Evidence-based research about the outcomes of mental health awareness and wellness programs <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cap0000084">is currently lacking</a>. These programs are well-intended, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08404704221112035">experts are optimistic</a> that we will have a better idea of what really works once we have more data.</p>
<p>In the meantime, there is something employers can do immediately to prioritize the mental health of their employees: allowing them to choose when and where they work. </p>
<p>Flexibility has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3419405">been proven to work well</a> in many jobs over the past few years, including in larger organizations like <a href="https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/3m-incorporating-flexibility-digitization-into-benefits-plan-for-2023/">3M Canada</a> and <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/top-employers/article-flexibility-is-key-for-canadas-top-100-employers-2023/">Desjardins Group</a>, as well as small and medium employers like <a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/flexible-and-agile-canada-s-top-small-amp-medium-employers-for-2023-are-raising-the-bar-for-all-employers--848783860.html">Auvik Networks</a> and <a href="https://www.thestar.com/sponsored_sections/2022/06/07/gsoft--how-technology-works-for-the-changing-workplace.html">GSoft</a>. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, flexibility can sometimes lead to boardroom debates about how many days in the office employees should work. As a result, what was initially intended as flexibility can inadvertently lead to rigid remote work policies. Workplaces need to be aware of this.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman working at a laptop at a desk in a room with large windows." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527872/original/file-20230523-21-ghwqkj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527872/original/file-20230523-21-ghwqkj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527872/original/file-20230523-21-ghwqkj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527872/original/file-20230523-21-ghwqkj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527872/original/file-20230523-21-ghwqkj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527872/original/file-20230523-21-ghwqkj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527872/original/file-20230523-21-ghwqkj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Allowing employees to choose when and where they work can help mitigate mental health challenges.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Windows/Unsplash)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>True flexibility, without the need for employees to justify themselves, can help mitigate mental health challenges. By allowing for downtime and encouraging employees to do activities unrelated to their work, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/cjas.1664">stress and burnout can be minimized</a>. </p>
<p>Challenges can also be minimized by recognizing when employees are most <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/06/when-to-schedule-your-most-important-work">energized and productive</a> and adjusting work schedules accordingly. The success of a flexible workplace hinges on the ability of leaders to trust their employees and refrain from micromanaging them.</p>
<h2>A new way of thinking</h2>
<p>According to a recent job insight survey, when employees are forced to choose between <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/flexibility-not-in-this-economy-5651508/">flexibility and stability</a>, most will choose stability.</p>
<p>But do we need to choose one over the other? Why can’t we have both? As many know from the last few years, employees can be productive at different times and in different places when <a href="https://hbr.org/2021/09/the-future-of-flexibility-at-work">leaders provide the necessary resources and support to make flexibility possible</a>.</p>
<p>Leaders have the valuable opportunity to challenge the typical “either/or” way of thinking and instead using “both/and” thinking. A personal experience of mine exemplifies this.</p>
<p>Once, during a teaching session, a sales executive recounted a story about an employee of hers who asked to work remotely due to mental health challenges. This leader turned down the request, insisting the sales team could not successfully sell remotely. </p>
<p>A debate ensued among the other executives and a suggestion was put forth: Why not have the sales team try selling remotely and see how it goes? </p>
<p>Either/or thinking stops new solutions from emerging. It misses how creative tension — the gap between where a group is and where it wants to go — can help us <a href="https://store.hbr.org/product/both-and-thinking-embracing-creative-tensions-to-solve-your-toughest-problems/10481">challenge conventional assumptions about work</a>, like the belief that flexibility and stability are mutually exclusive.</p>
<p>In light of the prevalence of mental health issues, and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/diversity-in-the-workplace-isnt-enough-businesses-need-to-work-toward-inclusion-194136">importance of fostering inclusive workplaces</a>, leaders who act as agents of change can help reshape conventional notions of leadership and build better workplaces.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205738/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Friedman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Workplaces are increasingly recognizing that productive employees seek out workplaces that prioritize mental well-being and offer flexible working conditions.Stephen Friedman, Adjunct Professor of Organizational Studies, York University, CanadaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2031062023-04-04T21:28:17Z2023-04-04T21:28:17ZAlberta’s minimum wage report leaves out labour perspectives in favour of corporate interests<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519118/original/file-20230403-22-xyoj5t.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C62%2C2878%2C1805&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Alberta government recently released a report on the effect of the previous NDP government's minimum wage increase.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Alberta’s minimum wage expert panel report was recently released <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-government-releases-minimum-wage-report-more-than-3-years-after-it-was-submitted-1.6782946">three years after it was submitted</a> to the provincial government.</p>
<p>This panel was formed by the United Conservative Party of Alberta to study the impact of the gradual <a href="https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/ndp-promise-to-raise-minimum-wage-to-15-per-hour-takes-effect">minimum wage increase that was instituted by the previous NDP government</a> — from $10.20 per hour in 2015 to $15 in 2018. </p>
<p>The report arrives <a href="https://www.elections.ab.ca/elections/albertas-next-election/">just months before Alberta’s provincial election</a> on May 29. While it could be used by politicians to further their election strategy, it’s important to understand the context of the report.</p>
<p>No matter how airtight the report appears, it has been shaped by standard economics. In other words, it has been shaped by absolute faith in free markets, privatization, liberalization, deregulation, <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/12/austerity-measures.asp">austerity measures</a> and the removal of price controls like the minimum wage.</p>
<p>This single panel report on the supposed ills of the minimum wage should be viewed within the vast, diverse spectrum of economic literature, not just standard economics.</p>
<h2>Key findings</h2>
<p>The report shows a loss of about 25,000 jobs for 15- to 24-year-olds due to the shift to $15-an-hour minimum wage. Among older workers, <a href="https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/alberta-government-minimum-wage-panel-report">the effects were found to be statistically insignificant</a>. </p>
<p>Brian Jean, Alberta’s minister of jobs, economy and northern development, said the main lesson from the report is to avoid “<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-government-releases-minimum-wage-report-more-than-3-years-after-it-was-submitted-1.6782946">large, unexpected changes to minimum wages</a>.”</p>
<p>The report recommends having a lower minimum wage for less experienced workers and those in rural areas, but there’s no sign of this happening anytime soon. Jean said <a href="https://calgary.citynews.ca/2023/03/17/alberta-minimum-wage/">there are no current plans to change Alberta’s existing minimum wage structure</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A white middle-aged man speaks to someone off camera" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519117/original/file-20230403-18-8wwgvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519117/original/file-20230403-18-8wwgvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519117/original/file-20230403-18-8wwgvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519117/original/file-20230403-18-8wwgvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519117/original/file-20230403-18-8wwgvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519117/original/file-20230403-18-8wwgvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519117/original/file-20230403-18-8wwgvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">According to Brian Jean, Alberta’s minister of jobs, economy and northern development, the main takeaway from the minimum wage report is to avoid ‘large, unexpected changes to minimum wages.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://www.alberta.ca/minimum-wage-expert-panel.aspx">panel included at least three business interest representatives</a> but no representation from labour unions. This absence does not reflect neutrality or a level playing field where different interests are balanced. </p>
<p>The report is based on sophisticated statistical methods led by economics academics. Standard economics gives precedence to efficiency and provides a centre stage to utility and profit maximization. Any concerns about equity and sustainability are secondary. </p>
<p>Standard economics ignores dissident and diverse voices that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00213624.2021.1874786">offer a more nuanced view about minimum wage</a>. It’s unsurprising that, when I looked into the economics literature to develop a <a href="https://libjournals.mtsu.edu/index.php/jfee/article/view/1902/1197">renewed perspective on teaching minimum wage</a>, I found so much conflict on the impact of minimum wage on employment. </p>
<h2>What the literature says</h2>
<p>One 2006 working paper <a href="https://doi.org/10.3386/w12663">that examined literature about the employment effects of global minimum wages</a> supports the argument that minimum wage has a negative impact on employment. It found that a 10 per cent increase in the minimum wage reduces teenage employment between one and three per cent.</p>
<p>On the other hand, <a href="https://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/lweab/Doucougliagos%20&%20Stanley%20Publication%20Selection%20Bias%20in%20Min%20Wage%20Research-A%20Metaregression%20Analysis.pdf">another paper that looked at 64 studies in the United States between 1972 and 2007</a> found there were zero employment effects of minimum wage.</p>
<p>In Canada, a more recent study by <a href="https://policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/National%20Office/2014/10/Dispelling_Minimum_Wage_Mythology.pdf">economists at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives</a> also found no connection between minimum wage and employment levels, based on minimum wage increases in 10 provinces from 1983 to 2012.</p>
<p>Such conflicting evidence cautions us to view studies based on statistical analysis very carefully. <a href="https://faculty.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/kdsalyer/LECTURES/Ecn200e/summers_illusion.pdf">American economist and professor Lawrence Summers</a> once wrote that “formal econometric work has had little impact on the growth of economic knowledge.” He said it “creates an art form for others to admire and emulate but provides us with little new knowledge.” </p>
<h2>Support for minimum wage</h2>
<p>Conflicting evidence about the effects of minimum wage should not prevent us from taking a stand in support of the working poor. It should be noted that about <a href="https://www.progressive-economics.ca/2017/06/economists-support-15-minimum-wage-in-ontario/">53 economists endorsed a $15 minimum wage</a> for Ontario in 2017. </p>
<p>Similarly, <a href="https://www.epi.org/minimum-wage-statement/">more than 600 economics professors</a> in the U.S. signed a letter in 2014 concluding that increases in minimum wage have little to no negative effect on employment even during a weak labour market. This includes seven Nobel Prize winning economists who endorsed raising minimum wages by 40 per cent. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young woman speaks on the phone as she works behind a cash register in a fast-food restaurant" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519119/original/file-20230403-14-b7gn6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519119/original/file-20230403-14-b7gn6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519119/original/file-20230403-14-b7gn6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519119/original/file-20230403-14-b7gn6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519119/original/file-20230403-14-b7gn6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519119/original/file-20230403-14-b7gn6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519119/original/file-20230403-14-b7gn6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Alberta report recommends having a lower minimum wage for less experienced workers and those in rural areas, but there is no sign of this happening anytime soon.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://eml.berkeley.edu/%7Esaez/lee-saezJpubE12minwage.pdf">Economists David Lee and Emmanuel Saez</a> argue that minimum wage is “desirable if the government values redistribution toward low-wage workers” and that “the unemployment induced by the minimum wage is efficient.” </p>
<p>This means that unemployment hits workers who are marginally attached to their jobs, not older essential workers. This is what the Alberta report found as well — there was no significant impact on the jobs of older workers who were not using minimum wage jobs as temporary stepping stones. </p>
<h2>Centring different perspectives</h2>
<p>Given standard economics and business interests, it was to be expected that a whole panel would be created to find faults with the gradual increase to the minimum wage, which rose by $4.80 per hour from 2015 to 2018. </p>
<p>In contrast, the UCP government <a href="https://www.alberta.ca/about-tax-levy-rates-prescribed-interest-rates.aspx#corporate">drastically dropped corporate taxes</a> to eight per cent from 12 per cent from 2019 to 2020. But there has been no panel questioning the <a href="https://www.oecd.org/naec/events/multidimensional-well-being/G_Zucman.pdf">efficacy of corporate tax cuts</a>.</p>
<p>Overall, the report is shaped by standard economics and gives precedence to business interests. It ignores labour interests and perspectives that centre equity over efficiency and contest the standard opinion about the minimum wage. </p>
<p>Instead of viewing the minimum wage as detrimental, dissident perspectives view the minimum wage as a tool to alleviate the plight of the working poor.</p>
<p>In the upcoming Alberta election, the public has a choice: go with the standard opinion that supports corporations or side with dissident voices that give voice to the working poor in a world marred by increasing inequality and shaped by free markets run amok.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203106/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Junaid B. Jahangir is not affiliated with any organization. I have in the past done research assistance work for the Parkland Institute. </span></em></p>The Alberta government’s report on the supposed ills of the minimum wage should be viewed within the vast, diverse spectrum of economic literature, not just standard economics.Junaid B. Jahangir, Associate Professor, MacEwan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1984892023-02-01T20:20:30Z2023-02-01T20:20:30ZNew regulations on migrant farm workers should tackle employer/employee power imbalances<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507219/original/file-20230130-22-no2r8n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4247%2C2810&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A temporary foreign worker from Mexico works on a berry farm in Mirabel, Que., in May 2020.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The government of Canada recently <a href="https://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2022/2022-07-06/html/sor-dors142-eng.html">amended the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations</a> to include new employer obligations. These amendments are intended to enhance protections for migrant workers and ensure the integrity of the government’s <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/temporary-foreign-worker.html">temporary foreign worker program</a>. </p>
<p>While a step in the right direction, the changes side-step the root issues that make temporary foreign workers vulnerable to abuse in the first place.</p>
<p>More than 61,000 migrant workers were employed in Canada’s agriculture sector in 2021, an <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220613/dq220613d-eng.htm">increase of almost 12 per cent from 2020</a>, marking the greatest proliferation since 2016. </p>
<p>In fact, migrant workers comprised nearly one-quarter of all agricultural workers in 2021.</p>
<p>Migrant agricultural workers are exposed to various <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-022-01692-7">physical and psychosocial health risks</a> that are compounded by the precarious circumstances they face in Canada. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-022-01692-7">Our research</a> shows that the conditions of employment under Canada’s temporary foreign worker program generate <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16152643">significant challenges</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.4337/9781784714789.00024">workers’ health</a>, the protection of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13027">their rights</a> and even their survival.</p>
<h2>Repatriated if injured, sick</h2>
<p>Workers are hired on temporary contracts that bind them to a single employer, and these contracts include a repatriation clause that allows employers to terminate and deport workers without a grievance process. Injured and sick workers are often repatriated before they can access health care and/or workers’ compensation.</p>
<p>Consequently, migrant workers are often unable to refuse unsafe work and are <a href="https://www.canadian-nurse.com/blogs/cn-content/2020/03/02/nurses-role-in-improving-health-care-access-for-mi">reluctant to raise health concerns</a> or report situations of abuse. </p>
