tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/employees-4287/articlesEmployees – The Conversation2024-01-03T13:19:11Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2191902024-01-03T13:19:11Z2024-01-03T13:19:11Z‘Leaveism’ and ‘presenteeism’ continue even when employers are more flexible – here’s how to be happier at work<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564283/original/file-20231207-29-19cugh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5188%2C3655&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/side-view-chubby-man-looking-broken-784632208">pathdoc/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Way back in February 2020, before most of us really knew anything about COVID, <a href="https://theconversation.com/leaveism-welcome-to-the-dark-side-of-21st-century-flexible-working-130976">we wrote an article</a> for The Conversation about “leaveism” and its impact on flexible working. Barely a month later, the world was bracing for a pandemic that would inadvertently create the largest (forced) working experiment of all time. </p>
<p>This was a great opportunity for researchers like us to watch how working from home solved or exacerbated the workload problems that employees and managers had been dealing with face to face in the years before COVID. For many, the “workplace” was now the kitchen table or spare bedroom. The difference was there was no supervisory physical presence. </p>
<p>So, when the pandemic presented people with a golden opportunity to work remotely – and to some extent flexibly – it was fascinating to observe how the workforce responded. What we found was that working from home didn’t solve any problems, it merely moved them to a different location. </p>
<p>We first coined the term “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqu025">leaveism</a>” in 2013 to explain some previously undescribed workplace practices:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>using allocated time off such as annual leave entitlements, flexi hours banked, re-rostered rest days and so on, to take time off when they are in fact unwell</p></li>
<li><p>using these leave entitlements to look after dependents, including children or elderly relatives (rather than for rest and recuperation)</p></li>
<li><p>taking work home that cannot be completed in normal working hours (due to excessive workload)</p></li>
<li><p>working while not at work, on leave or holiday to catch up (or keep up!).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>As you can probably imagine, the pandemic and related lockdowns and restrictions to working practices had a significant impact on all of these practices. It also affected those ascribed to “<a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/presenteeism">presenteeism</a>”, which is when you go into work but aren’t operating at your full potential because you’re unwell.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-workers-in-small-businesses-can-struggle-with-mental-health-and-presenteeism-208877">Why workers in small businesses can struggle with mental health and 'presenteeism'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>Finding a new normal</h2>
<p>Now, as we emerge from the dark days of the pandemic, most companies are trying to decide what the new working “normal” will be: hybrid, remote or calling everyone back to the office five days a week? Many firms will find that the most suitable option is highly idiosyncratic, depending on the organisation, its employees, industry and many other individual factors. But those choices are also likely to make a big difference to levels of sickness absence, presenteeism and leaveism in today’s organisations.</p>
<p>Indeed, the speculations we made about taking work home in February 2020 are all pretty much the norm now, according to <a href="https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/wellbeing-at-work-9781398612068">our latest research</a>. These changes were triggered in an unexpected way, but nevertheless taking work home, and juggling work and home life are now pretty much everyday business for most.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/managing-workplace-health-and-wellbeing-during-a-crisis-9781398601222">previous book</a>, written during COVID lockdowns, documented perspectives from a number of different organisational settings. They all largely came to the same conclusions around homeworking during that time: there are advantages but also some negative aspects of home working and flexible working. For example, employees may find there are huge financial benefits in working just from home, saving on time and travel costs. Downsides may include inadequate space in the home to work, limitations with internet or other technological blockers.</p>
<p>Our latest study, explained in our book <a href="https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/wellbeing-at-work-9781398612068">Wellbeing at Work</a>, examined the effects of lockdown on workplaces and how the balance has tilted from sickness absenteeism to sharp rises in presenteeism and leaveism. Other <a href="https://www.cipd.org/uk/about/news/employers-urged-address-high-levels-presenteeism/">recent research</a> also shows that, despite much more homeworking during and after pandemic lockdowns, 43% of people still experience presenteeism and slightly more (47%) leaveism. </p>
<h2>How to help people be happy at work</h2>
<p>But managers are now far more conscious, or should be, of the effects of these phenomena in the workplace. And there are ways to help negate the impacts of these practices, both on the workforce and on businesses. Whether a line manager works in the same physical space as their employee or not, good leadership is key. </p>
<p>Crucially, line managers need good emotional intelligence. That is, to understand how their employees are feeling and thinking about things that have an impact on their lives. Managers who have high levels of this (known as EQ) tend to have better relationships with their teams, which can lead to high levels of commitment and effort from them. </p>
<p>Developing such vital “soft” skills helps managers find out what they need to know about the circumstances of their team members without making unwanted intrusions into their private lives. This seems like a difficult line to decipher, but for those who are adept at navigating it, the rewards are huge. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Manager in high-vis vest and hard hat comforts team member in high-vis vest, sitting on boxes in a warehouse." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564288/original/file-20231207-21-ki7qsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564288/original/file-20231207-21-ki7qsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564288/original/file-20231207-21-ki7qsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564288/original/file-20231207-21-ki7qsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564288/original/file-20231207-21-ki7qsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564288/original/file-20231207-21-ki7qsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564288/original/file-20231207-21-ki7qsa.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">Managers need soft skills too.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-factory-engineer-comforts-strained-male-2331978581">Nopphinan/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>New working patterns</h2>
<p>Research shows that <a href="https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/system/files/resources/files/The%20Squeezed%20Middle%20IES%20Report%20.pdf">good line management</a> can make the difference between having great days at work and having a miserable time. When the latter occurs, you may witness the emergence of leaveism and presenteeism. These are tell-tale signs that people may not be happy, feel uncomfortable or are indeed thinking of leaving (usually measured as intentions to quit). </p>
<p>Having said all of this, employees are facing extraordinary challenges during this uncertain period for working lives. Organisations are managing shifts in policy in respect of remote versus office working. And the perfect combination is as yet unclear, but depends on a host of personal circumstances. </p>
<p>In this environment, opportunities for constructive development of employees can seem few and far between. But managers must think about the sustainability of their teams and invest wherever possible in things that will help create more good days at work than bad for everyone.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219190/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>The pandemic changed a lot for many workplaces but some issues remain.Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health, University of ManchesterIan Hesketh, Project Support, National Health & Wellbeing Forum, University of ManchesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2169492023-12-08T13:34:16Z2023-12-08T13:34:16ZTurning annual performance reviews into ‘humble encounters’ yields dividends for employees and managers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564375/original/file-20231207-29-l04vbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=218%2C133%2C6066%2C4088&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Managers can set the tone by showing their own openness to feedback, ideas and suggestions.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mature-businesswoman-smiles-encouragingly-at-royalty-free-image/1471886613">SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every year, employees worldwide enter annual performance reviews with mixed feelings. Do employees enter these conversations with enthusiasm to learn new things? Rarely. Are managers eager to have these conversations and coach their employees on how they can improve in the coming year? No.</p>
<p>These meetings are typically experienced as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.07.034">difficult conversations</a>. Opportunities for learning and relationship-building are often missed.</p>
<p>In an ideal world, employees would learn and improve from the feedback their manager provides in the annual review. But there are at least two obstacles that can stand in the way of that best-case scenario.</p>
<p>It can be hard to hear painful truths. Critical feedback <a href="https://www.stoneandheen.com/thanks-feedback">can trigger defensive reactions</a>: That’s wrong. Who are you to say? This is a disaster, and I’ll never be able to improve.</p>
<p>And, even if employees are receptive to the intended message, they may have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101405">trouble understanding the information</a> and face difficulties implementing the feedback to improve their performance.</p>
<p>In an effort to get through, managers may try to soften their delivery. For example, they may use the much-maligned “<a href="https://hbr.org/2013/04/the-sandwich-approach-undermin">feedback sandwich</a>,” which bookends a critique between two compliments. But this tactic can obscure truthful and useful information, resulting in confusion, misunderstandings and worse.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564377/original/file-20231207-15-585x73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="man with hand to his head looking glum" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564377/original/file-20231207-15-585x73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564377/original/file-20231207-15-585x73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564377/original/file-20231207-15-585x73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564377/original/file-20231207-15-585x73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564377/original/file-20231207-15-585x73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564377/original/file-20231207-15-585x73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564377/original/file-20231207-15-585x73.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">A poorly conducted review can lead to defensiveness and confusion.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/employee-confused-in-a-meeting-royalty-free-image/1396413454">Vuk Saric/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=IwhJ_soAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">study organizational behavior</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DlCnSK4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">and are especially interested in</a> how people interact and communicate at work. Drawing from our research on humility and feedback, we suggest a new way for managers to approach performance reviews: Create what we call “humble encounters.”</p>
<p>By expressing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1120.0795">humility</a>, managers can transform performance reviews from monologues into dialogues, with greater learning and improvement as a result. Our studies indicate that when a team member expresses humility to a co-worker, it leads their partner to feel greater “<a href="https://amycedmondson.com/psychological-safety/">psychological safety</a>” – more comfortable sharing candid opinions and concerns without worrying about backlash or negative consequences. This, in turn, helps improve <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001059">performance in the team</a>.</p>
<h2>Creating humble encounters</h2>
<p>Humility has <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0441">a few key ingredients</a>: You must be willing to view yourself accurately, as you really are. But that’s not enough to create a humble encounter. You must also show that you are teachable by exhibiting openness to feedback, ideas and suggestions. Finally, it’s critical that you acknowledge and express appreciation for the contributions that others make.</p>
<p>So, how might a manager do all this in a performance review?</p>
<p>You can signal that you’re willing to view yourself accurately by sharing personal experiences of dealing with challenges: “I also struggled with this issue when I first entered the company.” By sharing your own challenges and how you worked through them, you signal that you’re aware of your own weaknesses and vulnerabilities, as well as your strengths and achievements.</p>
<p>You can signal teachability by demonstrating that you’re open to learning from others. Managers can use what organizational culture experts <a href="https://www.scheinocli.org/">Edgar and Peter Schein</a> call “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/575055/humble-inquiry-second-edition-by-edgar-h-schein-and-peter-a-schein">humble inquiry</a>” – asking questions you don’t already know the answer to, listening intentionally and responding with curiosity.</p>
<p>Be mindful of assumptions implicitly conveyed to the listener by how you phrase your questions. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.05.006">Negative assumption questions</a>
– like “What triggers you to argue with your co-workers?” – presuppose a problem. The employee might be surprised by this question and the assumption behind it because they don’t remember the last time they argued with someone at work. A negative-assumption question can help clarify undesirable behaviors if they are indeed happening, but at the same time it can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101383">signal distrust</a> and hinder the receptivity of the receiver.</p>
<p>Another way to express humility is by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2021.2006761">good listening</a>. It includes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-091013">three crucial elements</a>: paying attention to the speaker, showing positive intentions toward the speaker, and demonstrating that you understand their message. Managers who listen well to their employees elicit <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-023-09897-5">better performance and establish stronger relationships</a> with them.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564380/original/file-20231207-27-ql4gjm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="man pointing at computer screen with seated woman looking on" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564380/original/file-20231207-27-ql4gjm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564380/original/file-20231207-27-ql4gjm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564380/original/file-20231207-27-ql4gjm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564380/original/file-20231207-27-ql4gjm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564380/original/file-20231207-27-ql4gjm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564380/original/file-20231207-27-ql4gjm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564380/original/file-20231207-27-ql4gjm.jpeg?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">Everyone has room to improve – but don’t forget to acknowledge what’s going well.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/business-people-in-the-office-royalty-free-image/1448027402">MixMedia/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Spotlighting an employee’s strengths and contributions is active acknowledgment of the employee’s value without the manager devaluing their own. During the annual review, it’s possible to recognize an employee’s strengths while still providing developmental feedback.</p>
<p>Managers should provide support by conveying a <a href="https://iafcm.org/2023/modules/request.php?module=oc_program&action=summary.php&id=238">sense of care, understanding and validation</a>:
“I’m giving you these comments because I have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033906">very high expectations, and I know you can reach them</a>.” Using language that communicates support fosters trust and a sense of belonging, thus breaking down walls of defensiveness.</p>
<h2>Humble encounters enable growth</h2>
<p>By modeling humility, managers provide employees with <a href="https://www.stoneandheen.com/thanks-feedback">two key, seemingly contradictory signals</a>.</p>
<p>They show relational acceptance – a signal that they accept the employee as they are, thereby calming feelings of threat and defensiveness. At the same time, they also communicate an expectation of change. Learning and improvement are not only possible but necessary for the employee to reach their full potential in the job.</p>
<p>In response to managers’ humility, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001059">employees will reciprocate humble behaviors</a>, showing more willingness to view themselves accurately, be teachable and appreciate others’ contributions.</p>
<p>Managers might be concerned that expressing humility might signal weakness. However, research shows that this is not the case. When leaders are perceived to be humble, they are also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2022.101660">seen as effective, competent and charismatic</a>. Therefore, being a humble leader has benefits not only for employees, but also for the leader’s reputation.</p>
<p>Humble encounters can transform annual reviews into a more positive and enriching experience for both managers and employees. By enacting the three key aspects of humility – a willingness to view yourself accurately, teachability and appreciation for others’ contributions – you can both change your employees’ learning curve and strengthen your relationship with them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216949/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michal Lehmann receives funding from The John Templeton Foundation, Grant # 62265, Applied Research on Intellectual
Humility.