<p>While acknowledging some of the issues facing migrant workers in Canada, the amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations fail to address the power imbalances at the heart of the temporary foreign worker program. In fact, they risk further cementing some of these systemic problems.</p>
<h2>Employers as health mediators</h2>
<p>First, the federal government continues to entrench the role of the employer as an informal mediator of basic health care for workers. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1420774294901215238"}"></div></p>
<p>Migrant workers in Ontario are eligible for provincial health care, but they experience many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.090736">barriers to accessing such services</a>, in part because of a reliance on employers. </p>
<p>Under the new amendments, the government of Canada once again normalizes this role. Employers are obligated to cover the waiting period before provincial health care eligibility by providing private health insurance to migrant workers upon arrival. </p>
<p>By imbuing the responsibility of “reasonable access to health care services” to employers when a worker is injured or becomes ill at the workplace, the government is wilfully denying the power imbalance and obvious conflict of interest posed by such an arrangement. </p>
<p>Consider, for example, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.9778/cmajo.20140014">history of medical repatriations</a> faced by this workforce, in which injured and sick workers are prematurely deported. At minimum, workers need <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13088">independent access to health care</a> that is unmediated by employers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A person works in an asparagus field next to a green tractor." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507217/original/file-20230130-26-9q3qva.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3600%2C2452&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507217/original/file-20230130-26-9q3qva.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507217/original/file-20230130-26-9q3qva.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507217/original/file-20230130-26-9q3qva.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507217/original/file-20230130-26-9q3qva.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507217/original/file-20230130-26-9q3qva.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507217/original/file-20230130-26-9q3qva.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A farm worker tends to asparagus plants near Vittoria, Ont., in Norfolk County in June 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Labour abuses</h2>
<p>Second, the risk of labour abuses and exploitation are addressed only through paperwork, and again, delegated to employers. </p>
<p>To illustrate, the new amendments require all employers to provide migrant workers with an employment agreement on or before the first day of work, and they are to be drafted in English or French. </p>
<p>The agreements must match the initial offer of employment and include information about the job offer, wages, including overtime pay, and working conditions. Many migrant workers do not read English or French. <a href="https://doi.org/10.4000/pistes.3844">Our research</a> has also shown that workers’ rights on paper are almost never recognized in practice. </p>
<p>Therefore, there is no substitute for meaningful oversight and regulation.</p>
<p>More promisingly, the definition of “abuse” under the new amendments has been updated to include “reprisal.” </p>
<p>We support this definition, as we have <a href="http://www.migrantworker.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Aug6_MWH-EWG-Response-to-Federal-Government_06.08.21-1.pdf">previously advocated</a> for this and other actions to address workers’ risk of reprisal. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An agricultural worker picks cherries from a cherry tree" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338706/original/file-20200531-78845-1py587f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=70%2C0%2C6639%2C4436&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338706/original/file-20200531-78845-1py587f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338706/original/file-20200531-78845-1py587f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338706/original/file-20200531-78845-1py587f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338706/original/file-20200531-78845-1py587f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338706/original/file-20200531-78845-1py587f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338706/original/file-20200531-78845-1py587f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A seasonal migrant worker picks cherries at an industrial cherry orchard in British Columbia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Vulnerable worker permit</h2>
<p>As has been the case <a href="https://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2019/2019-05-29/html/sor-dors148-eng.html">since 2019</a>, if a worker can prove they’re being abused, they may have access to an <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/permit/temporary/vulnerable-workers.html">Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers</a>. </p>
<p>However, that permit is an <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/laws11030036">ineffective mechanism</a> to report workplace abuse because it places the burden of proof on the worker. What’s more, it doesn’t guarantee future re-employment via the temporary foreign worker program, nor does it provide workers with the housing or support they require to find new employment.</p>
<p>To seriously respect the rights of migrant workers, Canada needs to transform the structure of the temporary foreign worker program to curtail the power and impunity of employers and embed rights and protections for workers. </p>
<p>This can only be done by providing truly structural changes, such as open work permits and <a href="https://theconversation.com/canada-must-grant-permanent-immigration-status-to-undocumented-residents-187415">permanent status</a> — measures long called for by migrant workers and their allies. </p>
<p>To do any less is merely making cosmetic changes to a fundamentally flawed system.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/198489/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephanie Mayell receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). She is affiliated with the Migrant Worker Health Project, and the Migrant Worker Health Expert Working Group (MWHEWG).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>C. Susana Caxaj receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). She is affiliated with the Migrant Worker Health Expert Working Group </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janet McLaughlin receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). She is affiliated with the Migrant Worker Health Project and the Migrant Worker Health Expert Working Group (MWHEWG).</span></em></p>Amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations fail to address the power imbalances at the heart of the temporary foreign worker program.Stephanie Mayell, Doctoral Candidate, Medical Anthropology, University of TorontoC. Susana Caxaj, Assistant Professor, Nursing, Western UniversityJanet McLaughlin, Associate Professor of Health Studies, Research Associate, International Migration Research Centre, Wilfrid Laurier UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1980572023-01-30T20:34:49Z2023-01-30T20:34:49ZHow companies can improve the retention of employees returning from abroad<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506486/original/file-20230125-14416-fvopsw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=81%2C266%2C4767%2C3203&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Multinational enterprises are struggling to retain many of the employees they send abroad on international assignments.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Multinational enterprises are currently facing a serious challenge. These organizations are companies with multiple locations or operations around the world. They often send employees abroad on assignments so they can gain personal growth and promotion opportunities. </p>
<p>During these assignments, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1090-9516(01)00063-3">employees gain knowledge and experience about foreign cultures or acquire key market knowledge</a>. However, scant attention has been paid to these employees once they return home — especially how they are reintegrated back into the enterprise. </p>
<p>As it turns out, many of these returning employees — known as repatriates — leave the enterprise shortly after they return. But why is this happening? And how can organizations prevent this?</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2022.2145911">Our recent research study</a> examined the reasons behind this high turnover rate. Our findings suggest that engagement, or lack thereof, of repatriates strongly influences their desire to stay with their company.</p>
<h2>Benefits of international assignments</h2>
<p>Multinational enterprises recognize that international assignments help employees develop global competencies that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-01-2017-0001">contribute to the firms’ competitive advantage</a>.</p>
<p>Employees sent on international assignments include home country managers, executives and other key members who co-ordinate and control foreign subsidiaries. </p>
<p>During their time abroad, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2012.01050.x">repatriates have the opportunity to hone</a> their management skills, develop technical skills, intercultural understanding, increase the knowledge base of international markets and cultivate knowledge of conducting international business.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two men shakings hands in front of a row of large windows. One man is holding a briefcase" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506488/original/file-20230125-24-dsyl9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506488/original/file-20230125-24-dsyl9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506488/original/file-20230125-24-dsyl9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506488/original/file-20230125-24-dsyl9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506488/original/file-20230125-24-dsyl9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506488/original/file-20230125-24-dsyl9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506488/original/file-20230125-24-dsyl9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">International assignments help employees gain experience and knowledge about foreign cultures or acquire key market knowledge beneficial to their organization.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Because of these benefits, there has been a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1380065">rise in the number of employees sent to international locations</a>, and their subsequent repatriation. </p>
<p>But while multinational enterprises expect to benefit from the new knowledge and experience repatriates bring back from international assignments, there is a high rate of repatriate turnover.</p>
<p>A report from Brookfield Global Relocation Trends found that approximately <a href="https://www.bgrs.com/insights-articles/2016-global-mobility-trends-survey/">38 per cent of repatriates left their firm within one year</a> of returning home. Multinational enterprises need to strengthen their support mechanisms to improve repatriate retention to prevent the loss of key knowledge holders.</p>
<h2>Job engagement</h2>
<p>We discovered that one of the key requirements for reducing repatriate turnover is ensuring they are engaged in their job after they return. How repatriates perceive their job conditions during the initial period of return (also known as the adjustment period) is a key decider of their job engagement. </p>
<p>If repatriates perceive their job expectations as being in line with their experiences from abroad, they are more likely to be engaged in their jobs and less likely to leave their organization.</p>
<p>The 221 repatriates we surveyed expected their workplaces to adjust their work roles to reflect the international experience and organizational practices they gained from abroad. They wanted deeper involvement in strategic decisions, better team immersion and specific opportunities to apply their new knowledge. </p>
<p>Overall, repatriates wanted their time spent abroad to be valued and recognized in their day-to-day interactions and the orientation of the organization going forward.</p>
<p>Not addressing such expectations during the adjustment period often caused repatriates to develop negative feelings towards their organization. They felt undervalued, underused and unsupported when they were not given adequate assistance to help them adapt back to life and work at home.</p>
<h2>Addressing repatriate expectations</h2>
<p>The first step organizations can take toward addressing the expectations of repatriates is recognizing the valuable knowledge they gained abroad. </p>
<p>This knowledge might include technical knowledge and skills, knowledge of new sales and marketing processes, cross-cultural knowledge or new language skills. Organizations should recognize such skills in the job duties and responsibilities of repatriates. </p>
<p>Many organizations assign jobs to repatriates <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2004.10.002">that do not match the knowledge, skills and abilities</a> they acquired during their international assignments. There must be a match between the new knowledge and experiences gained by repatriates and the job duties and responsibilities assigned to them.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two women sitting and talking at a conference table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506500/original/file-20230125-17225-3jz1on.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506500/original/file-20230125-17225-3jz1on.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506500/original/file-20230125-17225-3jz1on.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506500/original/file-20230125-17225-3jz1on.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506500/original/file-20230125-17225-3jz1on.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506500/original/file-20230125-17225-3jz1on.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506500/original/file-20230125-17225-3jz1on.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Organizations should ensure repatriates’ job duties and responsibilities reflect any new knowledge and experience gained by them when they were abroad.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Repatriates also typically had higher autonomy, flexibility and increased decision-making opportunities while working overseas. </p>
<p>Upon returning home, tightened controls, loss of autonomy and a lack of flexibility led to increased work dissatisfaction and lower job engagement. These are key factors that need to be properly addressed in positions offered to repatriates when they return home.</p>
<h2>Maintaining relationships</h2>
<p>It’s also important that employees maintain relationships with their counterparts in their home organizations during their international assignments as expatriates. </p>
<p>It can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jm.2003.01.001">difficult for home office employees and expatriates to establish and maintain relationships</a> due to different time zones, lack of personal contact and divergent goals in their work contexts.</p>
<p>Organizations may need to develop sufficient mentoring programs, including assigning re-entry sponsors to repatriates. This would help repatriates develop and maintain relationships with home organization employees while they are away on assignment, and help them reintegrate successfully upon return.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/198057/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Multinational enterprises are facing a high rate of repatriate turnover from employees returning back home from international assignments.Adam Cave, Associate Dean Academic, Faculty of Business & Communication Studies, Mount Royal UniversityEtayankara Muralidharan, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of International Business, Marketing, Strategy & Law, MacEwan UniversityMichael Joseph Dominic Roberts, Associate Dean & Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Communications Studies, Mount Royal UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1971862023-01-18T18:31:56Z2023-01-18T18:31:56ZWhy your company needs an innovation strategy in 2023<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505196/original/file-20230118-8082-ogudaj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=214%2C0%2C6654%2C4392&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An innovation strategy is a requirement for companies that want to be successful in the dynamic post-pandemic market.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/why-your-company-needs-an-innovation-strategy-in-2023" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Almost a decade ago, Harvard Business School professor Gary Pisano famously wrote that <a href="https://hbr.org/2015/06/you-need-an-innovation-strategy">companies should consider creating an innovation strategy</a>. Today, an innovation strategy is not just an optional nice thing to have — it’s a requirement for companies that want to be successful.</p>
<p>With <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/inflation-canada-1.6693441">significant post-pandemic inflation</a> and interest rates climbing to new highs, the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/11/17/jpmorgan-forecasts-mild-recession-in-2023--heres-what-major-financial-institutions-predicted-this-week/?sh=19296fe98011">big banks are warning of a recession in 2023</a>. </p>
<p>This, coupled with the longstanding impacts of intense <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/08/globalization-is-changing-your-business-must-become-agile-too-heres-how/">global competition</a>, <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/getting-fickle-consumers-to-buy-into-your-brand/232060">fickle consumers</a>, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/22/data-privacy-rules-are-sweeping-across-the-globe-and-getting-stricter.html">rigorous regulation</a>, <a href="https://www.cpacanada.ca/en/business-and-accounting-resources/financial-and-non-financial-reporting/sustainability-environmental-and-social-reporting/publications/business-impact-of-environmental-social-issues">environmental degradation</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2017.09.033">disruptive technologies</a>, has companies looking to make the most of these uncertain times. An innovation strategy is exactly how companies can accomplish this.</p>
<p>As innovation management researchers, we were curious about how an innovation strategy could impact corporate performance and, ultimately, economic progress. To answer these questions, we collaborated with <a href="https://innovationone.io/"><em>InnovationOne</em></a>, a San Francisco-based innovation consulting firm, to conduct <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122257">one of the largest innovation management research studies to date</a>.</p>
<h2>Global innovation study</h2>
<p>Our global study of 1,265 companies, published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/technological-forecasting-and-social-change"><em>Technological Forecasting & Social Change</em></a>, explored the similarities between companies with an innovation strategy, the impact of an innovation strategy on corporate performance and how companies can improve their nation’s economic progress via innovation. </p>
<p>Similar to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-09-2022-0168">our other research about business innovation agendas</a>, we found that companies with an innovation strategy had leaders committed to innovation, resources specifically dedicated to innovation, knowledge management systems that promoted learning and processes dedicated to taking new ideas to market. </p>
<p>Not surprisingly, companies with an innovation strategy were better equipped to implement value-added practices. Value-added practices include the implementation of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmrv.2021.06.005">novel methodologies and technologies to enhance firm performance</a>. </p>
<h2>Companies with an innovation strategy</h2>
<p>Our data showed that an innovation strategy served as the necessary building block for successful engagement in practices such as big data analytics, open innovation and scientific discovery. </p>
<p>Collecting, interpreting and acting on large data was something that companies with an innovation strategy excelled at. This was likely due to their sophisticated knowledge management systems. Being able to work with large amounts of data allows knowledge to be shared throughout the company, creating better products, services and outcomes for customers.</p>
<p>Open innovation — collaborating on innovations with external partners — was also a trait of companies with an innovation strategy. This was likely a result of their innovation processes, which often involved collaborations.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of people looking at a series of graphs projected on a screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504778/original/file-20230116-16237-yajc4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=160%2C0%2C4529%2C2874&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504778/original/file-20230116-16237-yajc4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504778/original/file-20230116-16237-yajc4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504778/original/file-20230116-16237-yajc4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504778/original/file-20230116-16237-yajc4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504778/original/file-20230116-16237-yajc4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504778/original/file-20230116-16237-yajc4p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Data analytics allows knowledge to be shared throughout a company, creating better products, services and outcomes for customers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>New scientific discoveries were also more common among companies with an innovation strategy. All innovation strategy elements — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2022.2032973">leadership, resources, knowledge management and processes</a> — were found to increase the likelihood of new discoveries. In addition to these practices, innovation strategies enhanced overall corporate performance. </p>
<p>We also found that the link between innovation strategy and corporate performance was strong, regardless of companies’ age, size and location. In other words, an innovation strategy has universal importance for companies. In addition to its corporate benefits, an innovation strategy also resulted in larger economic benefits for the companies.</p>
<h2>Economic benefits of innovation strategy</h2>
<p>Perhaps the most interesting finding of our study is that economic growth of countries was linked to companies’ innovation strategies. These results are largely congruent with the reputed <a href="https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/">Global Innovation Index</a>, a benchmark for identifying innovation trends.</p>
<p>We found that countries with high gross domestic product (GDP) — <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/Series/Back-to-Basics/gross-domestic-product-GDP">the standard measure of economic progress</a> — had more companies with innovation strategies. Countries with some of the highest global GDPs, like the United States, the UK and Germany, also had the greatest corporate commitments to innovation strategy. </p>
<p>Furthermore, positive economic impacts were not limited to high-income economies, as the “<a href="https://www.wipo.int/publications/en/details.jsp?id=4560">innovation overachiever</a>” India was comprised of firms exhibiting an innovation strategy. This is particularly noteworthy, as collectively, companies can enhance their country’s economic progress by creating and implementing innovation strategies. </p>
<h2>How companies can get started</h2>
<p>Our research is a continuation and update to Pisano’s work. For companies that already have an innovation strategy, we recommend they stay the course or even strengthen commitments. For companies without an innovation strategy, now is the time to get to work and implement one. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Three people huddle around laptop screen, deep in discussion." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505195/original/file-20230118-9302-pkokqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505195/original/file-20230118-9302-pkokqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505195/original/file-20230118-9302-pkokqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505195/original/file-20230118-9302-pkokqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505195/original/file-20230118-9302-pkokqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505195/original/file-20230118-9302-pkokqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505195/original/file-20230118-9302-pkokqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Executives should ensure all employees understand and engage in a company’s innovation strategy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To improve competitiveness and performance, executives should make innovation an integrated strategic priority by dedicating resources to innovation, creating knowledge management systems to communicate information regarding innovations, and implementing processes to track innovation progress. </p>
<p>It is crucial that all employees understand and engage in the innovation strategy. Comprehensive understanding and engagement <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/13632540110806668">yields better ideas, fosters buy-in</a>, and eases implementation while integrating innovation across departments and individuals. Executives should draft an innovation strategy, communicate it to all employees and collaborate on its execution. </p>
<p>An innovation strategy allows companies to better implement novel practices, like big data analytics, as they become better resourced, monitored and managed. These practices are a part of an integrated innovation strategy by providing direct benefits to companies as they engender firm performance in the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/building-resilience-in-the-face-of-dynamic-disruption/">dynamic post-pandemic market</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197186/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Grant Alexander Wilson has consulted for InnovationOne. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tyler Case has consulted for InnovationOne.</span></em></p>To improve firm performance and promote fiscal economic growth, corporations should strengthen and implement an innovation strategy.Grant Alexander Wilson, Assistant Professor, Hill and Levene Schools of Business, University of ReginaTyler Case, Assistant Professor, Edwards School of Business, University of SaskatchewanLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1968562023-01-18T12:02:54Z2023-01-18T12:02:54ZFive ways to make part-time working easier and more available, according to new research<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504984/original/file-20230117-19-trn1dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=46%2C26%2C899%2C516&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pretty-middleaged-businesswoman-relaxing-seated-on-1619862787">fizkes/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Economic inactivity and the rising cost of out-of-work benefits are <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sickness-benefit-kept-workforce-crisis-0cklxvs50">high on the UK government’s agenda right now</a>. But new research into working patterns during the COVID furlough scheme suggests that both employers and the government could be missing a trick in this area by not making part-time working easier and more available.</p>
<p>While a quarter of the UK workforce already works part-time (<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/datasets/fulltimeparttimeandtemporaryworkersseasonallyadjustedemp01sa">90% by choice</a>), currently <a href="https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/system/files/resources/files/IES%20briefing%20-%20Labour%20Market%20Statistics%20December%202022.pdf?utm_source=IES+emailing+list&utm_campaign=6ab89b6809-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_05_14_03_45_COPY_04&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f11585705b-6ab89b6809-471386369">22% of the working age population</a> is economically inactive, which means neither employed nor looking for work. But recent figures show that <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/movementsoutofworkforthoseagedover50yearssincethestartofthecoronaviruspandemic/2022-03-14">more than two thirds of economically inactive over-50s</a> who want to return to work, want to do so part-time. </p>
<p>Employers will need to overcome challenges around designing part-time working patterns in order to attract and retain these workers if they want them to fill <a href="https://www.bigissue.com/news/employment/rising-unemployment-spurs-calls-for-more-support-for-jobseekers/#:%7E:text=Job%20vacancies%20remain%20at%20%E2%80%9Chistorically%20high%20levels%E2%80%9D">record levels of job vacancies</a>. This means rethinking part-time working so that it suits both people and companies. </p>
<p>A business <a href="https://timewise.co.uk/article/can-a-more-flexible-jobs-market-raise-the-status-and-pay-of-part-time-workers/?">might be reluctant</a> to do the kind of experimentation needed to identify alternative working arrangements. But the UK government’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/flexible-furlough-scheme-starts-today">flexible furlough scheme</a>, introduced during the COVID pandemic, provided an ideal opportunity. </p>
<p>This scheme was intended to preserve jobs when business activity was curtailed during pandemic lockdowns. It allowed employers to deploy staff on a part-time basis and the government covered some of the cost of their full-time wages.</p>
<p>When firms had to use part-time working under the furlough scheme, many managers started to build the skills and knowledge to manage part-time working and became more open to it. This suggests practical trials of part-time employment should be used more widely, both to meet workers’ needs and to help companies attract and retain the best talent.</p>
<h2>Making ‘part-time’ work</h2>
<p>The research that we conducted into the implementation of the furlough scheme uncovered some important unintended – but positive – consequences. First, almost 40% of participants in our study reported that using the flexible furlough scheme helped managers learn how to design and manage part-time working more effectively. And second, just over 40% said the experience of using the flexible furlough scheme made line managers more open to part-time working requests from employees and potential recruits.</p>
<p>As part of <a href="https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/expertise/changing-world-of-work/the-future-of-part-time-working">our research into this issue</a>, we surveyed nearly 500 employers in various sectors between February and April 2022 (in collaboration with the Confederation of British Industry). We also interviewed line managers and senior HR professionals in the hospitality, manufacturing and service sectors between October 2021 and February 2022, and between May and July 2022.</p>
<p>This study, alongside <a href="https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/expertise/changing-world-of-work/the-future-of-part-time-working/influences-on-employers-provision-of-part-time-working">our previous research in this area</a>, shows managers struggle with both workload and time when designing part-time jobs. Typical problems include redistributing part-time workers’ “missing” workload, and ensuring the organisation’s operating hours are covered. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A frustrated manager in front of a laptop at a desk; man with long hair and beard at a desk, hands to head." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504981/original/file-20230117-11-lyun6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504981/original/file-20230117-11-lyun6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504981/original/file-20230117-11-lyun6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504981/original/file-20230117-11-lyun6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504981/original/file-20230117-11-lyun6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504981/original/file-20230117-11-lyun6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504981/original/file-20230117-11-lyun6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Managers sometimes struggle to juggle competing demands when trying to accommodate flexible working patterns.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/frustrated-mature-man-feels-angry-unable-2125191068">Chiarascura/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Information gleaned from these experiences could help create more opportunities for part-time working at many UK companies. Here are five key lessons drawn from experiences of managing part-time workers during furlough:</p>
<h2>1. Sharing responsibility for covering operating hours</h2>
<p>Where employees can be substituted for each other (for example in hospitality or call centres), redesigning rotas or shift patterns across the whole team helps to facilitate part-time working. </p>
<p>During furlough, this more collaborative approach allowed teams, not just part-time workers, to take responsibility for (re)organising work to meet the challenge of gaps in availability. This is generally something that a part-time worker would struggle to achieve alone.</p>
<h2>2. Making more use of ‘multi-skilling’</h2>
<p>When work is impeded by the absence of a part-time worker with a particular skillset, multi-skilling – training employees to do a variety of different tasks – can create more resilience. For example, a hotel housekeeper who can also serve lunch or check in guests at reception is more flexible than one who only has housekeeping skills. </p>
<p>Where specialist knowledge or personal relationships cannot be covered by others, a level of “maintenance cover” can sometimes be provided by colleagues – sending initial replies to client emails to acknowledge receipt, for example.</p>
<h2>3. Talking about other commitments</h2>
<p>During the pandemic, non-work commitments were often discussed more openly since many employees were juggling extra responsibilities such as home schooling. As home working provided a window into people’s personal lives, line managers became more aware of the need to consult employees about the timing of their non-work commitments, and their preferences for working hours. </p>
<p>Employers who take a more proactive approach to these conversations may find that workers (and potential recruits) feel less hesitant about asking for part-time hours.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Family, two adults, two kids, at a laptop, kitchen table; working from home; homeschooling." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504983/original/file-20230117-24-rjjvcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504983/original/file-20230117-24-rjjvcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504983/original/file-20230117-24-rjjvcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504983/original/file-20230117-24-rjjvcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504983/original/file-20230117-24-rjjvcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504983/original/file-20230117-24-rjjvcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/504983/original/file-20230117-24-rjjvcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lockdown restrictions created lots of new responsibilities for people working from home.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-african-american-woman-reminding-her-1862382097">Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>4. Finding a realistic workload for part-time workers</h2>
<p>Use of the flexible furlough scheme forced managers to work out what an appropriate workload should look like for a part-time worker. Managers had to adjust workloads – sometimes redistributing work across a team – as well as performance measures. </p>
<p>In some types of work this is an easy task (for example when meeting targets for sales or number of parts manufactured), but in other cases – particularly in knowledge-based work – performance measurement must be more nuanced and requires individual judgement.</p>
<h2>5. Accounting for the fixed costs of employing part-time workers</h2>
<p>Investment in recruiting and developing part-time workers might be seen as less cost-effective than a similar investment in full-time employees. However, where part-time working is used to attract and retain talent, these costs can be considered as an organisation-level investment in workforce capability and planning, rather than something to be borne by one business unit. </p>
<p>For example, centrally-provided recruitment services or learning and development can cut extra management activity required from line managers who employ part-time workers.</p>
<p>In sectors or organisations where part-time working is uncommon, workers may be reluctant to request part-time working. Employers need to be more proactive about offering it – to both existing employees and new recruits. Companies must also take active steps to understand and enable the different working hours preferences of their workforce.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196856/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of UK Research & Innovation's rapid response to Covid-19 (ES/W001306/1, The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Employer Perceptions of Part-time Working: the implications for economic recovery and future working).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Clare Kelliher receives funding from ESRC
This research was funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of UK Research & Innovation’s rapid response to Covid-19 (ES/W001306/1, The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Employer Perceptions of Part-time Working: the implications for economic recovery and future working).