Taya Cohen's research on honesty and difficult conversation was supported by the John Templeton Foundation (grant #61842: The Honesty Project). The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>This article was produced with support from UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center and the John Templeton Foundation as part of the GGSC's initiative on Expanding Awareness of the Science of Intellectual Humility.</span></em></p>Do you dread delivering or receiving feedback at work? Two organizational behavior experts describe a better way to have these difficult conversations.Michal Lehmann, Postdoctoral Fellow in Organizational Behavior and Theory, Carnegie Mellon UniversityTaya Cohen, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Business Ethics, Carnegie Mellon UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag: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>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1722744670663455093"}"></div></p>
<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>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1722645425302249848"}"></div></p>
<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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<em>
<strong>
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>
<figure class="align-center ">
<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>
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<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/2079772023-10-17T21:02:34Z2023-10-17T21:02:34ZBeyond the paycheck: The key to building a thriving workplace goes beyond salaries<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553733/original/file-20231013-19-ucgkud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=71%2C56%2C9418%2C6260&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Current research suggests it's time to re-evaluate existing pay structures and prioritize worker health and safety. </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/beyond-the-paycheck-the-key-to-building-a-thriving-workplace-goes-beyond-salaries" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Today’s news is filled with stories highlighting salary figures, from <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/ceos-got-smaller-raises-it-would-still-take-the-average-worker-2-lifetimes-to-make-their-annual-pay">sky-high CEO compensation packages</a> to boards trying to <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/toronto-zoo-board-quietly-boosts-ceo-pay-20-per-cent-amid-city-s-financial-crisis/article_cc517b9c-2121-5318-9e3b-552f793d1ee3.html">hide CEO pay increases during periods of austerity</a>, to <a href="https://www.blg.com/en/insights/2022/11/bill-124-wage-cap-legislation-declared-unconstitutional-by-ontario-superior-court">governments interfering with collective bargaining over wage increases</a> and <a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/ford-workers-in-canada-ratify-agreement-set-precedent-for-other-automakers-1.1975855">unions securing pay hikes</a>.</p>
<p>Some provinces, including <a href="https://www.ontariosunshinelist.com">Ontario</a>, <a href="https://www.alberta.ca/salary-and-severance-disclosure-table">Alberta</a> and <a href="https://beta.novascotia.ca/public-sector-compensation-disclosure-reports">Nova Scotia</a>, are also mandated to release annual sunshine lists of public sector workers who earn above $100,000 — all of which might suggest that higher pay equates to more productive, healthy and safe workplaces. But is this a correct assumption? What if the opposite is true?</p>
<p>Could certain pay structures — like wide wage disparities, pay-for-performance systems, the belief that time equals money and pay secrecy — actually hinder organizations from reaching their primary goals? Current research suggests it’s time to re-evaluate these potential barriers to creating thriving workplaces.</p>
<h2>The impact of pay gaps</h2>
<p>Many organizations have significant pay gaps — also known as pay dispersion — between their highest and lowest earners. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091253">Pay dispersion</a> is driven by variations in employee skills, performance and market demand, and can be exacerbated by systemic biases like gender and racial discrimination.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/256872?typeAccessWorkflow=login">One study</a>, which analyzed nine years of data from 29 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, found that teams with wider pay gaps had poorer individual and team performances and declining financial metrics like gate receipts and television revenues. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-023-00680-0">Another study</a> on employees from German firms found that pay gaps led to job dissatisfaction because employees perceived the wage distribution to be unfair.</p>
<p>If pay gaps don’t make a positive difference, then what does? One solution was found by organizational psychologist Christian Resick and his colleagues. They demonstrated that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016238">transformational leadership in MLB CEOs</a> resulted in higher levels of manager retention, improved team winning percentages and increased fan attendance.</p>
<h2>The perils of pay-for-performance</h2>
<p>Many organizations adopt pay-for-performance systems because they believe it highlights the importance of performance. This type of compensation model pays employees, or teams of employees, based on how well they perform their duties.</p>
<p>However, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.6.2.127">a study conducted on industrial plants in the mid-western United States</a> showed that companies using pay-for-performance systems experienced more workdays lost to injuries and had lower labour productivity. Notably, the researchers found that increased training hours over the prior year led to fewer injuries and higher productivity.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A person, seen from the neck down, pointing to a graph on a clipboard with a pen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553574/original/file-20231012-17-rvcdkh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553574/original/file-20231012-17-rvcdkh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553574/original/file-20231012-17-rvcdkh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553574/original/file-20231012-17-rvcdkh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553574/original/file-20231012-17-rvcdkh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553574/original/file-20231012-17-rvcdkh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553574/original/file-20231012-17-rvcdkh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=478&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">Pay-for-performance systems pay employees based on how well they perform their duties.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>In another study, researchers examined the impact of pay-for-performance systems on mental health. <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2018.0007">They analyzed the pay data of over 318,000 employees from 1,309 Danish companies between 1995 and 2006</a>, alongside their medical prescription records. </p>
<p>The shift to performance-based pay was associated with an increase in prescriptions for anti-depressants and anxiety medication. These pay structures often led to the departure of employees who were prone to, or currently facing, mental health issues. </p>
<p>In sharp contrast, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023663">a different analysis of 420,599 people across 63 countries</a> revealed that autonomy had a more positive influence on psychological well-being and anxiety than wealth. In fact, researchers found that wealth only impacted well-being to the extent that it offered individuals more life choices.</p>
<h2>The costs of ‘time is money’</h2>
<p>Pay structures that prioritize the “time is money” concept emphasize direct compensation for hours worked. Examples include hourly wages in retail and manufacturing sectors and billable hours in law firms. Not surprisingly, “time is money” pay structures tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.01.031">result in longer working hours</a> and other consequences.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2016.0017">one study</a>, participants who were reminded of the “time is money” concept reported higher psychological stress levels, evidenced by a 23 per cent rise in <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22187-cortisol">cortisol levels</a> — a known stress biomarker. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.26279171">Another study</a> found that workers who were paid hourly volunteered less frequently at work than salaried workers. When participants were reminded of the “time is money” principle, it reinforced an economic-focused mindset, which was identified as the primary obstacle to employees’ volunteer behaviours. </p>
<p>A relational mindset, grounded in a general orientation to relational information, emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationships and interactions. In contrast to the “time is money” perspective, a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.04.007">series of four studies</a> showed that promoting this relational mindset resulted in improved ethical behaviour in the workplace.</p>
<h2>The hidden dynamics of pay secrecy</h2>
<p>In many western societies, pay secrecy is <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/exposing-pay-9780197628164">more common than pay transparency</a>. The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/22/royal-secrecy-public-money-crown-estate-king-charles">British royal family</a> — often referred to as “<a href="https://time.com/5945032/what-is-the-firm-royal-family/">The Firm</a>” — serves as a well-known example of an organization that keeps the salary of the royals themselves hidden from the country.</p>
<p>Pay secrecy keeps employees in the dark about how much they earn compared to their colleagues and how pay is determined. It also discourages salary discussions among colleagues.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12292">Across three studies</a>, researchers from the U.S. showed that employees perceive pay secrecy as a deliberate, negative strategy used by their employers, resulting in diminished trust in management. This distrust deepens when companies prevent employees from discussing salaries amongst themselves. </p>
<p>While transitioning to a transparent pay system demands time, effort, and money, two benefits stand out. First, companies that transition don’t experience a drop in profits since the costs are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jofi.13136">balanced by declining wage growth for male employees</a>, who were already earning more than their female counterparts. Second, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12545">it results in a consistent reduction in the gender pay gap</a>.</p>
<h2>A not-so-new perspective on compensation</h2>
<p>Trying to perfect compensation strategies can be a fool’s errand. As business scholar and organizational consultant <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2000-07220-000">Ed Lawler noted almost 30 years ago</a> — a situation that remains largely unchanged today — many organizations invest significant time in giving minimum financial rewards to employees in hopes of improving performance. However, Lawler found this approach rarely yields substantial positive outcomes.</p>
<p>But if pay doesn’t help organizations create better workplaces, what does? The keys to a <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/brave-new-workplace-9780190648107">workplace that fosters productivity, health and safety</a> are: high-quality leadership, job autonomy, feelings of belonging and fairness, opportunities for growth, meaningful work and psychologically and physically safe work.</p>
<p>However, this doesn’t mean organizations should underpay their employees. While organizations don’t have to be the highest payers in the industry, they should aim to <a href="https://jeffreypfeffer.com/books/the-human-equation/">compensate above industry standards</a> to avoid dissatisfaction and other negative consequences.</p>
<p>Implementing all these facets might seem overwhelming, but they don’t need to be introduced simultaneously. For leaders, the challenge is breaking away from traditional norms. But, grounded in years of studies, they can be confident that even the smallest meaningful changes can result in productive, healthy and safe work.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207977/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julian Barling receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nick Turner receives research funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p>Traditional pay structures — like wage gaps, pay-for-performance systems, the belief that time equals money and pay secrecy — are stopping organizations from reaching their goals and thriving.Julian Barling, Distinguished Professor and Borden Chair of Leadership, Smith School of Business, Queen's University, OntarioNick Turner, Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Future Fund Chair in Leadership, Haskayne School of Business, University of CalgaryLicensed 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>
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<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>
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</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>
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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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<em>
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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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<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/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/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/2096252023-07-17T19:23:55Z2023-07-17T19:23:55ZCould you be a victim of micromanagement? Seven tips to take back control<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537023/original/file-20230712-25-88810b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C11%2C1920%2C1319&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Micro-management may be motivated by good intentions, but it's often counter-productive.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.wallpaperflare.com/illustration-of-woman-in-business-situation-with-ongoing-conflict-wallpaper-aayyc/download/1920x1080">Wallpaperflare.com</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Have you ever wondered if you’re being micromanaged by your supervisor? You wouldn’t be alone: in 2021, a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/heidilynnekurter/2021/06/29/is-micromanaging-a-form-of-bullying-here-are-3-things-you-should-know/?sh=7e7c60444467">US survey by Trinity Solutions</a> revealed 79% of employees have experienced micromanagement, with 71% reporting this interfered with their job performance and 85% complaining of its negative impacts on morale.</p>
<p>So, what does micromanagement look like? Let’s take the example of Marc and his manager Kelly. Marc wants to share some updates about a project the team had been working on. When he knocks on her office door, he hears a curt “Come in” and enters. Kelly appears to be busy, typing away at her keyboard. “I’ll be with you in a minute”, she says while simultaneously checking her phone and ticking off items on a notepad. Marc can sense that there isn’t a lot of time, so he makes it brief.</p>
<p>Marc: “Hi Kelly, how are you?”</p>
<p>Kelly: “Fine, hope you’re doing well too. I have five minutes, as I have to finish a report. What do you want to talk about?</p>
<p><em>Kelly’s eyes glance over a towering pile of papers</em></p>