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pierre Walthéry does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>By experimenting with more part-time working patterns, companies could unlock a much-needed trove of new employees.Charlotte Gascoigne, Principal Research Fellow, Cranfield UniversityClare Kelliher, Professor of Work and Organisation, Cranfield UniversityPierre Walthéry, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Time Use Research, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1948832023-01-10T13:29:15Z2023-01-10T13:29:15ZRemote work has made developing relationships with colleagues harder – here’s what workers and bosses need now<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502243/original/file-20221220-22-wf6l7k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=846%2C429%2C7333%2C5003&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">With a greater reliance on remote workers, how can people forge good relationships at work? </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/start-up-business-group-having-video-conference-royalty-free-image/1327494299?phrase=work%20relationships&adppopup=true">Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Having good relationships with colleagues is key to building a rewarding and effective work experience. Employees who are engaged with their co-workers, such as reporting “a best friend at work” in <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/321725/gallup-q12-meta-analysis-report.aspx?thank-you-report-form=1">Gallup’s well-regarded survey</a>, are more likely to be productive, to stay with their organization and to contribute to the organization’s performance.</p>
<p>But the surge in pandemic-induced remote work is <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/09/disruption-of-work-relationships-adds-to-mental-health-concern/">changing these relationships</a> and has made it more challenging to establish connections in the first place. To succeed, both employees and leaders must understand what each group is seeking to achieve and how they can benefit from the changing workplace. </p>
<p>How should leaders relate to, and support, their colleagues and subordinates? How can leaders discern what employees want out of the workplace and help them to get it? What can employees do to demonstrate their value while having fewer interactions with their co-workers and supervisors? What are the hallmarks of an organizational environment where employees can flourish?</p>
<p>As part of our ongoing <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9tiZfA0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">research</a> on organizations and work culture, we regularly interview leaders and employees, as first recounted in our book “<a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-69017-5">Six Paths to Leadership</a>.” What’s emerged are a few basic guidelines for a world where remote work is increasingly the norm and as workforce demographics and technologies shift. </p>
<p>Our preliminary analysis of their input has yielded several important themes: </p>
<h2>Frayed social networks</h2>
<p>Perhaps the most pressing issue for organizations emerging from the height of pandemic lockdowns is whether employees will return to a fully in-person workplace or continue in some variation of the <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/real-estate/our-insights/americans-are-embracing-flexible-work-and-they-want-more-of-it">remote mode of recent years</a>. Calls for returns to the office are often framed by supporters as a need to <a href="https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/redesigning-the-post-pandemic-workplace/">manage the person-to-person interactions</a> that spur innovation and a collaborative culture, particularly for new hires who need to learn the ropes, as well as a way to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/work-from-home-how-to-convince-boss-in-office-hybrid-work-11668205570">monitor productivity</a>. </p>
<p>Others suggest that simply returning to in-person business <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063211023563">over-relies on past models of an effective workplace</a>, when it is clear that workforce practices <a href="https://hbr.org/2020/04/preparing-your-business-for-a-post-pandemic-world">must evolve for organizations to be successful</a>. Our research suggests that for both leader and workers, it may be useful to address the challenges of building trust, respect and engagement in a more dispersed workplace.</p>
<p><iframe id="epZom" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/epZom/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Leaders we’ve interviewed tell us they want to believe that employees are giving their best effort and are mindful of the organizational mission. Employees want to feel valued, trusted and supported in their work and career paths, regardless of how much time they spend in an on-site company office. </p>
<p>Both sides acknowledge that with more hybrid work, there is less opportunity to build the well-rounded relationships that come from frequent, less structured personal interactions. This gives organizations less information to make “people” decisions and judgments, such as who deserves promotions, who could benefit from more support and who should be first to go in the case of layoffs or restructuring. </p>
<h2>Creating a culture of collaboration</h2>
<p>Good planning and extra effort is required for leaders and colleagues to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063211023563">seek out and understand the perspectives of others</a>. While many companies report adopting project management software and other <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/14/business/worker-productivity-tracking.html">monitoring technology</a> to manage hybrid work, our interviewees remind us that these platforms are better at tracking individual task completion than more holistic, complex and continuing assignments that require collaboration. To remedy this, leaders should not only engage employees in their individual work but also identify how employees can help one another. </p>
<p>For instance, in a related study, one of us found that work teams whose members know one another, communicate well and share responsibilities <a href="https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/69568c31-ba6a-403d-bb34-fe600fbe3936">improve their ability to complete work on time and with fewer errors</a>. Thus, it is important to help employees bring together their diverse perspectives and create motivating social support systems in the workplace. </p>
<p>A related concern is how new hires who are not familiar with the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/employmentequity/onboarding-young-workers-post-pandemic-world">work culture of the organization</a> before pandemic-related changes can learn the expectations of their workplace when placed in hybrid work arrangements. </p>
<h2>Empathy and building relationships</h2>
<p>Our research suggests that intentionality – doing your work with purpose and mindful awareness – can drive meaningful productivity, spurring both leaders and their employees to go beyond a simple “checkbox” approach to instead expend energy where it furthers the organizational purpose. </p>
<p>For example, leaders can identify paths for onboarding new hires – what employees should learn, which experiences they should prioritize, who they should connect with, how they should set goals. These types of steps can allow new hires to orient themselves to some degree as well, seeking out socializing experiences to gain knowledge, support and personal connections.</p>
<p>Employees in remote work situations, for their part, must increasingly own their career path and take responsibility for their own professional development. This includes acquainting themselves with the resources of the organization, while also taking responsibility for their own future. </p>
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<p>Our discussions with leaders and employees also revealed that even among those who weathered the changes of the last few years, not everyone is having the same experience. People working for the same organization may be facing starkly different demands of their health and home conditions, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic and remote work. Leaders should be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2018.1541886">attuned to the stressors endured by their workforce</a>, which requires good planning and extra efforts to understand the paths others are walking. Employees can help themselves, as well as their work performance, by building work-life boundaries that allow them the space needed to thrive in both arenas. </p>
<p>Critically, our research suggests that leaders and peers must add empathy to their set of tools. To truly empathize requires deeper understanding of others and building collegial relationships. That requires focus and time to better appreciate co-worker backgrounds and perspectives, and understanding how they deliver and gain value in their work. </p>
<h2>The importance of people at work</h2>
<p>As people’s work relationships grow more remote and are increasingly mediated by technology, we have found that organizations <a href="https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/toxic-culture-is-driving-the-great-resignation/">must attend to the person within the workplace</a>. This may mean modifying work hours, increasing investment in employee training, boosting autonomy and making other adjustments designed to help employees bring their best selves to the workplace, while also granting a life outside of the company walls.</p>
<p>There are many factors that can influence the optimal set of practices for a given company – its industry, national and organizational cultures, diversity of employees and the expectations of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/28/business/gen-z-workplace-culture.html">each generation entering the workforce</a>. Ultimately, our research shows that the path for organizations to succeed is cleared by getting to know and then supporting the people who make success possible.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194883/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Hybrid and remote-heavy work setups have fundamentally changed how people interact at ‘the office.’ What do workers and managers want out of the workplace now?Mark A. Clark, Associate Professor of Management, American University Kogod School of BusinessMeredith Persily, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, American UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1944242023-01-09T13:17:10Z2023-01-09T13:17:10ZWhat’s a ‘gig’ job? How it’s legally defined affects workers’ rights and protections<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501637/original/file-20221216-21-4ccz2k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C103%2C2923%2C1594&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A rally for Uber and Lyft drivers in 2019 reflects desire for workers to have same benefits as employees.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/California-GigEconomy/ad2325c039b24f07a054653758ffbedb/photoa">AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The “gig” economy has captured the attention of technology futurists, journalists, academics and policymakers. </p>
<p>“Future of work” discussions tend toward two extremes: breathless <a href="https://hbr.org/2018/03/thriving-in-the-gig-economy">excitement at the brave new world</a> that provides greater flexibility, mobility and entrepreneurial energy, or <a href="https://giveget.medium.com/yes-the-gig-economy-sucks-no-its-not-fulfilling-its-promise-of-freedom-af9738939f16">dire accounts</a> of its immiserating impacts on the workers who labor beneath the gig economy’s yoke. </p>
<p>These widely diverging views may be partly due to the <a href="https://www.gigeconomydata.org/basics/what-gig-worker">many</a> <a href="https://www.uschamber.com/co/run/human-resources/what-is-a-gig-worker">definitions</a> of what constitutes “gig work” and the resulting difficulties in measuring its prevalence. As an academic who has studied workplace laws for decades and ran <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd">the federal agency</a> that enforces workplace protections during the Obama administration, I know the way we define, measure and treat gig workers under the law has significant consequences for workers. That’s particularly true for those lacking leverage in the labor market. </p>
<p>While there are benefits for workers for this emerging model of employment, there are pitfalls as well. Confusion over the meaning and size of the gig workforce – at times the <a href="https://www.thetruthaboutcwi.com/">intentional work</a> of companies with a vested economic interest – can obscure the problems gig status can have on workers’ earnings, workplace conditions and opportunities. </p>
<h2>Defining gig work</h2>
<p>Many trace the phrase “gig economy” to a 2009 <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-gig-economy">essay</a> in which editor and author Tina Brown proclaimed: “No one I know has a job anymore. They’ve got Gigs.” </p>
<p>Although Brown focused on professional and semiprofessional workers chasing short-term work, the term soon applied to a <a href="https://dollarsandsense.org/archives/2014/0314friedman.html">variety of jobs</a> in low-paid occupations and industries. Several years later, the rapid ascent of Uber, Lyft and DoorDash led the term gig to be associated with <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/11/what-motivates-gig-economy-workers">platform and digital business models</a>. More recently, the pandemic linked gig work to a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonchandler/2020/04/07/coronavirus-turns-uber-into-gig-platform-for-all-work/?sh=16b9628b1db9">broader set of jobs</a> associated with high turnover, <a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3h60d754">limited career prospects</a>, volatile wages and exposure to COVID-19 risk.</p>
<p>The imprecision of gig therefore connotes different things: <a href="https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2018/contingent-workers/home.htm">Some uses</a> focus on the temporary or “contingent” nature of the work, such as jobs that may be terminated at any time, usually at the discretion of the employer. <a href="https://shift.hks.harvard.edu/">Other definitions</a> focus on the unpredictability of work in terms of earnings, scheduling, hours provided in a workweek or location. Still <a href="https://www.fissuredworkplace.net/">other depictions</a> focus on the business structure through which work is engaged – a staffing agency, digital platform, contractor or other intermediary. Further <a href="https://research.upjohn.org/reports/271/">complicating</a> the definition of gig is whether the focus is on a worker’s primary source of income or on side work meant to supplement income.</p>
<h2>Measuring gig work</h2>
<p>These differing definitions of gig work have led to widely varying estimates of its prevalence. </p>
<p>A conservative estimate from the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/conemp.nr0.htm">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> household-based survey of “alternative work arrangements” suggests that gig workers “in non-standard categories” account for about 10% of employment. Alternatively, other <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2021.101974">researchers</a> estimate the prevalence as three times as common, or 32.5%, using a Federal Reserve survey that broadly defines gig work to include any work that is temporary and variable in nature as either a primary or secondary source of earnings. And when freelancing platform <a href="https://www.upwork.com/research/freelance-forward-2021">Upworks</a> and consulting firm <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/sustainable-inclusive-growth/future-of-america/freelance-side-hustles-and-gigs-many-more-americans-have-become-independent-workers">McKinsey & Co.</a> use a broader concept of “independent work,” they report rates as high as 36% of employed respondents. </p>
<p>No consensus definition or measurement approach has emerged, despite many attempts, including a 2020 <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/25822/chapter/1">panel report</a> by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Various estimates do suggest several common themes, however: Gig work is sizable, present in both traditional and digital workplaces, and draws upon workers across the age, education, demographic and skill spectrum. </p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>As the above indicates, gig workers can range from high-paid professionals working on a project-to-project basis to low-wage workers whose earnings are highly variable, who work in nonprofessional or semiprofessional occupations and who accept – by choice or necessity – volatile hours and a short-term time commitment from the organization paying for that work. </p>
<p>Regardless of their professional status, many workers operating in gig arrangements are classified as independent contractors rather than employees. As <a href="https://equitablegrowth.org/how-u-s-companies-harm-workers-by-making-them-independent-contractors/">independent contractors</a>, workers lose rights to a minimum wage, <a href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20220927">overtime</a> and a safe and healthy work environment as well as protections against discrimination and harassment. Independent contractors also lose access to unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation and paid sick leave now required in many states. </p>
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<p>Federal and state <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2002/01/art1full.pdf">laws</a> differ in the factors they draw on to make that call. A key concept underlying that determination is how “<a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/13-flsa-employment-relationship">economically dependent</a>” the worker is on the employer or contracting party. Greater economic independence – for example, the ability to determine price of service, how and where tasks are done and opportunities for expanding or contracting that work based on the individual’s own skills, abilities and enterprise – suggest a role as an independent contractor. </p>
<p>In contrast, if the hiring party basically calls the shots – for example, controlling what the individual does, how they do their work and when they do it, what they are permitted to do and not do, and what performance is deemed acceptable – this suggests employee status. That’s because workplace laws are generally geared toward employees and seek to protect workers who have unequal bargaining leverage in the labor market, a concept based on <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/300/379/">long-standing Supreme Court precedent</a>. </p>
<h2>Making work more precarious</h2>
<p>Over the past few decades, a <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/gig-worker-survey/">growing number of low-wage workers</a> find themselves in gig work situations – everything from platform drivers and delivery personnel to construction laborers, distribution workers, short-haul truck drivers and <a href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20221110-1">home health aides</a>. Taken together, the grouping could easily exceed <a href="https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2019.5.5.08">20 million workers</a>.</p>
<p>Many companies have incentives to <a href="https://www.nelp.org/publication/independent-contractor-misclassification-imposes-huge-costs-workers-federal-state-treasuries-update-october-2020/">misclassify</a> these workers as independent contractors in order to reduce costs and risks, not because of a truly transformed nature of work where those so classified are real entrepreneurs or self-standing businesses. </p>
<p>Since gig work tends to be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jan/29/gig-economy-traps-workers-in-precarious-existence-says-report">volatile</a> and <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-15-168r">contingent</a>, losing employment protections amplifies the precariousness of work. A business using misclassified workers can gain cost advantages over competitors who treat their workers as employees as required by the law. This competitive dynamic can spread misclassification to new companies, industries and occupations – a problem we addressed directly, for example, in <a href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20140827">construction cases</a> when I led the Wage and Hour Division and <a href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20220308">more recently in several health care cases</a>. </p>
<p>The future of work is not governed by immutable technological forces but involves volitional private and public choices. Navigating to that future requires weighing the benefits gig work can provide <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/15/business/economy/gig-work.html">some workers with greater economic independence</a> against the continuing need to protect and bestow rights for the many workers who will continue to play on a very uneven playing field in the labor market.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194424/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Over the last two decades, David Weil has received funding from the US Department of Labor, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to study how business organization affects workers under federal and state workplace laws.