<p>Marc: "Well, I’m concerned about how the team operates on the new project. To be honest with you, I’m under the impression we’re not sure where we’re going and are now headed in the wrong direction. People seem to be all over the place and…</p>
<p><em>Kelly cuts off Marc after the computer makes a notification sound. She then checks her phone.</em></p>
<p>Kelly: "Marc, I suggest that you create a to-do list and prioritise urgent, important tasks, and tackle the items per client… ”</p>
<p><em>Kelly’s suggestions continue for the remaining four minutes of Marc’s time with her</em></p>
<p>The above vignette presents us with three of the features of micromanagement that we have identified as part of our research on leadership. These are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>A lack of dialogue in meetings. Through her prescriptive remarks, Kelly’s communication style did not give Marc the opportunity to share his thoughts.</p></li>
<li><p>A lack of empathy and consideration of emotions. Marc wanted Kelly to hear him out, to acknowledge his perspective, and to show sympathy for the team’s situation, in vain.</p></li>
<li><p>Detailed, step-by-step instructions. Kelly missed out on an opportunity to support her team members’ problem-solving skills, even though Marc has a more intimate understanding of the project and would probably be able to contribute important insights into how to move it forward.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Why is micromanaging problematic?</h2>
<p>Kelly and Marc’s interactions illustrate the underlying error of micromanaging. Although Kelly had good intentions – quickly solving an issue presented to her – the outcome was likely to be counterproductive. This is because it is more effective and motivating for most people to come up with their own solutions rather than being micromanaged.</p>
<p>That said, empowering others is not to be confused with not providing answers in situations when they’re truly required – for example, in the case of interactions with recent recruits or emergencies. Nor does it mean that leaders shouldn’t take action or not show support. Rather, they must strive to create a safe environment where diverse ideas can be aired, and to help their employees without seeking to control them.</p>
<p>While the benefits of empowering others are clear, our research shows that leaders rarely do it automatically. We analysed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5hwEDhKn20">thousands of video interactions</a> and found that leaders are often not aware of what we labelled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW_PN3BDa0A">“motivational micromanaging”</a> – showing enthusiasm in voice and body language as instructions are being given. They often have the best intentions, but they’re short on time and feel that their role as leaders is to solve everything.</p>
<h2>What can you do about it?</h2>
<p>Merely telling your manager that you don’t want to be micromanaged won’t help much. Here are some tips derived from our research that can support you to help shift your supervisor into more of an empowering attitude.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Be specific and clear about what you want. If you want to run something by your leader, say that you would like to have a sounding board for an idea you have: “Hi, can I have five minutes of your time to run something by you?” Help them focus on listening: “Would it be possible that you listen to me for two minutes? It would really help me to talk through topic XY.”</p></li>
<li><p>Have them ask you questions: “What is the top question that comes to your mind after having heard my summary on XY?”</p></li>
<li><p>Focus on solutions instead of just presenting the problem. Rather than stating that there is an issue, come with several ideas and suggestions on how it could be solved. “I thought about the following three solutions for our current dilemma.”</p></li>
<li><p>Ask for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg2Ckq79XRM">feedback</a>. Not only during your performance review, but continuously – it will allow you to able to change things. Also offer feedback to your supervisor. </p></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>“I would love to get your viewpoint on XY”</p>
<p>“Let me know if you would like to hear my feedback on XY.”</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Be transparent about your values, it will help you gain knowledge about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg1WccmVKGA">your strengths</a> and communicate both to your supervisor. </li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>“What motivates me being able to use XY, do XY, work with XY”</p>
<p>“It would really motivate me if I could use more of my strengths for the current project. What ideas do you have about how I could incorporate and leverage these skills?”</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><p>Show <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qPkW1SWMg0">gratitude</a> and appreciation for your team and its work. Don’t speak up only to complain about things going wrong; instead, also acknowledge the things your leader and team members do right. Be the change you want to see.</p></li>
<li><p>Emotions are contagious, so role-model those you want to create more of in your team and work environment.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Thanks to these tips, you can put an end to micro-management situations. You can also help your manager to change their management methods to boost their team’s independence, and ultimately, motivation and performance.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209625/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julia Milner ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>A leadership expert offers her advice on how to tackle a surprisingly widespread problem.Julia Milner, Professeure de leadership, EDHEC Business SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2087282023-07-05T20:23:31Z2023-07-05T20:23:31ZThe shift to working from home will be difficult to reverse<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534899/original/file-20230629-21-w6520s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C51%2C5778%2C3751&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Remote work, which began as a temporary disruption to normal work, has become permanent for many workers since the onset of the pandemic. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/David Goldman)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-coronavirus-pandemic-has-revealed-how-fragile-everyday-life-is-134637">sudden disruption of everyday life</a>. While many things are back to the way they were before, one change has proven harder to reverse: working from home.</p>
<p>Three years after the switch to remote work, there is little sign people are growing tired of it. In fact, experiences of working from home have become more positive over time. What’s more, our latest research shows that remote work is not eroding people’s well-being. </p>
<p>This evidence points to one conclusion: employers should focus more on managing new hybrid work models and less on trying to force employees back into their cubicles.</p>
<h2>Who is working from home?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.environicsinstitute.org/projects/listing/-in-tags/type/survey-on-employment-and-skills">Survey on Employment and Skills</a> has been tracking the pandemic’s impact on the workplace over the past three years. </p>
<p>The latest wave — a survey of 5,904 Canadian adults conducted in March 2023 — found that almost two in five (38 per cent) people worked remotely at least some of the time in the early months of 2023. These individuals had previously worked outside the home before the pandemic.</p>
<p>The likelihood of working from home varies significantly by occupation. A majority of office workers (57 per cent) and executives or managers (57 per cent) work from home at least some days.</p>
<p>But working from home is much less common among skilled trade workers (16 per cent). The likelihood of working from home is also higher for workers with more education or higher incomes.</p>
<p>These figures remind us that COVID-19’s impact on work goes beyond the appeal of remote work. It has also created a new division in the labour force between those whose jobs can be done at home (mostly white-collar workers) and those whose jobs cannot (mostly blue-collar and service workers).</p>
<p>This new division is likely to continue because those who are still working from home like the new arrangement.</p>
<h2>People prefer remote work</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.environicsinstitute.org/projects/project-details/work-at-home-or-live-at-work-the-complexities-of-new-working-arrangements">From the start</a>, a majority of those who switched to remote work said they preferred it to in-person work.</p>
<p>The proportion of people holding this view increased to 74 per cent in 2023 from 63 per cent in 2020. In addition, over the past three years, seven out of 10 individuals working from home said they wanted their employer to allow them to do so after the pandemic ends.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman works on a laptop at a table inside a camper" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534904/original/file-20230629-21-wep8ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534904/original/file-20230629-21-wep8ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534904/original/file-20230629-21-wep8ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534904/original/file-20230629-21-wep8ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534904/original/file-20230629-21-wep8ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534904/original/file-20230629-21-wep8ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534904/original/file-20230629-21-wep8ks.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">Three years after the switch to remote work, there is little sign people are growing tired of it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>When people say they would like to work from home, they really mean it. Forty-three per cent of those who want to keep working from home say they would like to do so every day; three-quarters (73 per cent) say at least two to three days a week. Only one in four envision working from home occasionally.</p>
<p>Another indicator of how hard it will be to reverse this trend is that a small, but noticeable, group of workers have reorganized their lives around working from home.</p>
<p>About one in ten said they switched jobs to make it easier to work from home. The same proportion said the option to work from home allowed them to relocate to a different community. Given the life choices some have made, getting them back into the office will take more than a <a href="https://stlawyers.ca/blog-news/rbc-employees-return-office/">memo from their managers</a>.</p>
<h2>Health and well-being findings</h2>
<p>The biggest obstacle to getting everyone back into the workplace is the fact that people who are working from home seem to be doing better — or at least no worse — than those who are not.</p>
<p><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6929809/coronavirus-work-from-home-negative-side-effects/">At the start of the pandemic</a>, there were concerns that adjusting to working from home, like finding a suitable workspace and dealing with distractions, would negatively impact people’s <a href="https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/resource/prioritize-your-mental-wellness-while-working-from-home/">mental well-being</a>.</p>
<p>But three years later, those who work from home are reporting slightly higher job satisfaction, mental health and overall well-being than their counterparts who are working outside the home.</p>
<p>They also <a href="https://www.environicsinstitute.org/projects/project-details/toronto-social-capital-study-2022">appear to have a similar number of connections to friends</a>, suggesting they do not feel more isolated.</p>
<p>Since there are specific demographics of workers that are more likely to work remotely, our analysis controlled for things such as education and occupation. </p>
<p>The results confirmed that people who are working from home are genuinely more satisfied and healthy than those who are not. At the very least, they are not more likely to report feeling lonely or isolated. These positive outcomes were most noticeable for women and for younger workers.</p>
<h2>New workplace challenges</h2>
<p>Our survey not only provides insights about the current remote work situation, but also sheds light about what it was like to go into the workplace every day prior to the pandemic. </p>
<p>For many workers, it would seem the pre-pandemic arrangement was inconvenient, tiring or stressful. People worked in-person jobs because no other option was on offer. The pandemic forced an alternative out into the open, and what began as a temporary disruption has become permanent. </p>
<p>Employers now face the challenge of not only accommodating ongoing remote work arrangements, but also managing new inequities between those whose jobs lend themselves to remote work and those whose don’t.</p>
<p>Employers also need to think more about the job satisfaction and mental health — not just of remote workers, but of those who can’t work remotely and find themselves in a workplace that feels a lot more empty than before.</p>
<p><em>Author’s Note: Most data cited is from the Survey on Employment and Skills, conducted by the Environics Institute, the Future Skills Centre and the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University. The Survey on Employment and Skills is funded primarily by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre. Additional data is from surveys funded by the Toronto Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada, and other Toronto-based community organizations.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208728/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Parkin 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 and their position with the Environics Institute.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justin Savoie provides statistical research consulting services to the Environics Institute on an occasional basis. The present article is based on findings from such work.</span></em></p>The biggest obstacle to getting everyone back into the workplace is the fact that people who are working from home seem to be doing better — or at least no worse — than those who are not.Andrew Parkin, Sessional Lecturer, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of TorontoJustin Savoie, PhD Candidate, Political Science, University of TorontoLicensed 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>
<figcaption>
<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>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<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>
<hr>
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<em>
<strong>
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>
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<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">
<figcaption>
<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>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<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>
<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>
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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">
<figcaption>
<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>
</figcaption>
</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/2071012023-06-21T21:54:27Z2023-06-21T21:54:27ZAbortion is a workplace issue: How managers can support employee access to reproductive health care<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531174/original/file-20230609-29-cvtxut.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C5579%2C3705&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Protesters cheer during a Planned Parenthood rally in support of abortion access outside the Supreme Court on April 15, 2023, in Washington.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Nathan Howard)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>June 24 marks the one-year anniversary of <a href="https://theconversation.com/roe-v-wade-overturned-will-more-americans-travel-to-canada-and-mexico-for-abortions-185563">the United States Supreme Court overturning <em>Roe v. Wade</em></a> — the landmark decision that, for nearly 50 years, had guaranteed abortion care access in the U.S. </p>