He also led the US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division in the Obama administration. He has periodically advised state and federal government organizations regarding workplace laws and their enforcement. </span></em></p>What a ‘gig worker’ is remains ill-defined, which can suit employers. But the spread of the gig economy means more workers don’t have the same rights and protections as employees.David Weil, Visiting Senior Faculty Fellow, Ash Center for Democracy Harvard Kennedy School / Professor, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1940362023-01-03T13:29:32Z2023-01-03T13:29:32ZAmericans are taking more control over their work lives – because they have to<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498023/original/file-20221129-16-jn8xtb.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C0%2C3782%2C2155&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Workers take on side hustles not just for the money, but also to compensate for limited control in their traditional jobs.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/florida-miami-beach-uber-ridesharing-service-driver-with-news-photo/1263005033?adppopup=true">Jeff Greenberg via Universal Images Group/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>One thing that’s become clear in the past few tumultuous – and for many, traumatic – years is that it’s easy to feel like there is no control in our lives. Control is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1995.tb00501.x">basic psychological need</a> that helps people feel like they have agency, from how they live to where they work. One area where people have tried to wrestle back control is around work. </p>
<p>As a Rice University business school professor and <a href="https://www.scottsonenshein.com/">author</a>, I’ve examined through <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=YhjQHhAAAAAJ&hl=en">my research</a>, teaching and readership the complex relationships between employees and their employers for nearly two decades. The aftermath of the pandemic is the latest iteration of a timeless negotiation between labor and management over control that took on added significance these past few years.</p>
<p>The pandemic accelerated a development that began years ago when workers realized they needed to take on more responsibility for directing their careers. This major shift reflects a potentially exciting but also unnerving reality for millions of workers.</p>
<h2>From lifer to independent worker</h2>
<p>For decades, employers had the upper hand in negotiating terms with employees. People exchanged unconditional loyalty to an employer for lifetime employment and a secure retirement. That model <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3324911">started to erode</a> with an increase in <a href="https://www.bls.gov/osmr/research-papers/2000/pdf/ec000050.pdf">corporate restructuring in the 1980s and 1990s</a>. With the prospects of a secure job and comfortable retirement more elusive, employees switched jobs to regain some control. They sought the promise of a higher salary and a better work life. In the past decade, the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/tenure.t01.htm">average tenure at an employer dropped nearly 10%</a>.</p>
<p>During the pandemic, a tight labor market allowed employees <a href="https://theconversation.com/bad-managers-burnout-and-health-fears-why-record-numbers-of-hospitality-workers-are-quitting-the-industry-for-good-174588">to use job mobility</a> to feel <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/24/1007914455/as-the-pandemic-recedes-millions-of-workers-are-saying-i-quit">greater control over their lives</a>. Additionally, the freedoms afforded by remote work offset some of the losses of control caused by the pandemic. But the reality is that while changing jobs leads to a <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2005-10696-005">short-term boost in job satisfaction, that feeling is usually only temporary</a>.</p>
<p>In a post-pandemic world, a new model is emerging that reflects concerns of a slowing economy and more uncertain future. Employees are increasingly rejecting the belief that a single job can s<a href="https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/assets-shared/docs/deloitte-2022-genz-millennial-survey.pdf">atisfy all of their financial and psychological needs</a>. Instead, people are turning to building a portfolio of simultaneous roles to create their career. </p>
<p>With <a href="https://hbr.org/2021/10/why-you-should-build-a-career-portfolio-not-a-career-path">“career portfolioing,”</a> employees become free agents, relying increasingly on themselves to carve out a meaningful and rewarding professional life. They put together a mosaic of positions to collectively fulfill their aspirations around income, advancement, skill development and enjoyment. They are no longer subject to a longstanding relationship with a single, lifetime employer, or dependent on a strong job market.</p>
<p>One sign of the rise of career portfolioing is the increase in side hustles. In 2021, 34% of Americans reported having a side hustle, and over <a href="https://zapier.com/blog/side-hustle-report/">60 million people planned to start one</a>. As inflation rose, side hustles provided extra income in the face of soaring prices. But people also turned to side hustles for new learning opportunities (28%) and to find more enjoyable work (38%).</p>
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<p>In research I’ve been conducting on side hustles in the sharing economy, I am finding that many people take these gigs to compensate for limited control in their “traditional” jobs. Although gig work comes with its own set of challenges – lack of benefits is a key one – people feel liberated by greater control over where, when and how they work. Switching on an app shifts allegiance from one company to another. Turning off an app ends the workday in an instant. People rely on side hustles to earn additional income but also because of the freedom that comes from being an independent worker.</p>
<p>Another benefit of portfolioing is hedging risk. Sudden layoffs, such as those recently <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/14/1136659617/tech-layoffs-amazon-meta-twitter">affecting the tech industry</a>, leave people feeling exposed to financial hardship and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(93)90316-V">identity loss from being involuntarily sent to the exit</a>. When facing difficult times at one job, people can turn to other parts of their career portfolio for security and stability.</p>
<h2>Taking action on values</h2>
<p>During the pandemic, people’s sense of mortality increased as the threat of serious illness or even death spread. Such times often prompt a deep reflection on values, including the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000983">purpose of work</a>. When people took stock of their jobs, many did not like what they saw and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000983">quit at record numbers</a>. Or, if they stayed, they increasingly pushed employers to align better with their values. </p>
<p>Historically, business organizations stayed quiet about controversial social issues, such as LGBTQ rights, racial justice and abortion – unless there was a <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/corporations-stay-silent-abortion">very direct profit motive</a>. That’s changed dramatically as employees increasingly <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/01/most-workers-want-their-employer-to-share-their-values.html">demand clarity on company values</a> – and actions to back them up. Sixty percent of workers approve of <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/30/workers-eager-to-see-corporate-bosses-speak-out-on-politics.html">business leaders speaking out on social and political issues</a>, and one quarter of respondents to a recent survey reported turning down a job opportunity <a href="https://profilemagazine.com/2022/workers-want-companies-to-speak-out-about-social-issues/">because of a company’s position on social issues</a>. </p>
<p>Employees, too, appear to be more comfortable expressing their views. At the beginning of the century, I conducted <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-00845-004">one of my first research studies</a> on understanding how employees convince their workplaces to take a stance on divisive social issues. I found that employees concealed their values by framing them as economic opportunities. For example, sustainability initiatives around energy efficiency were cast as good for the bottom line.</p>
<p>When I recently <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2019-02020-001">ran a similar study</a>, the dynamics had shifted. Employees were much more willing to talk about moral values and less willing to translate social issues into business issues. Such a dramatic reversal reflects employees’ growing sense of empowerment to make work more aligned with their needs. It’s hard to feel in control of your life if you need to suppress or even contradict deeply held values at a place where you spend most of your waking day.</p>
<h2>A better future for work</h2>
<p>Career portfolioing reflects a future in which uncertainty is too high to rely on a single institution to fulfill basic needs, and a failure of modern work organizations to deliver what employees truly value. </p>
<p>For employees, career portfolioing means more latitude over how their career unfolds. Instead of rising to the next rung of an often pre-defined and inflexible corporate ladder, they might instead think about the next addition to their portfolio, whether starting a new part-time job, taking a new class or pursuing a business idea. Elements of a career portfolio not only get added to produce income or personal growth, but also to support a person’s values. </p>
<p>No doubt, there are potential obstacles. Taking responsibility for a career portfolio requires additional effort. In our book “<a href="https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/marie-kondo/joy-at-work/9781549122552/">Joy at Work</a>,” co-author Marie Kondo and I find that it’s all too easy to take on too many tasks and subsequently burn out. People get trapped into thinking the more they do, the better they’ll feel. Avoiding burnout starts with anchoring a career portfolio based on values and an ideal work life.</p>
<p>For employers, career portfolioing means competing for the full attention of their own workforce. I believe it should prompt a deeper reflection about how to better meet the needs of employees – or else they may leave or <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/398306/quiet-quitting-real.aspx">quiet quit</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194036/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Scott Sonenshein does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>‘Career portfolioing’ is a trend where people assemble different sources of income, such as side gigs, to give them a measure of independence from employers who provide little job security.Scott Sonenshein, Professor of Management, Rice UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1955202022-12-12T21:46:34Z2022-12-12T21:46:34ZElon Musk’s archaic management style prioritizes profit over people<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500090/original/file-20221209-40753-65pkn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=9%2C0%2C3109%2C2093&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Elon Musk's cold, impersonal approach to management treats employees like cogs in a machine instead of human beings.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Patrick Pleul/Pool via AP)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has been rocky, to say the least. Since <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63402338">taking over the company on Oct. 28</a>, Musk <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/technology/elon-musk-twitter-takeover.html">has made a number of changes to the platform</a>, resulting in widespread chaos and turmoil within the company.</p>
<p>Within days of taking over Twitter’s operations, Musk <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/27/elon-musk-fired-top-twitter-execs-including-ceo-reports-say/">fired top executives</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/technology/elon-musk-twitter-layoffs.html">half of the company’s 7,500 employees</a>, ignored advice to <a href="https://newsone.com/4448007/elon-musk-twitter-diversity-concerns/">not disproportionately fire employees representing diversity and inclusion</a> and has likely <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-it-may-not-matter-whether-elon-musk-broke-us-labor-laws-with-his-mass-firings-at-twitter-194149">violated employment labour laws and breached employee contracts</a>.</p>
<p>Then on Nov. 16, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/16/tech/elon-musk-email-ultimatum-twitter/index.html">Musk sent an email to remaining workers with an ultimatum</a>: commit to being “extremely hardcore” or leave the company. <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/16/23462026/elon-musk-twitter-email-hardcore-or-severance">The letter continued</a>: “This will mean working long hours at high intensity. Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade.” Some workers reportedly ended up sleeping in their offices.</p>
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<p>None of this is new for Musk. He already had a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/21/technology/elon-musk-twitter-management.html">history of dismissing executives on a whim</a> and <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/21/tesla-sued-by-former-workers-for-allegedly-violating-federal-law-during-mass-layoffs/">committing mass layoffs at Tesla</a>.</p>
<p>Musk’s cold, impersonal approach to management and leadership is antithetical to what we have learned about kinder, more humanistic approaches to work. Management approaches like Musk’s threaten <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/xe/en/insights/topics/strategy/characteristics-resilient-organizations.html">current business management practices that advocate for healthy, happy and engaged workplaces</a>. </p>
<h2>Cogs in a machine</h2>
<p>Musk adheres to a mechanistic style of management that <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.09.032">treats employees like cogs in a machine, rather than human beings</a>. It’s a well-meaning, but naive indulgence that sacrifices employee well-being for the sake of profit.</p>
<p>The idea of workers being an inert, programmable tool of production has been around for at least a century. One of the earliest proponents of management theory was American engineer Frederick Taylor, who published the landmark text <em><a href="https://archive.org/details/principlesofscie00taylrich/page/n5/mode/2up">The Principles of Scientific Management</a></em> in 1910. In it, Taylor wrote: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“In the past man has been first. In the future the system must be first…In our scheme, we do not ask for the initiative of our men. We do not want any initiative. All we want of them is to obey the orders we give them, do what we say, and do it quick.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>To Taylor’s credit, the practical application of mechanistic management <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JMH-05-2012-0043">did result in significant increases in productivity and the economic performance</a> of enterprises. The “people are just machines” approach, however, has a number of shortcomings. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://socio-cultural.knukim.edu.ua/article/view/219797/219517">spread of mechanistic ideas led to employee exploitation</a>, increased staff turnover, conflicts between management and workers and — contrary to supporters of the mechanistic approach — did not lead to the desired harmony and cooperation in enterprises.</p>
<p>This is largely due to the fact that the human factor was given a secondary role to machinery and equipment. This meant that the means of production were valued more than the emotional state of employees. As it turns out, workers are indeed emotional, sentient beings with minds of their own. They are better at their jobs when they are treated as such.</p>
<p>This approach didn’t go unchallenged at the time, however. The rise of mechanistic management resulted in a major backlash from the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1885989">widespread North American unionization movement</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A hand holds a phone with the Twitter logo on it in front of a screen that also has the Twitter logo on it" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500092/original/file-20221209-19531-dc3f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500092/original/file-20221209-19531-dc3f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500092/original/file-20221209-19531-dc3f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500092/original/file-20221209-19531-dc3f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500092/original/file-20221209-19531-dc3f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500092/original/file-20221209-19531-dc3f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500092/original/file-20221209-19531-dc3f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Twitter’s workforce has been cut in half since Musk’s takeover.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Human-centric work</h2>
<p>The humanistic approach to management arose in response to the pitfalls of mechanistic management. A <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781452276090">humanistic approach prioritizes</a> emotionally healthy workplaces, gender equity, respect, anti-harassment, employee engagement, <a href="https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/52941/1/Cooper_JOHP_2013_The_intrinsic_foundations_of_extrinsic_motivations_and_goals.pdf">the benefits of intrinsic over extrinsic rewards</a> (feeling good about your work versus making lots of money) and conflict management. </p>
<p>Emotional intelligence, which includes concepts like compassion, empathy, respect and active listening, is also valued in human-centred workplaces. Extensive research on emotional intelligence, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eli-Sopow/publication/262836592_The_Reality_of_Respect_Respectful_workplace_literature_review_and_employee_survey_analysis_2012/links/0f3175391450b2d564000000/The-Reality-of-Respect-Respectful-workplace-literature-review-and-employee-survey-analysis-2012.pdf">including my own</a>, shows that it <a href="https://www.eiconsortium.org/reports/business_case_for_ei.html">increases morale, productivity and goal achievement</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/elon-musk-business-leaders-should-be-compassionate-heres-the-evidence-to-prove-it-195585">Elon Musk: business leaders should be compassionate – here's the evidence to prove it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The concept of a more humanistic workplace, which is less linear, more organic and prone to evolving than a mechanistic one, has been growing exponentially since the pandemic started. Job dissatisfaction has resulted in <a href="https://theconversation.com/management-is-so-passe-its-co-creation-that-workers-are-demanding-171574">employees demanding more human-centric workplaces</a> and standing up for their rights in the workplace.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/04/01/the-growing-importance-of-employee-wellness-how-are-you-responding/">As business journalist Tom Gibby said in <em>Forbes</em></a>, employees “are being clear about their needs and wants. If their current employer doesn’t meet those needs, they are finding a new one that does.” </p>