<p>As of June 16, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/us/abortion-laws-roe-v-wade.html">20 states have banned or heavily restricted access</a> to abortion. At best, these bans require women who need abortions to travel hours, or even days out-of-state, often at a significant cost.</p>
<p>In response to this legislative change, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/abortion-companies-travel-expenses.html">many companies in the U.S.</a> — including Goldman Sachs, the Bank of America, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Meta — introduced benefits to support employees needing abortions and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/companies-that-will-protect-employee-access-to-abortions-rcna35265">other reproductive health care</a> (e.g., birth control and genetic testing).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.bankingdive.com/news/jpmorgan-chase-goldman-sachs-bank-of-america-jefferies-amex-deutsche-employee-abortion-travel-citi/626134/">JPMorgan Chase</a>, for example, is covering costs for employees who must travel more than 50 miles. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/amazon-reimburse-us-employees-who-travel-treatments-including-abortions-2022-05-02/">Amazon is offering up to US$4,000</a> in travel expenses each year for medical treatments. By offering such benefits, employers are prioritizing employee health and safety, even when the law may not.</p>
<h2>Dark side of workplace health benefits</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, workplace health and safety initiatives have historically demonstrated that even the most well-intentioned benefits can have a dark side. For example, some <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02206">health promotion programs have led to weight-based discrimination</a> in the workplace.</p>
<p>Similarly, workplaces that adopt anti-harassment policies, but fail to have appropriate training, <a href="https://hbr.org/2020/05/why-sexual-harassment-programs-backfire">risk unintentionally causing backlash against women</a> in the workplace. </p>
<p>If implemented poorly, health and safety benefits related to abortion may have similar unintended consequences, potentially putting already vulnerable employees at risk of being discriminated against at work. The mere presence of inclusive health and safety benefits is not enough. Authentic, consistent organizational support is critical. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman in a suit speaks into a microphone while holding up a map of the United States" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531000/original/file-20230608-11102-d9owk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531000/original/file-20230608-11102-d9owk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531000/original/file-20230608-11102-d9owk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531000/original/file-20230608-11102-d9owk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531000/original/file-20230608-11102-d9owk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531000/original/file-20230608-11102-d9owk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531000/original/file-20230608-11102-d9owk7.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">Vice President Kamala Harris holds up a map of the United States showing different states’ abortion laws while speaking in Los Angeles in October 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(David Crane/The Orange County Register via AP)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our research on related topics, including <a href="https://hbr.org/2022/01/5-ways-managers-can-support-pregnant-employees">pregnancy</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2023.103848">pregnancy loss</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-050527">mental health</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000287">grief</a>, provides actionable, evidence-based insight for employers and managers.</p>
<h2>Build awareness of benefits</h2>
<p>Many employees don’t access benefits because they don’t know the benefits exist. Employees often have low levels of awareness about the policies, programs and benefits their employer offers, particularly when those benefits are not discussed openly. </p>
<p>To build awareness, employers should share information about reproductive health-care benefits widely, freely and frequently. All messaging should be clear and use non-judgmental language.</p>
<p>Employers should also offer additional, but complementary benefits and resources, such as inclusive mental health (e.g., counselling) and physical health (e.g., physical therapy) support.</p>
<h2>Improve access to benefits</h2>
<p>Even when employees are aware of benefits, they may be unsure about how to access them. Bureaucratic red tape, such as paperwork or complicated human resource websites, can discourage, limit and prevent the use of benefits. To improve access to abortion care benefits, employers can do a number of things.</p>
<p>First, employers should ensure employees can safely and confidentially access abortion-related benefits. Employers should protect their employees’ privacy and dignity.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pair of hands pushes a white, round pill out of a blister packet into another person's waiting hand." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531173/original/file-20230609-27-4z3i88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531173/original/file-20230609-27-4z3i88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531173/original/file-20230609-27-4z3i88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531173/original/file-20230609-27-4z3i88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531173/original/file-20230609-27-4z3i88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531173/original/file-20230609-27-4z3i88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531173/original/file-20230609-27-4z3i88.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 doctor gives their patient the first of two pills taken for a medical abortion during a visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic in October 2022 in Kansas City, Kan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Second, employers should offer flexible, paid time off to minimize financial insecurity issues that could limit benefit use. Travelling to access abortion care out-of-state may take a week or more, and could require hospital stays and multiple nights of accommodation.</p>
<p>Lastly, employers should recognize that, even when out-of-state travel is not required, <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/in-clinic-abortion-procedures/what-can-i-expect-after-having-an-in-clinic-abortion">the physical recovery</a> associated with an abortion often requires at least one full day of reduced activity. However, this can vary across individuals and procedures.</p>
<h2>Reduce abortion and benefit stigma</h2>
<p>Another significant barrier to using abortion benefits is the stigma associated with it. Employees seeking abortion care may fear that disclosing this information to their manager or co-workers could jeopardize their job security or result in them being viewed negatively.</p>
<p>To reduce the stigma associated with abortion and abortion-related benefits, there are a number of things employers can do. First, they should offer equitable, accessible health-care leave policies and travel funding that don’t require detailed disclosure or justification.</p>
<p>Second, employers should provide managers with appropriate training on benefit promotion and implementation. Managers must not only understand how employees can access and use policies and benefits, but also how they can support employees as managers. This may involve authorizing paid time off and offering temporary flexible work arrangements.</p>
<p>Lastly, managers should be trained on how to use de-stigmatizing language and show appropriate social support toward an employee if they disclose the need or desire to use abortion care benefits. Managers often set the tone within their teams and can dictate whether employees feel safe to use benefits and accommodations.</p>
<h2>Abortion is a workplace issue</h2>
<p>As stated by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/04/business/dealbook/us-businesses-roe-wade-abortion.html">the <em>New York Times</em>, “abortion is a business issue</a>.” By offering abortion care benefits and policies, employers serve as a <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e745d12f-924e-4a0a-9819-2f4595b179cf">“firewall” to protect against harmful legislation</a>. </p>
<p>But to be effective, employers must promote and de-stigmatize reproductive health and abortion care benefits by normalizing them. Human resource professionals and front-line managers must be trained on how to discuss these benefits and support any employees who use them.</p>
<p>In addition, these benefits must be known about and easily accessible to employees — only then will employers avoid the dark side of well-intentioned, but poorly implemented abortion care benefits and policies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207101/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Dimoff receives funding from SSHRC and the University of Ottawa.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacquelyn Brady receives funding from San Jose State University. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mikaila Ortynsky receives funding from SSHRC and the University of Ottawa. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephanie Gilbert receives funding from SSHRC and Cape Breton University. </span></em></p>By offering abortion care benefits and policies, employers can serve as a “firewall” to protect against harmful legislation — but only if these benefits are easily accessible and de-stigmatized.Jennifer Dimoff, Associate Professor, Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaJacquelyn Brady, Assistant Professor of Psychology, San José State UniversityMikaila Ortynsky, PhD Student, Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, Telfer School of Management, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaStephanie Gilbert, Assistant Professor of Organizational Management, Cape Breton UniversityLicensed 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/2059812023-05-20T00:33:07Z2023-05-20T00:33:07ZUnionized bodies in topless bar! Strippers join servers and baristas in new labor movement<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527289/original/file-20230519-23-zdmud0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C303%2C5601%2C3487&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Dancers at Star Garden in LA have voted for union representation.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/general-view-of-the-star-garden-topless-dive-bar-on-may-18-news-photo/1491335689?adppopup=true">Mario Tama/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dancers at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in Los Angeles have <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/05/16/1134667170/strippers-union-los-angeles-dancers-star-garden">voted to become the only unionized strippers</a> in the U.S. – joining a <a href="https://theconversation.com/america-is-in-the-middle-of-a-labor-mobilization-moment-with-self-organizers-at-starbucks-amazon-trader-joes-and-chipotle-behind-the-union-drive-189826">growing trend of young employees</a> seeking workplace protection though labor mobilization.</p>
<p>On May 18, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board announced that balloted employees at the topless bar had <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/18/business/stripper-union-california/index.html">voted 17-0 in favor</a> of joining the <a href="https://www.actorsequity.org/">Actors’ Equity Association</a>.</p>
<p>It makes Star Garden the first unionized strip club since the now-defunct <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/08/what-it-was-like-to-work-at-the-lusty-lady-a-unionized-strip-club/279236/">Lusty Lady in San Francisco and Seattle</a>. That 1996 union campaign was later the subject of the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264802/">documentary “Live Nude Girls Unite</a>.” </p>
<p>Lusty Lady shut its doors in Seattle in 2010, and three years later in San Francisco, making Star Garden if not the first then at present the only unionized strip club. But given the high-profile nature of the campaign – and the impact of union drives among young staff elsewhere – <a href="https://cob.sfsu.edu/directory/john-logan">I believe</a> that there is a high chance that Star Garden won’t be the last strip joint to unionize.</p>
<h2>Rusty nails and broken glass</h2>
<p>Star Garden is the latest in a string of organizing breakthroughs. In 2022, 2,510 petitions for union representation were filed with National Labor Relations Board elections – a <a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/unfair-labor-practices-charge-filings-up-16-union-petitions-remain-up-in">53% increase from 2021 and the highest number since 2016</a>. And petitions for union elections have continued to increase in 2023. </p>
<p>Just as at Star Garden, many of the recent union victories have occurred in workplaces that previously seemed resistant to labor drives. Starbucks, Amazon, Trader Joe’s, Apple retail stores, REI, Ben & Jerry’s, Chipotle and Barnes & Noble are among the big-name companies that have seen staff unionize for the first time since workers voted to unionize at Starbucks in Buffalo in December 2021. And evidence suggests that a successful union drive leads to more. Workers at <a href="https://newlaborforum.cuny.edu/2023/03/31/a-model-for-labors-renewal-the-starbucks-campaign/">over 300 Starbucks stores</a> have now voted to unionize, and their efforts have inspired young workers throughout the low-wage service sector. </p>
<p>But in other crucial ways their campaign chimes with that of the other new union drives than have occurred recently in the United States. Star Garden employs the same kind of young, self-assured workers that have contributed to the dynamism of union campaigns at Starbucks, Trader Joe’s and others. Most of the dancers are in their 20s and 30s, and they have proved assured spokespeople for the union during <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/09/12/1120759940/star-garden-stripper-topless-dancers-union-striking-los-angeles-california">the campaign’s extensive coverage</a> in traditional and social media. </p>
<h2>Youth-driven campaigns</h2>
<p>In contrast to past generations of union drives, it is young employees that are spearheading the new push for unions. And they are doing so independently, with <a href="https://theconversation.com/amazon-starbucks-and-the-sparking-of-a-new-american-union-movement-180293">less outside mobilizing from established union leaders</a>. The Star Garden workers self-organized and repeatedly pressured management to act on their concerns before <a href="https://www.law360.com/employment-authority/articles/1524811/calif-dancers-moving-to-form-nation-s-only-strip-club-union">deciding to petition for a union election with Actors’ Equity Union</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Men and women in black T-shirts with 'Starbucks Workers Union' emblems on the front jump in the air." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527295/original/file-20230519-15-z65a08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527295/original/file-20230519-15-z65a08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527295/original/file-20230519-15-z65a08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527295/original/file-20230519-15-z65a08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527295/original/file-20230519-15-z65a08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527295/original/file-20230519-15-z65a08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527295/original/file-20230519-15-z65a08.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">Starbucks employees and supporters celebrate a successful union drive.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/UnionMembership/2b391175f2054871aff7d7f752e6f773/photo?Query=Starbucks%20union&mediaType=photo&sortBy=arrivaldatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=140&currentItemNo=29">AP Photo/Joshua Bessex</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Moreover, the issues cited by Star Garden workers as evidence of a need for union protection – sexual harassment by customers, unresponsive management and an unsafe working environment – are in many respects just more extreme versions <a href="https://truthout.org/articles/starbucks-workers-at-the-nyc-roastery-strike-against-unsafe-work-conditions/">of the problems</a> that have driven many retail and food-service-sector workers to mobilize.</p>
<h2>Anti-union tactics</h2>
<p>In common with workers at Starbucks, REI and Trader Joe’s, the Star Garden dancers concluded that having a union and collective bargaining was the surest way to remedy such problems. </p>
<p>And like many of those other workforces, the Star Garden strippers faced a long battle against management to achieve that goal.</p>
<p>The organizing campaign<a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/05/16/1134667170/strippers-union-los-angeles-dancers-star-garden"> lasted for 15 months</a> as a result of company’s efforts to fight worker organizing and then prevent a union vote. </p>
<p>Workers voted in a National Labor Relations Board election in November 2022, but management opposition prevented the labor board from counting the ballots until last week. Among other tactics, the owners of Star Garden are <a href="https://money.yahoo.com/huge-win-hollywood-star-garden-211500506.html">alleged to have retaliated</a> against workers for protesting an unsafe working environment and claimed that the workers were independent contractors, not employees. Employers also <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/05/16/1134667170/strippers-union-los-angeles-dancers-star-garden">filed for bankruptcy</a> – an act that can void a union contract.</p>
<p>But the anti-union tactics failed. When the ballots were eventually counted, they showed that workers had voted unanimously for union recognition. In common with campaigns at Starbucks and elsewhere, the success at Star Garden suggests that traditional <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/union-busting-what-is-it">anti-union tactics</a> may be <a href="https://theconversation.com/america-is-in-the-middle-of-a-labor-mobilization-moment-with-self-organizers-at-starbucks-amazon-trader-joes-and-chipotle-behind-the-union-drive-189826">less effective with today’s younger workers</a>. </p>
<p>There is another common theme in the rash of union breakthroughs in recent years: They have generated headlines.</p>
<p>Star Garden may not have the big-name appeal to media outlets of, say, Starbucks or Amazon. But the nature of the business involved lends itself to widespread media and social coverage. In short, “strippers’ unionize” <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/05/06/la-strippers-look-to-form-first-exotic-dancers-union-in-decades/">makes</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/18/los-angeles-strip-club-dancers-unionize-actors-equity-association">for</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/16/business/strippers-union-labor.html">great</a> <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3606699-strippers-at-la-club-move-to-unionize/">headlines</a>.</p>
<p>The high profile of this and other drives is an important part of the story. Widespread social media and traditional news coverage can <a href="https://academicminute.org/2022/02/john-logan-san-francisco-state-university-why-are-unions-suddenly-such-a-hot-topic-and-does-it-matter">raise awareness of the potential to unionize</a> among other young workforces. It conveys to employees that organizing is something they can do, not just something they read about. </p>
<h2>Time for a new corporate strategy?</h2>
<p>There is also a takeaway from union drives by Star Garden strippers and other workers for corporations: The public may be tiring of old-style anti-union tactics, and it may be in their interests to work with employees seeking to unionize.</p>
<p>As Lilith, one of the Star Garden dancers, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fp0fzc">told the BBC</a>: “A union strip club is going to be a novelty in the United States. It will have customers from all over. … I think if both parties come to negotiate in good faith, we can create a really successful business together.”</p>
<p>From my perspective, it does prompt the question of whether it is time for company bosses to embrace unions. With <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/398303/approval-labor-unions-highest-point-1965.aspx">over 70% of the public approving of unions</a> – and a much higher proportion of young workers – companies like Star Garden, Starbucks and REI could potentially benefit from marketing themselves as “good employers” who respect their workers’ right to choose a union. </p>
<p>Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s is one such company seemingly taking that approach. In January, it became the <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90890085/ben-and-jerrys-ice-cream-scoopers-union-fair-election-demands">first major national employer to sign</a> the Starbucks Workers United-initiated “Fair Election Principles,” which would guarantee workers a free and fair choice to unionize. The union recognition process at Ben & Jerry’s is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/04/17/benjerrys-ice-cream-union/">scheduled for the Monday of Memorial Day weekend</a>. </p>
<p>Star Garden may be the country’s only unionized topless bar. But it is part of a wider trend that is influencing attitudes toward mobilizing in young workforces across the country – from servers to ice cream scoopers and now strippers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205981/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Logan 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>Young motivated employees are pushing the movement for union representation among US workforces. Is it time for management to get on board?John Logan, Professor and Director of Labor and Employment Studies, San Francisco State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2046612023-05-04T20:20:33Z2023-05-04T20:20:33ZFostering psychological safety in the workplace: 4 practical, real-life tips based on science<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523924/original/file-20230502-3585-pyg2o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=367%2C107%2C4284%2C2766&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The emotional well-being of the workforce and workplace culture are critical to the success of any organization.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.ccohs.ca/events/safety-and-health-week/">Safety and Health Week</a> is May 1 to 6. It offers us a chance to highlight and discuss safety, health and harm prevention in the workplace. </p>
<p>Workplaces have come a long way from a time when safety was equated with physical safety. Occupational health and safety is no longer simply about hardhats and steel-toed work boots — it’s also about <a href="https://www.csagroup.org/wp-content/uploads/CSA-Group-Research-Employees_-Perceived-Psychological-Health-and-Safety-Experience-During-COVID-19-Through-an-Inclusion-Lens.pdf">psychological safety</a>. </p>
<p>The emotional well-being of workers is critical to the success of any organization. Psychological safety is everyone’s responsibility, but hinges on leadership valuing and facilitating it. </p>
<h2>Psychological safety</h2>
<p>A psychologically safe workplace is one where it’s OK to make mistakes, it’s OK to not be OK, and it’s OK to speak up and disagree with superiors or other members of your team. </p>
<p>A psychologically safe workplace is where <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us/The+Fearless+Organization%3A+Creating+Psychological+Safety+in+the+Workplace+for+Learning%2C+Innovation%2C+and+Growth-p-9781119477266">employees feel comfortable taking risks and being themselves</a> without fear of judgment, lateral violence (for example exclusion, bullying) or negative consequences. </p>
<p>A research initiative undertaken by Google called <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html">Project Aristotle</a> identified psychological safety as the single <a href="https://rework.withgoogle.com/guides/understanding-team-effectiveness/steps/identify-dynamics-of-effective-teams/">most important factor for effective teams</a>. </p>
<p>The project was named after the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who once said “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Aristotle suggested that people who worked together could achieve better results than working alone. </p>
<p>The researchers looked at a range of factors, including team size, member diversity, communication styles and leadership, among others. </p>
<p>Amid worldwide concerns about a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-corporate-diversity-statements-are-backfiring-podcast-190726">lack of equity, diversity, inclusion</a> and accessibility, <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-621-m/11-621-m2022022-eng.htm">decreasing levels of retention</a> and productivity and <a href="https://hbr.org/2019/12/burnout-is-about-your-workplace-not-your-people">increasing amounts of burnout</a>, committing to creating psychologically safe workplaces is the best way to help employees and teams function most effectively. </p>
<h2>Benefits of psychological safety</h2>
<p>Current evidence supports that psychological safety is positively associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12183">workplace engagement, innovation, job performance and job satisfaction</a> — all favourable outcomes for institutions, organizations, the bottom line, clients and the larger community. </p>
<p>These benefits can be obtained through the creation and maintenance of workplaces where employees are able to express themselves, are treated with respect and dignity, and do not experience hierarchical or lateral violence that can include bullying and exclusion. </p>
<p>Creating and maintaining a psychologically safe environment results in employees who are more likely to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.01.001">experience better relationships with colleagues</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14623730.2009.9721791">have better mental health</a>. Choosing psychological safety is choosing to move away from shame and blame and move towards a culture of inclusion, openness and learning.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman, sitting in a circle of other people, comforts a man sitting next to her by resting her hand on his shoulder. He is looking at her and speaking." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523920/original/file-20230502-963-s751g0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523920/original/file-20230502-963-s751g0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523920/original/file-20230502-963-s751g0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523920/original/file-20230502-963-s751g0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523920/original/file-20230502-963-s751g0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523920/original/file-20230502-963-s751g0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523920/original/file-20230502-963-s751g0.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">When a workplace is psychologically safe, it means that employees are comfortable being vulnerable with each other and relying on one another for support.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Several recent surveys on disability claims exemplify why employers should invest in employee psychological health and safety. </p>
<p>Telus Health reported that short-term disability claims, due to mental health, <a href="https://plus.telushealth.co/blogs/health-benefits/en/four-ways-to-prepare-for-the-disability-deluge/">increased in prevalence by six per cent and duration by 12 per cent in 2021</a>. </p>
<p>Deloitte found that 30 to 40 per cent of short-term disability claims were due to <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ca/Documents/about-deloitte/ca-en-about-blueprint-for-workplace-mental-health-final-aoda.pdf">mental health issues prior to 2020</a>. According to data from Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association members, claims for mental health supports <a href="https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/health-benefits-claims-to-support-mental-health-rose-24-in-2020-clhia/">increased by 24 per cent in 2020</a>. </p>
<p>More and more employees consider workplace mental health support a key factor in whether they apply for and accept jobs. A <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-well-being/2022-mental-health-support">recent survey by the American Psychological Association</a> reported that 81 per cent of survey respondents agreed that employer support for mental health was an important consideration in their job search. </p>
<p>In addition, 30 per cent of respondents strongly agreed that employer support for mental health factored into their job decisions, which increased retention. In a challenging labour market, fostering psychological health and safety is key to attracting and keeping talent. </p>
<h2>Psychological safety in ACTion</h2>
<p>While it’s clear psychological safety benefits employees and employers, fostering it requires a commitment to learning, unlearning and collaboratively facilitating change over time. </p>
<p>Creating psychological safety also requires a specific set of skills that many workplaces are ill-equipped to foster in leaders and in employees. </p>
<p>The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Matrix is an evidence-based tool designed to help people develop <a href="https://contextualscience.org/publications/the_essential_guide_to_the_act_matrix_a_stepbystep">psychological flexibility</a> — the ability to adapt and respond effectively to changing situations and circumstances. </p>
<p>Psychological flexibility includes having the ability to choose our actions, despite difficult inner thoughts and emotions like anger and feelings of distrust.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A diagram of a quadrant with 'Noticing with kindnes and curiousity' written in the centre. The top of the quadrant says 'Outside,' the bottom says 'Inside,' the left says 'Away,' and the right says 'Toward.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523910/original/file-20230502-28-pnhcd5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523910/original/file-20230502-28-pnhcd5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523910/original/file-20230502-28-pnhcd5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523910/original/file-20230502-28-pnhcd5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523910/original/file-20230502-28-pnhcd5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523910/original/file-20230502-28-pnhcd5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523910/original/file-20230502-28-pnhcd5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The matrix asks individuals and teams the following question: Are our actions moving us towards values and people, like colleagues and co-workers, that are important to us? Or are they moving us away from them?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Dayna Lee-Baggley)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The individual ACT Matrix provides a framework for increasing psychological flexibility, fostering behaviour change and increasing actions that are consistent with our values. It can be an effective intervention for promoting psychological safety in the workplace.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50GnVyvtB2A">team ACT Matrix</a> focuses on having a shared purpose (shared values) to orient how members of a team <a href="https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/resources/team-agreement-process">move toward or away</a> from shared purpose. It builds psychological safety by providing a way to communicate respectfully about difficult topics. </p>