<h2>Re-writing workplace relations</h2>
<p>It’s clear that Musk’s workplace culture is anything but healthy. The Government of Canada’s Health Human Resource Strategy <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-care-system/health-human-resources/strategy.html">defines a healthy work environment as</a> the following: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“A work setting that takes a strategic and comprehensive approach to providing the physical, cultural, psychological and work conditions that maximize the health and well being of providers, improves the quality of care and optimizes organizational performance.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Musk is setting a dangerous precedent for other businesses to follow. If his approach to management proves to be successful for Twitter, it could result in other business leaders following his example.</p>
<p>While it might be tempting to follow in Musk’s footsteps, such a decision would go against years of workplace research that shows the positive correlation between how employees feel at work, their emotional and physical wellness, and an organization’s success.</p>
<p>Following in his muddy and erratic footsteps would also result in resurrecting archaic lessons of Taylorism that treat employees like inanimate objects. If this happens, we will surely see an increase in worker-led organization efforts. The <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3659194/tech-firms-face-unionization-push-as-amazon-and-apple-workers-organize.html">latest pushes for unionization at Amazon and Apple are proof</a> that employees are willing to stand up for their rights if they are not being valued.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195520/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eli Sopow does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>If Elon Musk’s aggressive management style proves to be successful for Twitter, it could result in other business leaders following suit and turning to unhealthy leadership practices.Eli Sopow, Associate Professor, MBA Faculty of Leadership & People Management, University Canada WestLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1955372022-12-11T13:32:47Z2022-12-11T13:32:47ZWhat do workers want? 5 key takeaways from the first citizens’ assembly on workplace democracy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499354/original/file-20221206-8459-g702oy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=22%2C33%2C7293%2C4715&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Ontario Assembly on Workplace Democracy examined how everyday people experience work and what they want done to make work better and their voices heard.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine receiving a letter informing you that your job is relocating to another province. Your employment is contingent upon you moving and your employer refuses to discuss it with you. </p>
<p>Or imagine developing an innovative plan for more flexible at-home work options that will reduce your company’s carbon emissions and save your employer money. Your manager, instead of praising your efforts, admonishes you and tells you to focus on your core work — not to “rock the boat.”</p>
<p>Workers around the world face dilemmas like these on a regular basis. At their core, they touch on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12528">the notion of worker voice</a>: workers’ capacities and opportunities to speak up and effect change at work. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/quiet-quitting-and-the-great-resignation-have-a-common-cause-dissatisfied-workers-feel-they-cant-speak-up-in-the-workplace-190390">Quiet quitting and the great resignation have a common cause – dissatisfied workers feel they can't speak up in the workplace</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In light of the impacts of the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnnywarstrom/2021/04/08/the-effects-of-the-pandemic-mean-that-employee-voice-has-never-been-more-important/?sh=a32624068925">COVID-19 pandemic</a>, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/labour-talks-in-good-faith-1.6659193">recent labour disputes</a>, concerns about <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2021/11/30/the-labor-shortage-is-a-quality-jobs-shortage/?sh=38c25b8429b2">worker shortages</a> and <a href="https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-fuqua-insights/hemant-kakkar-value-employee-voice-firms-address-racism-inequality">racism and inequality</a>, a growing chorus of people are asking: how can all workers have the opportunity to meaningfully influence workplace decisions and have their voices heard?</p>
<h2>Worker voice</h2>
<p>Worker voice doesn’t just empower workers. It also has <a href="https://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/workplace_democracy_for_the_21st_century">wide-ranging benefits for employers and broader society as well</a>. It can help protect workers’ interests, improve workplace performance and contribute to societal democratization.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, unless Canadian workers are covered by a collective agreement, opportunities to shape decisions at work are largely at the whim of their employer. This leads to situations in which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0019793918806250">some workers have ample opportunities</a> to speak up at work, while others — often those more marginalized — have almost none.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A crowd of people holding CUPE signs and flags marching down a sidewalk" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499095/original/file-20221205-5837-c9nhld.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499095/original/file-20221205-5837-c9nhld.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499095/original/file-20221205-5837-c9nhld.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499095/original/file-20221205-5837-c9nhld.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499095/original/file-20221205-5837-c9nhld.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499095/original/file-20221205-5837-c9nhld.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499095/original/file-20221205-5837-c9nhld.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Canadian Union of Public Employees education workers strike on the picket line in Kingston, Ont., on Nov. 4, 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Even our most robust channels, like collective bargaining and grievance procedures, have been <a href="https://doi.org/10.7202/014764ar">criticized by some as being too adversarial</a> or not protective enough of individual rights and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3526-2">interests of their diverse membership</a>.</p>
<p>Clearly, our practices and systems need an upgrade. The question is: what kind of upgrade would best serve workers and our economy as a whole?</p>
<h2>Building a democratic assembly</h2>
<p>To tackle this issue, we gathered a group of 32 Ontarians to serve in the <a href="https://www.cirhr.utoronto.ca/news-events/ontario-assembly-workplace-democracy">Ontario Assembly on Workplace Democracy</a> (OAWD). This was a first-of-its-kind effort that used a democratic innovation known as a “<a href="https://participedia.net/method/4258">citizens’ assembly</a>.”</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499347/original/file-20221206-2849-ashu5x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An infographic showing that 25 lottery participants came from southern Ontario, 5 came from eastern Ontario and 2 came from northern Ontario" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499347/original/file-20221206-2849-ashu5x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499347/original/file-20221206-2849-ashu5x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499347/original/file-20221206-2849-ashu5x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499347/original/file-20221206-2849-ashu5x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499347/original/file-20221206-2849-ashu5x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=735&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499347/original/file-20221206-2849-ashu5x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=735&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499347/original/file-20221206-2849-ashu5x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=735&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A map showing a geographical breakdown of where participants were from.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://freevectormaps.com/canada/ontario/CA-ON-EPS-01-0001?ref=atr">(FreeVectorMaps.com)</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The process involved selecting individuals through a <a href="https://www.masslbp.com/s/civiclotteryguide.pdf">democratic lottery</a>, which generated a group of participants representative of the diversity of the province in their union status, sector, gender, income level and age. They were far from the usual suspects typically involved in policy discussions about this topic.</p>
<p>Over five intensive working sessions spanning the summer and fall of 2022, OAWD members re-imagined how workers shape organizational decision-making in Ontario. </p>
<p>They had frank conversations with each other about their experiences speaking up at work, developed principles that should underpin any robust system of worker voice, and brainstormed recommendations for employers, unions and governments to improve worker voice. These discussions were aided by a dedicated team of facilitators and a diverse group of expert and stakeholder witnesses. </p>
<h2>Barriers to worker voice</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://www.cirhr.utoronto.ca/sites/www.cirhr.utoronto.ca/files/OAWD%20Final%20Report%20-%20Dec%202022.pdf">final report compiling the participants’ main conclusions</a> has just been published through the University of Toronto’s Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, which sponsored the project.</p>
<p>Insights from the final report have much to offer to workers, managers, labour advocates and policymakers. First, they pointed to numerous challenges and barriers people face when speaking up at work that need to be addressed.</p>
<p>Some of these barriers included fearing retaliation and negative repercussions from employers and a lack of structured opportunities for having their voices heard at work. Participants also highlighted that many people lacked basic information and knowledge about worker voice, <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/rights-workplace.html">government protections under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms</a> and <a href="https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/rfc-dlc/ccrf-ccdl/check/art2d.html">their right to unionize</a>.</p>
<p>Participants also highlighted how traditionally marginalized groups of workers, like migrant workers or those with disabilities, face systematic barriers to voice, especially when they brought up concerns about discrimination at work. </p>
<h2>Report recommendations</h2>
<p>After identifying these barriers, assembly participants produced a set of 14 comprehensive recommendations for improving worker voice. These recommendations were grounded in a common set of values, including the financial success and sustainability of the participants’ employers, a greater balance of power between workers and their employers, and accountability. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man, wearing wireless ear buds and sitting at a desk, speaks on a video call" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499355/original/file-20221206-7109-ashu5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499355/original/file-20221206-7109-ashu5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499355/original/file-20221206-7109-ashu5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499355/original/file-20221206-7109-ashu5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499355/original/file-20221206-7109-ashu5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499355/original/file-20221206-7109-ashu5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499355/original/file-20221206-7109-ashu5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Meeting virtually via Zoom over five sessions, assembly members came up with ways for workers to have more of a say in decision-making and imagine a better future for their workplaces.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Managers, labour advocates and policymakers interested in worker voice can get started on five of these recommendations right now. Firstly, all of these groups can — and should — do a better job of educating workers about their rights and responsibilities when it comes to voicing ideas and concerns at work.</p>
<p>Secondly, employers can implement best practices to encourage worker voice at work, through things like worker councils and self-managed teams. Thirdly, employers should also ensure workers are both incentivized and protected to use these tools and resources. Fourthly, employers should measure their progress toward improving worker voice, and benchmark it against their competitors.</p>
<p>And lastly, labour unions can open themselves up to more involvement from their diverse membership and provide greater transparency about their finances and decision-making processes.</p>
<h2>Worker perspectives are critical</h2>
<p>While worker voice is important, it often flies under our collective radar. To date, much of the void has been filled by academics, think tanks and organizations like chambers of commerce and labour unions. But the perspective of everyday people is just as important.</p>
<p>The OAWD put a spotlight on how everyday people experience work and what they want done to make work better and their voices heard. Participants embraced their responsibility and worked hard to deliver on the assembly’s mandate. </p>
<p>To improve the ability of workers to have a say in workplace decision-making, these recommendations should be read and considered widely by policymakers, politicians, the media and the broader public. It is up to these leaders to listen to workers and take the necessary steps to create fairer, safer, more inclusive and sustainable workplaces.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195537/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Pek served as the Steering Committee Lead for the Ontario Assembly on Workplace Democracy. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rafael Gomez is Director of The Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources (CIRHR) at the University of Toronto, which sponsored OAWD. Rafael Gomez also Chaired the steering committee of the OAWD.</span></em></p>Improving the ability for worker’s voices and perspectives to be heard in the workplace could have wide ranging benefits for employers and broader society at large.Simon Pek, Associate Professor of Business and Society, Gustavson School of Business, University of VictoriaRafael Gomez, Professor of Employment Relations, Director of Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1907262022-11-30T16:39:57Z2022-11-30T16:39:57ZWhy corporate diversity statements are backfiring — Podcast<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484690/original/file-20220914-4859-hda7on.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=123%2C114%2C5768%2C3816&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's been two years since corporations jumped on the diversity bandwagon after the tragic murder of George Floyd. They spoke about anti-Black racism and asserted their solidarity but promises are different than action. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Christina Wocintechchat/Unsplash)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/99d5e829-34b2-412c-933b-d767d5c45faf?dark=true"></iframe>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-572" class="tc-infographic" height="100" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/572/661898416fdc21fc4fdef6a5379efd7cac19d9d5/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Equity, diversity, inclusion are buzzwords that may evoke social change, but for some they conjure empty promises on a glossy corporate brochure or statement at the bottom of a job listing. </p>
<p>How do institutions make actual change? Join us <a href="https://dont-call-me-resilient.simplecast.com/episodes/tokenism">on this episode of <em>Don’t Call Me Resilient</em></a> as we speak with Professor Sonia Kang to discuss the pitfalls of tokenism and how institutions uphold institutional racism. She also shares some tips on how to thrive in the workspace.</p>
<p>In 2020, when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, worldwide protests against anti-Black police brutality prompted corporations to rush to address racism. They put out statements of solidarity and in some cases, affirmations of their commitment to anti-racism in the workplace. </p>
<p>But University of Toronto Prof. Kang says that without action-plans to back up those ideas, those statements can cause harm. They can lead to greater blocks to success for racialized employees and job seekers.</p>
<p>Join us and listen to <em>Don’t Call Me Resilient</em> as we speak with Prof. Kang to discuss her work and personal experiences. Kang is a Canada Research Chair in Identity, Diversity and Inclusion and host of the podcast <a href="https://www.sonia-kang.com/podcast"><em>For the Love of Work</em></a>. </p>
<p>From performative allyship in the workplace to resumé whitening practices in job applications to the grey area in being a “diversity hire” or the first racialized employee, explore the many facets of tokenism and how we can challenge and reshape the institutional practices that keep racialized employees from thriving in the workplace.</p>
<h2>Follow and Listen</h2>
<p>You can listen to or follow <em>Don’t Call Me Resilient</em> on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/dont-call-me-resilient/id1549798876">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9qZFg0Ql9DOA">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/37tK4zmjWvq2Sh6jLIpzp7">Spotify</a> or <a href="https://dont-call-me-resilient.simplecast.com">wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts</a>. <a href="mailto:theculturedesk@theconversation.com">We’d love to hear from you</a>, including any ideas for future episodes. Join The Conversation on <a href="https://twitter.com/ConversationCA">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheConversationCanada">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theconversationdotcom/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theconversation">TikTok</a> and use #DontCallMeResilient.</p>
<h2>Sources</h2>
<p><a href="https://hbr.org/2016/03/the-unintended-consequences-of-diversity-statements">The Unintended Consequences of Diversity Statements</a></p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0001839216639577">Whitened Résumés: Race and Self-Presentation in the Labor Market</a> </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2019.103318">Stereotypes at work: Occupational stereotypes predict race and gender segregation in the workforce</a></p>
<p><a href="https://business.vanderbilt.edu/news/2018/02/26/tokenism-in-the-workplace/">What Is Tokenism, and Why Does It Matter in the Workplace?
</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90751644/the-rise-of-supertokenism-and-what-organizations-get-wrong-about-dei">What is supertokenism and how can companies avoid it?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221113762">How Racism “Gets Under the Skin”: An Examination of the Physical- and Mental-Health Costs of Culturally Compelled Coping</a></p>
<h2>Articles in The Conversation</h2>
<p>Read the companion article to this episode of <em>Don’t Call Me Resilient</em>:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/being-the-only-one-at-work-and-the-decades-long-fight-against-anti-black-racism-192309">“Being the ‘only one’ at work and the decades long fight against anti-Black racism” by Christopher Taylor</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/canadian-universities-10-years-of-anti-racist-reports-but-little-action-153033">Canadian universities: 10 years of anti-racist reports but little action</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/corporate-diversity-targets-could-help-dismantle-systemic-racism-143665">Corporate diversity targets could help dismantle systemic racism</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-ceos-want-to-promote-diversity-they-have-to-walk-the-talk-172275">If CEOs want to promote diversity, they have to 'walk the talk'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/diversity-in-the-workplace-must-be-matched-with-an-atmosphere-of-genuine-inclusion-173352">Diversity in the workplace must be matched with an atmosphere of genuine inclusion</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/being-the-only-one-at-work-and-the-decades-long-fight-against-anti-black-racism-192309">Being the 'only one' at work and the decades long fight against anti-Black racism</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/inclusion-starts-with-better-management-heres-what-employees-say-about-making-diversity-work-141878">Inclusion starts with better management – here's what employees say about making diversity work</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<h2>Transcript</h2>
<p>The unedited version of the transcript is available <a href="https://dont-call-me-resilient.simplecast.com/episodes/tokenism/transcript">here</a>. </p>
<p><em>Don’t Call Me Resilient is produced in partnership with the Journalism Innovation Lab at the University of British Columbia and with a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190726/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Corporations may have amped up their diversity statements, but their promises to promote anti-racist cultures without action plans can lead to greater blocks to success for racialized employees.Vinita Srivastava, Host + Producer, Don't Call Me ResilientDannielle Piper, Associate Producer, Don't Call Me Resilient, The ConversationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1941362022-11-27T13:09:10Z2022-11-27T13:09:10ZDiversity in the workplace isn’t enough: Businesses need to work toward inclusion<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496579/original/file-20221121-18104-iwtkve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=331%2C110%2C6277%2C4074&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Inclusion goes beyond diversity by not just identifying differences, but celebrating and integrating them into daily work life.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Diversity is now widely <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/04/business-case-for-diversity-in-the-workplace/">believed to be good for business</a>. In the corporate world, it’s often referred to as Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training or awareness. </p>
<p>Not surprisingly, there is now a desire across all sectors to understand how organizations can harness diversity and inclusion to increase employee performance and well-being. Yet workplace <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/08/25/workplace-diversity-programmes-often-fail-or-backfire">diversity programs can often be ineffective, or even backfire</a>. And when they do work, <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2015.0252">some programs can be unsustainable</a>.</p>
<p>Why does this happen? One reason is that, despite best intentions and companies wanting to hire diverse employees, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-32755-019">organizations are often not equipped or ready to adapt their work environment to sustain diversity</a>. </p>
<p>This can lead to conflict within organizations, as well as a lack of belonging and acceptance by the new employees hired. In other words, the employees may be diverse, but they do not feel included. Employees <a href="https://doi.org/10.5175/JSWE.2012.201000101">who do not feel included are less likely to stay</a>.</p>
<h2>Inclusion goes beyond diversity</h2>
<p>Perhaps it is not a surprise, then, that scholars have called for a shift in emphasis <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118764282.ch1">from studying <em>diversity</em> in the workplace to studying <em>inclusion</em> in the workplace</a>, arguing that although diversity and inclusion are interrelated concepts, they are distinct. </p>
<p>How is inclusion different from diversity? Defining features of inclusive climates are reflected in policies, procedures and actions at all levels of an organization. Inclusive organizations are consistent with fair treatment of everyone, with a deliberate focus on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886317702608">groups that historically have fewer opportunities and who are still stigmatized</a> within our society. </p>
<p>Importantly, inclusion goes beyond diversity. Differences among individuals are not just identified, but are celebrated and integrated into daily work life. These differences are also woven into the organization’s culture through policies, climate, leadership and practices. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man sits facing away from the camera, talking to two women at a desk. One of the women is wearing a hijab." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496581/original/file-20221121-12-dpaejk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496581/original/file-20221121-12-dpaejk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496581/original/file-20221121-12-dpaejk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496581/original/file-20221121-12-dpaejk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496581/original/file-20221121-12-dpaejk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496581/original/file-20221121-12-dpaejk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496581/original/file-20221121-12-dpaejk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Managers play a key role in creating an inclusive workplace environment by making opportunities for dialogue about and across differences, and demonstrating an interest in authentic diversity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Fundamentally, an inclusive climate is a diverse environment within an organization that values the contribution of all employees. It is a workplace climate where people with different beliefs, perceptions and observable characteristics are able to work effectively with others, feel valued, and have strong feelings of belonging within that organizational context.</p>
<p>This begs the question: How does an organization create an inclusive workplace?</p>
<h2>All voices must be heard</h2>
<p>Members of the majority may feel targeted by EDIA programs and can have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54925-5">concerns about “reverse discrimination</a>,” leading to conflict within the group. If majority group members end up feeling “passed over,” they could become resentful and create an unwelcoming, negative work environment for new hires who may be perceived as under-qualified. </p>
<p>To combat this, organizations need to understand both the experiences of the minority and majority within an organization. Organizations must ensure that barriers and concerns are understood, and proactive steps towards inclusion are taken. Employers need to understand their current workplace climate and learn what practices need to be addressed and implemented into their organization’s culture.</p>
<p><strong>1. Harness the power of inclusive leaders</strong></p>
<p>Managers are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-05-2012-0041">responsible for creating inclusion in the workplace</a>. They must: show that they are comfortable with diversity; alter the rules of acceptable behaviour to adapt to the new culture; create opportunities for dialogue about and across differences; demonstrate an interest in authentic (and in some cases learning <em>to be</em> authentic) diversity; and encourage authenticity in others. </p>
<p>Recent research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.07.002">a leader’s pro-diversity beliefs, humility and cognitive complexity</a> increase the likelihood of inclusive behaviours, which in turn, has positive behavioural outcomes related to job performance, creativity and reduced turnover rates.</p>
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<img alt="A group of diverse people chat together in front of people working in cubicles" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496567/original/file-20221121-14-8w6o2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496567/original/file-20221121-14-8w6o2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496567/original/file-20221121-14-8w6o2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496567/original/file-20221121-14-8w6o2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496567/original/file-20221121-14-8w6o2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496567/original/file-20221121-14-8w6o2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496567/original/file-20221121-14-8w6o2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Organizations need to understand both the experiences of the minority and majority within an organization and ensure everyone feels heard and understood.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p><strong>2. Intentional and involved decision-making</strong></p>
<p>Inclusive practices within an organization include <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310385943">ensuring there is participation in decision-making</a>, <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1298591">proper communication and facilitation</a>, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0021-9010.93.1.170">conflict resolution procedures</a>, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20225">a safe work environment</a>. Without participation in decision-making, it is unlikely that people will feel valued and develop strong feelings of belonging in an organization.</p>
<p><strong>3. An open and welcoming start</strong></p>
<p>It is important to start with the end in mind. Inclusive practices should begin at the very moment newcomers to an organization begin their tenure. There is a positive relationship between <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2000.tb00193.x">employee workplace onboarding and organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and job performance</a>. Employee onboarding <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.3.707">also reduces quitting intentions</a>. </p>
<p>New employee onboarding should not only focus on orientating newcomers to the organization, but is also a chance to familiarize newcomers with its inclusive practices and communicate that their unique beliefs, perceptions and characteristics are welcome and valued. </p>
<p>In situations where new hires may be the only person coming from a specific group of people, navigating the workplace becomes difficult and can feel exclusionary. Having access to mentors and colleagues with similar lived experience is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-007-9029-y">beneficial for transition and overall retention</a>.</p>
<h2>Shared responsibility</h2>
<p>It’s important to understand that, although these workplace attitudes and behaviours can shed light on how new employees relate to their workplaces, they don’t tell us how much new employees feel they can participate in decision-making, or how welcoming, healthy, and safe their work environment is. There is always work to be done to improve workplace culture.</p>
<p>Inclusion is everyone’s responsibility and doesn’t end after the hiring stage. If organizations truly want to retain diverse employees and have them be successful, they need to make consistent and sustained efforts to support the integration of these employees in the workplace.</p>
<p>The goal of EDIA programs is to help organizations develop an inclusive organizational climate and design employee onboarding training that focuses on the employees’ sense of belonging and well-being. A truly inclusive approach needs to create an inclusive climate, have inclusive leaders and implement inclusive practices.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194136/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Steven Smith receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katelynn Carter-Rogers receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Vurain Tabvuma receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>If organizations truly want to retain diverse employees and have them be successful, they need to make consistent and sustained efforts to support inclusion.Steven Smith, Professor of Psychology, Saint Mary’s UniversityKatelynn Carter-Rogers, Assistant Professor of Management, Indigenous Business, St. Francis Xavier UniversityVurain Tabvuma, Associate Professor, Sobey School of Business Management, Saint Mary’s UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1904892022-11-17T20:40:01Z2022-11-17T20:40:01Z5 ways to create a compassionate workplace culture and help workers recover from burnout<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495481/original/file-20221115-23-xns9l3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=112%2C0%2C3147%2C1471&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Creating a compassionate workplace culture involves acknowledging people's challenges,
even related to apparently small matters, in professionally appropriate ways. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/5-ways-to-create-a-compassionate-workplace-culture-and--help-workers-recover-from-burnout" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>We live in tumultuous times which can create an added layer of uncertainty for employees who need to build relationships with students, patients or clients. Providing calm, confident and warm <a href="https://www.edcan.ca/articles/teacher-emotional-well-being/">emotional labour</a> can be difficult for people experiencing burnout, grief or compassion fatigue. </p>
<p>I have been studying the <a href="https://doi.org/10.18848/2156-8960/CGP/v13i01/31-55">impact of compassion fatigue and burnout</a>, as well as the nature of emotional labour, in educational settings. </p>
<p>Workplace culture has emerged as a critical element to prevent burnout and support employees experiencing emotional distress.</p>
<p>Organizations that promote a sense of <a href="https://doi.org/10.2189/asqu.51.1.59">collective compassion</a> — by supporting noticing, feeling and acting on the suffering of others at the workplace — may see improvements in both <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199734610.013.0021">employee performance and job satisfaction</a>. </p>
<h2>Compassionate work culture</h2>
<p>The emotions of sympathy, empathy and compassion play an important role in developing a compassionate work culture, by helping us pay attention, in professionally appropriate ways, to the suffering of our students, patients, clients, colleagues, managers and leaders. </p>
<p>Sympathy — the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0269216316663499">superficial recognition of the distress of another individual</a> — is the first step towards developing a compassionate workplace. It helps us notice the suffering of others. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://cmha.ca/empathy-a-skill-you-can-learn/">emotion of empathy</a> compels us to take the time and attention to investigate and understand the response of the individual in distress. Compassion is noticing, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/pspi0000010">feeling and then acting on the suffering of others</a>. </p>
<p>Workers’ acknowledgement and response to these emotions vary according to their professional duties and boundaries. But compassionate action can make the difference at the workplace, whether through small moments of kind interpersonal interaction or sustained collective effort to address complex and multifaceted challenges. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A figure seen with arrows pointing to a cloud or a heart." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495457/original/file-20221115-12-mtcg5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495457/original/file-20221115-12-mtcg5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495457/original/file-20221115-12-mtcg5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495457/original/file-20221115-12-mtcg5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495457/original/file-20221115-12-mtcg5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495457/original/file-20221115-12-mtcg5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495457/original/file-20221115-12-mtcg5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Sympathy helps us notice the suffering of another human being.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Responding to co-workers</h2>
<p>An example of how these emotions help to create a compassionate workplace would be the familiar case of a person struggling with a new software program, such as an expense reporting system. </p>
<p>A sympathetic response by a colleague would be to notice that a co-worker is spending too much time inputting their expenses into the management system, and to say, “The new system is tricky! Good luck!” and then walk away.</p>
<p>Empathy would prompt the colleague to seek to understand what the co-worker was already doing (rather than jumping in with an immediate solution) so that the colleague can figure out the origin of the frustration. Empathetic listening takes time.</p>
<p>Having felt similarly frustrated, the colleague may feel compassion and feel compelled to act by scheduling time during the next reporting period to sit with and help the co-worker complete their expense submission. If, through empathetic listening and compassionate action, further action is warranted, the colleague may offer to raise the problem as a larger systemic issue related to software training with management.</p>
<h2>Compassion in action</h2>
<p>Building an organizational culture that encourages compassion requires employers and employees to create time and space for listening. The <a href="https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma">cause of a person’s distress</a>, whether displayed in the workplace or not, can be complex, multi-faceted and not easily solved.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.academia.edu/19886190/Figley_C_R_1995_Compassion_Fatigue_Toward_a_New_Understanding_of_the_Costs_of_Caring">Compassion satisfaction</a>, or the joy and pleasure of providing care to others, provides the caregiver with the long-term fortitude to help others. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/commit-to-a-wellness-streak-to-help-manage-work-stressors-174592">Commit to a 'wellness streak' to help manage work stressors</a>
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<p>While compassion is <a href="https://www.drshanesinclair.com/blog/sympathy-empathy-and-compassion">not itself limited or easily extinguished</a>, acting on it can be slowed or stopped by burnout or compassion fatigue. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A heart made of lego has some of the pieces flying away." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495464/original/file-20221115-13-url2je.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495464/original/file-20221115-13-url2je.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495464/original/file-20221115-13-url2je.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495464/original/file-20221115-13-url2je.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495464/original/file-20221115-13-url2je.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495464/original/file-20221115-13-url2je.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495464/original/file-20221115-13-url2je.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Acting on compassion is interrupted when people are living with compassion fatigue or burnout.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Moral distress</h2>