<p>The ACT Matrix can increase psychological <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-psychology-of-weight-loss/202302/psychologically-safe-conflict-resolution">safety</a>, <a href="https://www.newharbinger.com/9781684030248/prosocial/">collaboration</a>, <a href="https://www.newharbinger.com/9781608829231/the-act-matrix/">communication</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2018.1549638">psychological flexibility</a> and reduce <a href="https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/using-act-matrix-improve-psychological/docview/2723413334/se-2">stress</a> and emotional <a href="http://dx.doi.org.library.smu.ca:2048/10.1007/s10826-022-02477-w">distress</a>. </p>
<h2>Strategies rooted in ACTion</h2>
<p>The ACT Matrix provides us with several practical strategies for building psychological safety:</p>
<p>1) Notice your internal thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Notice how they impact your behaviour in the upper quadrant (for example, do they shut you down? Do you start avoiding or criticizing?). Name them and normalize them. By sharing our observations of our internal experiences, we can normalize them with others and build safety to “be OK not to be OK.” By connecting internal experiences to our behaviour, we can pause and make choices about how we want to show up. </p>
<p>2) Consider choices in terms of “moving towards” or “moving away” from your values, instead of good and bad, right and wrong, or true and false. This is different than setting goals or creating action plans. There is no finish line for psychological safety, we just keep trying to make moves “toward” or contributing to psychological safety. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman speaking to a man, which has his back to the camera. Both are wearing workplace attire and sitting at a desk." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/524494/original/file-20230504-17-flhhhz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/524494/original/file-20230504-17-flhhhz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524494/original/file-20230504-17-flhhhz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524494/original/file-20230504-17-flhhhz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524494/original/file-20230504-17-flhhhz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524494/original/file-20230504-17-flhhhz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524494/original/file-20230504-17-flhhhz.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 ACT Matrix can facilitate meaningful conversations between employees and their colleagues.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>3) Discuss difficult topics with colleagues in terms of a “shared purpose.” Framing a discussion in terms of shared purpose puts everyone on the same side and allows everyone to come up with behaviours that make sense in the situation and for the people involved. It can also help employees understand the reason behind a colleague’s behaviour (in other words, they may consider that behaviour a move “towards” a shared purpose). This allows us to be our authentic selves in the workplace. </p>
<p>4) We can use the ACT Matrix to identify and name lateral violence in the workplace as “away moves.” Lateral violence equates to a psychologically unsafe environment. This can be bullying, exclusion or freezing people out, belittling others’ opinions, snide comments or remarks, gossiping, mobbing or sharing personal information. Colleagues may not recognize the impact of their behaviour on others. The ACT Matrix allows us to bring up such sensitive topics in the framework of “towards” and “away” moves. </p>
<p>By making use of the ACT Matrix, the complex skills of building psychological safety are broken down into practical steps that can be learned and practised over time. </p>
<p>In this way, employees and employers can take meaningful steps <em>together</em> toward fostering psychological safety in the workplace.</p>
<p><em>Ron Pizzo, an employment lawyer, co-authored this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204661/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dayna Lee-Baggley has received funding from Canadian Standards Association Group, Mental Health Commission of Canada, and Canadian Psychological Association. She is affiliated with Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley and Associates.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shannan M. Grant has received funding from Diabetes Canada, Dietitians of Canada and currently holds funding from Medavie, Tri-Council Funding Programs, Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research, IWK Health, Mount Saint Vincent University. She is affiliated with Mount Saint Vincent University, IWK Health, Dalhousie University, Dietitians of Canada, Diabetes Canada, People in Pain (PIPN), and Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley and Associates. She is currently co-investigator on a series of projects funded by the Nova Scotia Health Research Fund examining psychological safety in interprofessional simulation for health professionals.</span></em></p>A growing body of evidence shows that the emotional health and well-being of the workforce is of equal or greater importance than physical safety.Dayna Lee-Baggley, Adjunct professor, Department of Family Medicine & Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie UniversityShannan M. Grant, Associate Professor, Registered Dietitian, Department of Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2047422023-05-02T20:17:54Z2023-05-02T20:17:54ZMore money for Canada’s public service workers won’t cure an unhappy workplace<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523846/original/file-20230502-2540-b9wqpt.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4992%2C3083&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) stand at a picket line outside Place du Portage in Gatineau, Que., on April 28, 2023. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang</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/more-money-for-canada-s-public-service-workers-won-t-cure-an-unhappy-workplace" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Although striking Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) workers <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-public-workers-reach-contract-agreement-with-federal-govt-ending-strike-2023-05-01/">have reached a tentative deal with Canada’s federal government</a>, the systemic workplace issues that create emotional stress, burnout and unhappy employees are still bubbling hot under the surface. </p>
<p>These issues have nothing to do with money.</p>
<p>The culture and conditions of the federal government workplace are regularly shared via the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/innovation/public-service-employee-survey.html">Public Service Employee Survey that canvasses the opinions of more than 180,000 Canadian federal government employees</a> in 87 federal departments. </p>
<p>Every two years, it asks almost 100 questions on topics ranging from leadership and management, workplace wellness factors and harassment.</p>
<h2>Negative rankings</h2>
<p>What do these in-depth surveys show? They routinely reveal that federal government employees rate the following workplace conditions as more negative than positive when it comes to workplace stress and the quality of their work:</p>
<ul>
<li>Too many approval stages</li>
<li>Constantly changing priorities</li>
<li>Unreasonable deadlines</li>
<li>High staff turnover</li>
<li>Lack of stability in my department</li>
<li>Overly complicated or unnecessary business processes</li>
<li>Unreliable technology</li>
<li>Having to do the same or more work, but with fewer resources</li>
</ul>
<p>That’s just a partial list, and some departments are far worse than others. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/innovation/public-service-employee-survey/2020.html">The 2020 public service employees survey</a> showed that 43 per cent of employees at Public Safety Canada, the place tasked with protecting Canadians from harm and danger, give a negative rating to “too many approval stages” while only 27 per cent give it a positive rating. Other findings included:</p>
<ul>
<li>44 per cent of workers at the Canada Border Services Agency feel their work suffers from “constantly changing priorities” </li>
<li>56 per cent of employees at Women and Gender Equality Canada also say their work suffers because of “constantly changing priorities” </li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2020.1807317">A mountain</a> of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09769-0">peer-reviewed research</a> draws a strong correlation between the stressors cited in the Public Service Employee Survey to depression, <a href="https://doi.org/10.17161/kjm.vol1413424">lack of motivation</a>, poor decision-making and poor performance and motivation.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man shouts while wearing a hoodie that reads Respect" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523851/original/file-20230502-1435-7tkm1y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523851/original/file-20230502-1435-7tkm1y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523851/original/file-20230502-1435-7tkm1y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523851/original/file-20230502-1435-7tkm1y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523851/original/file-20230502-1435-7tkm1y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523851/original/file-20230502-1435-7tkm1y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523851/original/file-20230502-1435-7tkm1y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A protester yells during a demonstration outside government buildings in Ottawa in September 2022 ahead of mediation for a collective agreement.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A failing grade</h2>
<p>For years, the Public Service Employee Survey has regularly revealed that the federal government is failing when it comes to workplace emotional wellness. </p>
<p>Too many approval stages and unreasonable deadlines consistently rank high in many departments. The survey also indicates an “inability to manage change” is a significant problem in several departments, including the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Correctional Services Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. This is troublesome.</p>
<p>The new contract agreement for federal government workers is heavily focused on an extrinsic motivator — <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2023/05/01/will-federal-wage-deal-lead-to-a-domino-effect-of-strikes-in-canada.html">namely, money</a>. This is understandable as workers may be struggling to make ends meet in a time of uncertain interest rates, bouncing inflation and high housing costs.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118785317.weom110098">Extrinsic motivation</a> is defined as being motivated by money and other external factors such as “expected reward, expected evaluation, competition, surveillance, time limits, and external control over task engagement.” <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-intrinsic-motivation-2795385">Intrinsic motivation is generally described as more a psychological state</a> that involves a sense of self-determination that can enhance confidence and emotional well-being.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1650509369526689805"}"></div></p>
<h2>Creating a happier workplace</h2>
<p>It is often said that “money can’t buy happiness.” Perhaps. </p>
<p>But the federal government will clearly not deal with what the Public Service Employee Survey consistently shows could buy happiness, or at least emotional wellness, in the workplace. </p>
<p>The government should tackle the long list of failing workplace factors associated with efficiency and effectiveness so that employees stop feeling as though their concerns are ignored or disregarded.</p>
<p>Will an increase in wages make federal government employees happier and more efficient while administering key services related to immigration, taxation, public safety and a multitude of other daily and often frustrating issues? It’s unlikely.</p>
<p>That’s because without a priority on intrinsic motivators — including the ability to work from home and all the psychological benefits that presents — very little will have changed when federal government workers fill out the next Public Service Employee Survey.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204742/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>Will an increase in wages make federal government workers happier and more efficient while dealing with the public on taxation, public safety and a multitude of other daily and often frustrating issues?Eli Sopow, Associate Professor, MBA Faculty of Leadership & People Management, University Canada WestLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2040082023-04-27T21:04:53Z2023-04-27T21:04:53ZPost-pandemic work in the public sector: A new way forward or a return to the past?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522885/original/file-20230425-26-va0dte.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5676%2C3855&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada picket outside a Service Canada office in Canmore, Alta., in April 2023. More than 150,000 federal public-service workers are on strike across the country after talks with the government failed. Remote work is a negotiation issue. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Three years after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020, many <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/employers-face-resistance-as-they-seek-to-increase-office-days-1.6270940">public health restrictions have been lifted and organizations are requiring workers to return to the office</a>. </p>
<p>The desired return to pre-pandemic societal norms versus the pushback from employees who want to continue to enjoy the benefits of working from home has sparked debate about what the future job market will look like.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/canadian-employers-face-resistance-as-they-seek-to-increase-office-days-1.1881692">Hybrid and remote arrangements became commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic</a> and became vital tools for the continued functioning of society, the economy and all levels of government. </p>
<p>These arrangements enabled thousands of employees to keep their jobs, companies to remain operational and the public sector to continue providing essential goods and services to citizens. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two children sit at laptops while their mother sits at a desk looking at her own laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522890/original/file-20230425-28-sjoko6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522890/original/file-20230425-28-sjoko6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522890/original/file-20230425-28-sjoko6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522890/original/file-20230425-28-sjoko6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522890/original/file-20230425-28-sjoko6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522890/original/file-20230425-28-sjoko6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522890/original/file-20230425-28-sjoko6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Schoolchildren participate in online lessons while their mother works from home in January 2022 in Mississauga, Ont.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Dramatic changes to how we work</h2>