<p>The symptoms of compassion fatigue include <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351030021">a changed worldview to negative, helplessness, hopelessness and disassociation from the individual in distress</a>. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205">main symptoms of burnout</a> are physical fatigue, mental and emotional exhaustion, feeling unacknowledged or unimportant and viewing the people one serves and one’s colleagues with apathy or a lack of care. </p>
<p>These symptoms can hinder a compassionate individual from acting on their emotions, creating <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ruCrBwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA246&dq=burnout,+compassion+fatigue,+and+moral+distress&ots=J9JcX_tkIl&sig=pOhCGRdLWz4IHh19W_Ww1ZjtqEU&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=burnout%2C%20compassion%20fatigue%2C%20and%20moral%20distress&f=false">moral distress</a> for employees who want to be helpful, but do not have the time, energy or fortitude to act on their sympathy. </p>
<p><strong>Employers can ignite sympathy, empathy and compassion by:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><p>Encouraging rest for fatigued or burned-out workers. Rest is not only related to following a <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/sleep">healthy sleep schedule</a>. It also includes actions like choosing a hard stop time for answering emails or thinking about clients’ needs each day, using allotted personal days, de-stigmatizing personal leaves for mentally or emotionally exhausted employees and having a judgement-free return to work plan. </p></li>
<li><p>Educating employees and managers about how to access organizational and local resources, such as benefits plans, crisis hotlines and mental health clinics. Rarely are individuals equipped — nor should they be — to take on the emotional and mental work of healing people who have experienced traumatic events, so knowing where help is provided can lighten the workers’ and leaders’ role. </p></li>
<li><p>Ensuring that leaders (both formal and informal) model the importance of rest by scheduling, <em>and taking</em>, breaks throughout the workday. A break could be a ten-minute solo walk around the workplace or an energizing breakfast with colleagues in the local coffee shop. </p></li>
<li><p>Managing the valuable resource — employee and manager time — thoughtfully. Every organization likely has busier and slower times in the day, week or year. Consider how your organization regards time, as <a href="https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/view/130">workload is strongly related to employee burnout</a>. For example, in schools, September and June are extremely busy as the year ramps up and slows down. Avoiding implementing new innovations at this time can help educational workers focus on building strong relationships with students and colleagues.</p></li>
<li><p>Supporting work check-in practices that provide options for leaders and employees to self-reflect on their own <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2019.07.001">mental and emotional states of mind</a>. Such reflection can include asking oneself: “Am I compelled to look away or <em>act</em>?” Are leaders or employees able to shift focus <em>from</em> hopeless worry about all the suffering they can’t relieve <em>to</em> hopeful impact by doing what they can do for each other? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Meanwhile, if resting, taking daily breaks and investigating and accessing workplace benefits and other resources do not help with recovery from compassion fatigue or burnout, consider a longer leave of absence <a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/effective-successfull-happy-academic/what-to-do-when-you-feel-just-done/">or investigate other career, job</a> or workplace options. </p>
<p>The embers of sympathy, empathy and compassion are not extinguished by compassion fatigue or burnout, but they may be temporarily muffled by stress and circumstance. These emotions can be re-ignited through finding daily actions that can support a compassionate workplace culture.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190489/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Astrid H. Kendrick receives funding from SSHRC, is a member of the Board of Directors for PHE Canada, and is the Co-Chair of the Heath Promoting Schools Collaborative for southern Alberta. </span></em></p>It’s important that employers and employees understand sympathy, empathy and compassion, and consider these emotions’ roles in both job performance and employee relations.Astrid H. Kendrick, Director, Field Experience (Community-Based), Werklund School of Education, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1942362022-11-10T22:26:20Z2022-11-10T22:26:20ZOntario education strike fallout: Workers’ anger about economic inequalities and labour precarity could spark wider job action<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494506/original/file-20221109-11077-oeqabb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=111%2C190%2C2830%2C3116&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">CUPE members and supporters join a demonstration outside the office of Parm Gill, Member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Milton, Ont., on Nov. 4, 2022. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Labour strife in Canada <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63503334">grabbed international attention</a> after the Ontario government passed a law that made an education workers’ strike <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/11/03/ontario-legislation-imposing-contract-on-education-workers-set-to-pass-today.html">illegal</a> and set fines for striking workers, invoking a clause in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms that allowed it to bypass constitutional challenges.</p>
<p>After the 55,000 workers went on strike anyway, with multiple labour unions and some of the public <a href="https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/with-several-schools-closed-during-cupe-strike-some-parents-are-scrambling-to-find-child-care-while-supporting-striking-education-workers">rallying against the move</a>, the government has since <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ford-lecce-education-contract-negotiations-1.6644075">promised to repeal</a> the legislation, ending the walkout.</p>
<p>But these events may mark what is likely just the beginning of pronounced resistance <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/education-unions-concern-notwithstanding-clause-1.6641575">from education workers over upcoming months</a>.</p>
<h2>Previous unsettled bargaining</h2>
<p>The effects of previous bargaining in 2019 in Ontario left many in the education sector unsettled. </p>
<p>Throughout the pandemic, media coverage has largely focused on student outcomes — with concerns over social isolation, <a href="https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/majority-of-ontario-students-surveyed-report-feeling-depressed--about-the-future-because-of-covid-19">mental health</a> and students <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/students-falling-behind-pandemic-1.6014355">falling behind academically</a> — and rightly so. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mike-harriss-common-sense-attack-on-ontario-schools-is-back-and-so-are-teachers-strikes-130190">Mike Harris’s 'common sense' attack on Ontario schools is back — and so are teachers' strikes</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>However, over the past few years, education workers have themselves faced similar challenges with pandemic fatigue, limited government support <a href="https://theconversation.com/4-steps-to-teacher-recovery-from-compassion-fatigue-and-burnout-during-covid-19-and-beyond-151407">and occupational burnout</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://abacusdata.ca/ford-education-workers-november-2022/">Public opinion</a> appears <a href="https://www.cp24.com/news/poll-finds-6-in-10-ontarians-blame-ford-government-for-education-workers-job-action-1.6141215">to be on the side of educators</a>: Six in 10 Ontarians “blamed the Ford government for the ongoing labour disruption involving tens of thousands of education workers that … forced schools to close for in-person learning,” according to an Abacus Data poll conducted Nov. 4 and 5.</p>
<p>This most recent strife may well represent the feelings of those in the middle <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/longforms/the-working-class-has-had-enough/">or working classes today</a> who are also angry about effects of social austerity. These <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-ontario-can-recover-from-doug-fords-covid-19-governance-disaster-159783">have come into sharp focus through the pandemic</a>, especially in health care and long-term care for seniors.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1587240753306210308"}"></div></p>
<h2>Anger about insecurity and its effects</h2>
<p>Anger relates to <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2004/09/113782">workers’ economic insecurity</a>. According to economist Guy Standing, those who lack employment protections are increasingly frustrated by the lack of opportunity, <a href="https://www.hse.ru/data/2013/01/28/1304836059/Standing.%20The_Precariat__The_New_Dangerous_Class__-Bloomsbury_USA(2011).pdf">employment security, as well as the promise of social mobility</a>. </p>
<p>In my own research with unemployed and underemployed teachers in Ontario, many described their overall feelings towards work and employment experiences negatively. This includes the inability to <a href="https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjeap/article/view/43150">secure employment and expectations about unpaid work</a>, as well as feeling a lack of community, supports and career progression. </p>
<p>Teachers of course are only one group of education workers. There are thousands of early childhood educators, education assistants, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/school-caretakers-custodian-cupe-strike-1.6640986">custodial staff and others</a> who are <a href="https://theconversation.com/precarious-employment-in-education-impacts-workers-families-and-students-115766">employed precariously in the field of education.</a></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/children-across-canada-deserve-a-professional-early-childhood-education-workforce-181124">Children across Canada deserve a professional early childhood education workforce</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This isn’t limited to workers in schools. Precarious forms of employment have increasingly been the norm for labourers <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-rich-helped-create-2016s-angry-populism-57710">across sectors, while the division between the “haves” and the “have nots” widens</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People seen in fog with picket signs." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494507/original/file-20221109-16873-o5zngv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494507/original/file-20221109-16873-o5zngv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494507/original/file-20221109-16873-o5zngv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494507/original/file-20221109-16873-o5zngv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494507/original/file-20221109-16873-o5zngv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494507/original/file-20221109-16873-o5zngv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494507/original/file-20221109-16873-o5zngv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Education workers seen at a demonstration in Milton, Ont., on Nov. 4, 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Falling behind?</h2>
<p>Concerns <a href="https://pepso.ca/documents/pepso-glb-final-lores_2018-06-18_r4-for-website.pdf">about “falling behind” are also front and centre</a> for many workers at this time. </p>
<p>Inflation is a pressing issue for citizens and families. Workers often not only contend with rising prices for goods and services, but in a context of historic under-investment in public services, they also often feel as <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-economist-explains-what-you-need-to-know-about-inflation-188959">though inflation is even more pronounced than the numbers suggest</a>. </p>
<p>For education workers in the province, this has been compounded by public sector wage ceilings largely imposed in 2019. </p>
<p>Ontario’s wage cap bill (Bill 124) remains a <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/bill-124-court-challenge-ontario-1.6579655">controversial and perhaps unconstitutional law, and is currently under a court challenge</a>. </p>
<p>Similarly, the use of the Charter’s <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-ford-cupe-notwithstanding-canadian-unions/">notwithstanding clause</a> by the Ontario government demonstrated another potential misuse of <a href="https://theconversation.com/ontario-school-strike-governments-use-of-the-notwithstanding-clause-again-is-an-assault-on-labour-relations-193824?">power — again seeking to push workers further backwards</a>. </p>
<h2>Privatization agenda</h2>
<p>Many are also concerned that the Ford government’s pandemic policies have accelerated a pre-pandemic privatization agenda. For example, in the spring of 2021, the province revealed it was considering <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/permanent-online-school-1.5964008">making virtual school an option beyond the pandemic</a>.</p>
<p>Education researcher Paul Bocking notes that <a href="https://tvo.me/tvo-partners-with-ministry-of-education-to-launch-the-ontario-online-course-preview/">Ontario’s introduction of e-learning courses through TVO/TFO</a> serves to make these courses more marketable for international revenue. </p>
<p>Heavy-handed labour negotiations in this context serves to further alienate workers and voters from the political centre. </p>
<p>Indeed, it could also potentially fuel more extreme <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08969205211063131">forms of populism</a>.</p>
<h2>Pandemic fatigue</h2>
<p>Years of COVID-19 and public health measures, including masking, lockdowns and vaccination campaigns, appear to have <a href="https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/2xvbr">left citizens exhausted</a>.</p>
<p>The so-called freedom convoy that descended upon Canada’s Parliament Hill in Ottawa earlier this year demonstrated the outright <a href="https://theconversation.com/freedom-convoy-protesters-anger-is-misdirected-176969">anger of citizens</a>, both those who <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/29/world/americas/canada-trucker-protest.html">oppose vaccine mandates</a> as well as <a href="https://www.blogto.com/city/2022/02/angry-ontario-man-asks-freedom-convoy-truckers-go-speak-doug-ford/">those impacted by the protests</a>.</p>
<h2>Burnout leading to resistance</h2>
<p>Additionally, educator burnout has been a serious issue across Canada. American media have also reported education workers quitting in droves, <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/06/15/teachers-burnout-workers-quitting-great-resignation/">typically citing burnout</a>, low pay and lack of support as the primary drivers of <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2022-america-teachers-great-resignation/?leadSource=uverify%20wall">quitting extremely demanding jobs</a>. </p>
<p>The pandemic experience was, <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-educational-assistants-make-it-possible-for-children-to-learn-for-that/">overall, a negative one</a> for education workers. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-largely-female-teaching-force-is-standing-up-for-public-education-130633">A largely female teaching force is standing up for public education</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It should come as no surprise then, when workers feel emotions <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/support-staff-feeling-anxious-1.6304194">such as burnout, fatigue and disrespect</a>, they may begin to resist the imposition <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2022/11/03/doug-ford-is-turning-public-education-into-a-combat-zone.html">of further unreasonable demands placed upon them and their work</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A person with a sign that says 'we won't work for peanuts.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494510/original/file-20221109-11121-bui6fr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494510/original/file-20221109-11121-bui6fr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494510/original/file-20221109-11121-bui6fr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494510/original/file-20221109-11121-bui6fr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494510/original/file-20221109-11121-bui6fr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494510/original/file-20221109-11121-bui6fr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494510/original/file-20221109-11121-bui6fr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Education workers strike on the picket line in Kingston, Ont., Nov. 4, 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A better future?</h2>
<p>Examining current labour strife in Ontario provides us with a glimpse of what the future might entail. </p>
<p>Issues impacting education workers are <a href="https://policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/no-safe-harbour">the same</a> as those impacting most workers today — including precarious forms of employment that leave workers economically insecure, emotionally frustrated and angry.</p>
<p>Collective action and solidarity — whether through a formalized labour group or not — remains the best way to improve the economic lives of all workers. </p>
<p>Could this look like <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9079265/union-power-organizing-efforts-starbucks-labour-movement/">more unionization drives</a> across various sectors? A recent American study found that being unionized “throughout one’s career is associated with a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00197939221129261">$1.3 million mean increase in lifetime earnings</a>” — more than a post-secondary degree. </p>
<p>As Standing notes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“There has been a systematic dismantlement of institutions and mechanisms of social solidarity time-honoured zones of empathy, in which ethics and standards of conduct are passed from one generation to another. Such institutions <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/a-new-class-canada-neglects-the-precariat-at-its-peril/article24944758">stand against the market, protecting their members</a>.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Education workers appear to be on the front lines of the continued <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199283262.001.0001">struggle against neoliberalism</a> and forms of privatization and <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-inequality-is-growing-in-the-us-and-around-the-world-191642">extreme economic inequalities</a> witnessed across the globe. </p>
<p>Perhaps workers have finally had enough, and will continue to stand their ground until their voices are heard.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194236/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Mindzak does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Frustration about unsettled bargaining that predates the pandemic could get channelled into pronounced resistance from educational workers during the coming months.Michael Mindzak, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.