<p>Consequently, the pandemic caused sudden and profound changes to traditional work models. </p>
<p>While some thought these changes would be permanent, a partial and gradual return to the conventional workplace has begun. </p>
<p>Does this simply involve adapting the full-time, pandemic-fuelled remote work model to current times, or does it signal a complete return to the pre-pandemic way of working? </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/capa.12520">We’re exploring the behaviour and decision-making process of the government of Canada</a> in terms of remote and hybrid work environments before, during and after the pandemic.</p>
<p>Our analysis results from a thorough review of several official government documents, including new information released through access-to-information requests and additional informal observations and insights from the field.</p>
<h2>The evolution of remote work</h2>
<p>A year prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, the federal government started experimenting by offering <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/news/2019/06/gccoworking-new-flexible-alternative-workplaces-for-government-of-canada-employees.html">“new and flexible (shared) workplace solutions” for employees in 14 departments who could work remotely</a>.</p>
<p>But prior to 2020, the number of Canadian employees who worked at home full-time was statistically low: Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey 2016 reported that <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2021010/article/00001-eng.htm">less than four per cent of employees were working from home most of the time</a>. </p>
<p>This suggests that even though remote work was already recognized as a viable employment option by some organizations before the pandemic, it wasn’t used efficiently as a widespread work arrangement until COVID-19.</p>
<p>As a result of the pandemic, the government of Canada has provided guidance to departments and agencies to outline how the public sector can best provide remote and hybrid work arrangements to their employees in an effort to normalize this new way of working.</p>
<h2>No direct contact with citizens</h2>
<p>The pandemic has dramatically changed the way public sector employees work, especially in the federal government, where a wide variety of jobs don’t require direct interactions with the public.</p>
<p>As Evert Lindquist, a public administration scholar at the University of Victoria, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/capa.12493">has noted</a>, remote and hybrid work models were accelerated by the digitization of the government:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Many governments have instituted digital service agencies, established open data platforms, adopted social media channels, created innovation labs and proclaimed commitment to ‘open government.‘”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the public sector, <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-28-0001/2020001/article/00026-eng.htm">remote work became a way for governments to continue functioning remotely</a> during COVID-19. </p>
<p>Once the pandemic stabilized, the government of Canada began a gradual, partial return to the designated workplace, initially giving departments considerable latitude to experiment with different hybrid models and the opportunity to make their own choices with few limitations.</p>
<p>But this strategy — based on flexibility and managerial discretion — didn’t last very long. </p>
<p>New rules were imposed by the Treasury Board Secretariat on departments in December 2022, <a href="https://pipsc.ca/news-issues/return-to-workplace">including a requirement for public servants to work 40 to 60 per cent of their regular monthly schedule at the designated workplace</a>. These rules <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/federal-public-service-return-office-hybrid-shared-space-1.6717454">have been criticized</a> by many who believe they mark the beginning of a return to the pre-pandemic way of working. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People sit at a long table in front of a row of Canadian flags while a man appears on screen. Empty chairs several feet apart sit in front of the long table." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522888/original/file-20230425-4953-gj2sgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522888/original/file-20230425-4953-gj2sgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522888/original/file-20230425-4953-gj2sgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522888/original/file-20230425-4953-gj2sgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522888/original/file-20230425-4953-gj2sgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522888/original/file-20230425-4953-gj2sgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522888/original/file-20230425-4953-gj2sgn.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">President of the Treasury Board Jean-Yves Duclos, shown on video, joins other public officials, including Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam, in a COVID-19 briefing in January 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Remote work as a negotiation issue</h2>
<p>All these changes happening in a short period of time have created uncertainty and even distrust on the part of federal government employees toward their employers — so much so that <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9639952/kelowna-remote-work-federal-strike/">remote work is now a central issue in the negotiations for the new collective agreement with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)</a> representing 120,000 employees. </p>
<p>The ability to continue to work from home is a point of contention, particularly pertaining to employees <a href="https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1972409/greve-teletravail-fonctionnaires-federaux-afpc">who were hired during the pandemic since they don’t have a physical office and have only ever worked from home, especially those in rural areas.</a></p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1650509369526689805"}"></div></p>
<p>The federal government and federal employees are both navigating uncharted territories. </p>
<p>On the one hand, those who currently work remotely want to preserve as much flexibility as possible in their work patterns. </p>
<p>On the other hand, enshrining the right to work remotely in a collective agreement will significantly limit the employer’s ability to impose return-to-office mandates over the long term. It could also create inequality and competition among those whose jobs can easily be done remotely and those who provide direct services to the public. </p>
<h2>Multiple issues at play</h2>
<p>In addition, there’s uncertainty about the long-term impact on the quality of team work, the management and design of government buildings and the psychological impact of isolation on employees. There’s a lot more at stake in these negotiations than salary issues. </p>
<p>Although the rules have recently been tightened and are still a major focus of the current bargaining process, the government of Canada has shifted significantly when it comes to the role of remote and hybrid work before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. </p>
<p>The crisis has irrefutably transformed the workforce in all sectors, and a complete reversal to pre-pandemic work models isn’t likely. </p>
<p>Even though many political and administrative decisions on remote work loom on the horizon, we argue that workplaces will continue to evolve in the months and years ahead.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204008/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Olivier Choinière is affiliated with the Centre on Governance (University of Ottawa). Olivier is a former Government of Canada executive (2018-2022). During this period, he held several responsibilities, including the Director of the Future of Work Office in a major department (2021-2022).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aracelly Denise Granja and Eric Champagne 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>COVID-19 transformed the workforce, including in the public sector. A complete reversal to pre-pandemic work models is unlikely, but there’s lots at stake as employers contemplate the future of work.Eric Champagne, Professeur agrégé, École d'études politique, Directeur, Centre d'études en gouvernance / Associate professor, School of Political Studies, Director, Centre on Governance, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaAracelly Denise Granja, Research Assistant, Centre on Governance, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaOlivier Choinière, Professor of Project Management, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2042472023-04-26T19:38:05Z2023-04-26T19:38:05ZNational Day of Mourning offers Canada a chance to rethink worker health and safety<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522699/original/file-20230424-20-8nq93y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C326%2C5623%2C3820&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">On April 28, Canadians remember and honour those who have been killed or suffered injuries or illness at 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/national-day-of-mourning-offers-canada-a-chance-to-rethink-worker-health-and-safety" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Canadians go to work each day expecting to return home safely, but for too many workers and their families, this expectation is unrealistic. According to the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, there were <a href="https://awcbc.org/en/statistics/">1,081 workplace fatalities in 2021 alone</a>.</p>
<p>Each year on April 28, Canadians remember and honour those who have been killed or suffered injuries or illness at work. This day, known as the <a href="https://www.ccohs.ca/events/mourning/">National Day of Mourning</a>, was established by the Canadian Labour Congress in 1984 and <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/w-11.5/page-1.html">made official in 1991</a>.</p>
<p>Four decades have passed since the National Day of Mourning’s first observance, and the annual toll from workplace fatalities in Canada continues to remain high. But just how deep and pervasive is the problem? And what can we do about it?</p>
<h2>Widespread suffering</h2>
<p>Those who consume news media can be forgiven for thinking the number of murders in Canada each year vastly exceeds the number of work-related fatalities. One reason for this is the <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/does-the-news-reflect-what-we-die-from">excessive news coverage of murders</a> relative to other causes of death like workplace fatalities.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/workplace-fatalities-deaths-under-reported-study-1.4973495">The real numbers</a> tell a different tale. <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3510006801">About 700 people</a> are murdered annually in Canada, while close to 1,000 people die at work each year. But one study from the <em>Journal of Canadian Labour Studies</em> argues <a href="https://www.lltjournal.ca/index.php/llt/article/view/5904">the actual number could be 10 to 13 times greater</a>.</p>
<p>The suffering goes well beyond the 1,000 workers who die each year. Within the workplace, <a href="https://www.ehstoday.com/safety/article/21905011/workplace-fatalities-the-impact-on-coworkers">colleagues who have witnessed horrendous tragedies</a> are affected, as are leaders who have to break the awful news to family members and motivate surviving employees.</p>
<p>Outside the workplace, the emotional and financial burden on family members has been ignored for too long. What if the news media devoted as much attention to workplace safety incidents as we did to murders? Would the public demand that management, workers and government authorities work together to enhance workplace safety?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young woman holds open a photo album to display photos of a man on a rope swing and the same man with a little girl sitting on his shoulders" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522695/original/file-20230424-884-uw83k0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522695/original/file-20230424-884-uw83k0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522695/original/file-20230424-884-uw83k0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522695/original/file-20230424-884-uw83k0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522695/original/file-20230424-884-uw83k0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522695/original/file-20230424-884-uw83k0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522695/original/file-20230424-884-uw83k0.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">Alyssa Grocutt poses with pictures of her father who died in a workplace safety incident at Suncor Energy Inc. when she was 11 years old.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg</span></span>
</figcaption>
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<h2>Myths about worker control</h2>
<p>The National Day of Mourning presents us with an opportunity to reflect on workplace fatalities and the enormous toll they take on affected families, co-workers and organizational leaders, and commit to making a difference. </p>
<p>We can start by dispelling some major misconception that are inhibiting progress in workplace safety and health. One misconception among managers is that, because workplace safety is so important, every aspect of employees’ work requires control. </p>
<p>Yet, based on extensive interviews with senior managers and employees and an analysis of documentation from 49 manufacturing firms in the United Kingdom, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2021.06.003">researchers found the opposite is true</a>. </p>
<p>Among the five key types of human resources approaches, only one was associated with fewer workplace injuries: higher levels of empowerment, which included autonomy and employee participation. Even managers that ceded small, incremental amounts of control to employees had a positive impact.</p>
<h2>Myths about safety costs</h2>
<p>A second common misconception is that government safety inspections can be costly; yet again research suggests otherwise. </p>
<p>According to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1215191">a comparison of more than 400 workplaces</a> that were not targeted for safety inspections in California, and an equal number that were randomly selected for inspections between 1996 and 2006, random safety inspections work. </p>
<p>Five years after random inspections, companies saw a 9.4 per cent reduction in injury rates, and a 26 per cent reduction in costs associated with the injuries. </p>
<p>These gains in safety were achieved without any cost to employment numbers, sales, credit rating or likelihood of firm survival, which are frequent concerns in the face of government safety inspections. </p>
<p>Given this, policymakers should feel reassured that <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-labour-ministry-enforcement-occupational-health-safety-inspectors-1.5936019">increasing the number of safety inspectors</a> is a wise investment in both injury reduction and cost reduction.</p>
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<img alt="A group of people in business attire stand with their heads down" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522696/original/file-20230424-22-1ykjou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522696/original/file-20230424-22-1ykjou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522696/original/file-20230424-22-1ykjou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522696/original/file-20230424-22-1ykjou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522696/original/file-20230424-22-1ykjou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522696/original/file-20230424-22-1ykjou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522696/original/file-20230424-22-1ykjou.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">Members of Parliament take a moment of silence for workplace safety prior to question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in 2018.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Myths about sick leave</h2>
<p>The National Day of Mourning’s calls for reconsideration of workplace safety are particularly relevant in the era of COVID-19. The pandemic highlighted the misconception that paid sick leave hurts organizations. </p>
<p>Year-after-year, <a href="https://awcbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/National_Work_Injury_Disease_and_Fatality_Statistics-2019-2021.pdf">more people die at work from health-related issues</a>, such as respiratory diseases and occupational cancers, than from safety incidents. </p>
<p><a href="https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/01/27/new-data-shows-some-people-with-covid-19-symptoms-still-go-to-work-in-peel-region/">A 2020 study</a> from Ontario’s Peel region revealed that 25 per cent of the employees surveyed went to work when they had COVID-19 symptoms; 88 workers even did so after being diagnosed with COVID-19.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/with-covid-19s-third-wave-were-far-from-all-in-this-together-159178">With COVID-19's third wave, we're far from 'all in this together'</a>
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<p>Why? Because they could not afford to lose any pay. If we are to protect employee health and limit the spread of infection, we need to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256740">de-politicize perceptions around basic workplace programs</a> such as paid sick leave. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/31/how-can-we-put-covid-behind-us-without-guaranteed-paid-sick-leave/">Worker health programs and policies</a> need to be implemented based on the best of evidence, rather than being a subject for negotiations between labour and management or the whims of the government. </p>
<p>Paid sick leave policies and programs are primary tools in preventing the spread of infections, thereby benefiting employees and protecting organizations and their communities. Employees should be reassured that they will not lose pay when they protect themselves and others by staying home when ill.</p>
<h2>A new approach is needed</h2>
<p>We need to change the widespread perceptions that workplace safety requires the tight grip of management, that random safety inspections hurt organizations and detract from profitability, and that paid sick leave is an expensive luxury. </p>
<p>On the contrary, employee autonomy and engagement, random safety inspections, and paid sick leave are some of the practices that management should welcome to develop safe and healthy workplaces.</p>
<p>Another small action that could have wide-ranging benefits is to change the very language of occupational safety. For too long, “workplace accident” has been the term used for any workplace safety incident or injury. </p>
<p>Why is this problematic? By definition, “accident” implies an event that is unpredictable, unplanned and uncontrollable. If that is indeed the case, we should be forgiven for not taking any action. </p>
<p>Yet post-injury and inquest reports tell us that the opposite is true: <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2021/07/19/many-workplace-accidents-are-preventable-stop-the-killing-and-start-criminal-investigations.html">these incidents are invariably predictable, preventable</a> and controllable. The time has come to change how we think about occupational health and safety.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204247/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julian Barling receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alyssa Grocutt receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>National Day of Mourning should be used to challenge misconceptions about occupational health and safety, and advance safer workplaces for Canadians.Julian Barling, Distinguished Professor and Borden Chair of Leadership, Smith School of Business, Queen's University, OntarioAlyssa Grocutt, PhD Candidate in Organizational Behaviour, researching workplace safety, at Smith School of Business, Queen's University, OntarioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2033142023-04-16T12:19:06Z2023-04-16T12:19:06ZInvesting in employee ownership could help the Canadian government meet its sustainability goals<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520931/original/file-20230413-18-sbbnce.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=31%2C31%2C7060%2C4689&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Employee-owned firms have better organizational performance and tend to be more resilient in the face of economic disruptions.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Buried deep in the Canadian government’s 2023 budget, and overshadowed by other announcements, is a plan to <a href="https://www.budget.canada.ca/2023/report-rapport/chap3-en.html#a11">create an employee ownership trust</a> — a specialized legal structure that makes it easier for business owners to sell equity to their employees.</p>
<p>We know from decades of research in other jurisdictions, like the <a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300209334/the-citizens-share/">United States</a>, that mechanisms like this can have major benefits for workers and businesses. However, the potential benefits of this trust go beyond the workplace.</p>
<p>Building a strong foundation for employee ownership could also be a cost-effective way to tackle <a href="https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/priorities-priorites/agenda-programme.aspx?lang=eng">Canada’s sustainability priorities</a> — if we get it right. </p>
<p>This means ensuring employee-owners play a meaningful, active role in their company’s decision-making processes. It also means bolstering efforts to encourage the widespread use of the new trust through education and incentives.</p>
<h2>Benefits of employee ownership</h2>
<p>The economic benefits of employee ownership for workers, businesses and communities are <a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300209334/the-citizens-share/">well-established</a>. </p>
<p>After all, we all know the difference ownership makes. Think about rental cars and hotel rooms. When we use something we don’t own, we tend to be less careful than we would be with our own cars or homes.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/employee-owned-companies-perform-better-but-are-resisted-by-banks-lawyers-and-governments-117154">Employee-owned companies perform better, but are resisted by banks, lawyers and governments</a>
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<p>Similarly — and not surprisingly — employees with a sense of ownership are more likely to work harder for their company, which leads to <a href="https://wol.iza.org/articles/does-employee-ownership-improve-performance/long">better organizational performance</a>. Employee-owners also have more wealth at retirement, get paid higher wages and enjoy better job quality and security.</p>
<p>Employee-owned firms tend to be more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/S0885-3339(2013)0000014006">resilient in the face of economic disruptions</a>, <a href="https://www.employeeownershipfoundation.org/research/employee-owned-firms-excel-at-employee-retention-during-pandemic">like the pandemic</a>, which means they are also better at anchoring the well-being of surrounding communities.</p>
<h2>Addressing sustainability priorities</h2>
<p>Given the benefits of employee ownership, the trust could address at least three of the sustainable development goals highlighted in <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/agenda-2030.html">Canada’s 2030 Agenda</a>: reduced inequality, decent work and economic growth and sustainable cities and communities. </p>
<p>Increased employee ownership could also drive progress on other sustainability priorities, like <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/conservation.html">environmental protection</a>. Recent research shows that granting ownership to non-executive employees <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05334-y">increases expenditures on environmental protection</a> and improves the quality of environmental disclosures.</p>
<p>Employee representation on boards of directors can facilitate better <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/corg.12345">environmental, social and governance performance</a>. And financial incentives and strong social relations among employees <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3163-1">facilitate sustainable innovation</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Person holding a mobile phone with a grid of colourful icons on it. Across the top of the phone screen it says 'Sustainable Development Goals.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520922/original/file-20230413-19-zjjmzi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520922/original/file-20230413-19-zjjmzi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520922/original/file-20230413-19-zjjmzi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520922/original/file-20230413-19-zjjmzi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520922/original/file-20230413-19-zjjmzi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520922/original/file-20230413-19-zjjmzi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520922/original/file-20230413-19-zjjmzi.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">The Sustainable Development Goals are a set of objectives that were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to bring ‘peace and prosperity’ to people and the planet by 2030.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One reason for these anticipated benefits is that, unlike distant shareholders, employee-owners are more likely to <a href="https://cusp.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/10-Democratising-firms-online.pdf">experience the positive and negative effects</a> of their companies. An ownership stake makes employees more likely to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05334-y">put pressure on management to address workplace issues</a>. </p>
<p>Another reason is that the successful implementation of corporate sustainability strategies often requires employees to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9881-2">go beyond immediate job responsibilities</a>. Employees are more likely to do this when they feel the responsibility of ownership. </p>
<p>Finally, when a critical mass of employees become owners, as is the case with worker co-operatives, it can create a self-reinforcing culture of <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811542">corporate social responsibility</a>, especially when supported by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0008125618778853">strong leadership and bold mission statements</a>. </p>
<h2>The importance of participation</h2>
<p>Like any business model, employee ownership is not a panacea on its own. Researchers have highlighted how the economic benefits of employee ownership are contingent on supportive management practices, particularly those that encourage employee participation. </p>
<p>Building a sense of <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2003.tb00242.x">psychological ownership</a> through participative management is important for organizational effectiveness. Though research on this topic is nascent, the same logic likely applies for sustainability performance. For example, we know that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0008125618778853">increased opportunities for participation</a> are critical for cultivating bottom-up sustainability-related innovations in employee-owned firms.</p>
<p>There’s a top-down influence as well. <a href="https://employeeownership.co.uk/resources/what-the-evidence-tells-us/">Nearly three-quarters of employee-owned businesses in the U.K.</a> had social and environmental statements of purpose, and almost all involved employees in decision-making. </p>
<p>This means that governments and businesses seeking to maximize the broader benefits of the employee ownership trust will have to pay close attention to participation. It’s promising that <a href="https://www.budget.canada.ca/2023/report-rapport/chap3-en.html#m32">Budget 2023 committed to gathering feedback</a> on how best to foster employee participation. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman in a green blazer gestures while speaking from behind a podium to a crowd of people." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520364/original/file-20230411-18-d8w8h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520364/original/file-20230411-18-d8w8h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520364/original/file-20230411-18-d8w8h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520364/original/file-20230411-18-d8w8h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520364/original/file-20230411-18-d8w8h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520364/original/file-20230411-18-d8w8h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520364/original/file-20230411-18-d8w8h.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">Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland delivers the federal budget in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 28, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Fortunately, we have a wealth of knowledge at our disposal about the different forms this participation can take. Opportunities for meaningful and effective participation <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X99202004">span the business organization</a>, all the way from the assembly line to the board room. </p>
<p>Well-designed employee participation is not a constraint on management. In fact, employee engagement is key to realizing the <a href="https://cleo.rutgers.edu/articles/employee-ownership-the-new-source-of-competitive-advantage/">long-term competitive advantage of employee ownership</a>, while simultaneously driving corporate sustainability.</p>
<h2>Not a moment too soon</h2>
<p>These economic, social and environmental benefits are contingent upon many Canadian business owners deciding to sell their companies to employees. There are two important considerations that need to be highlighted here. </p>
<p>First, current and future business owners need to know about employee ownership and its wide-ranging benefits. Educational institutions, particularly business schools, need to step up their efforts to spread the word about its benefits. The <a href="https://cleo.rutgers.edu/">Curriculum Library for Employee Ownership</a>, which we are contributing to, has a wealth of resources educators can use. </p>
<p>Second, governments must provide the right incentives to support the <a href="https://assets.ctfassets.net/lsxe9ikcquzl/2QEZwE9Xzy05euZ8WsGlKS/8e2cd75b929acf3882704aac7702f421/Possible_Uptake_of_Employee_Ownership_Trusts_in_Canada.pdf">widespread adoption</a> of participatory forms of employee ownership to realize economic, social and environmental outcomes. </p>
<p>In recognition of these broader impacts, calls are emerging to consider financial support for employee ownership transitions as a <a href="https://cleo.rutgers.edu/articles/impact-investing-and-employee-ownership/">viable investment strategy for impact-oriented investors</a>. </p>
<p>Research in other jurisdictions like the <a href="https://hbr.org/1987/09/how-well-is-employee-ownership-working">U.S.</a>, <a href="https://employeeownership.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/White-Rose-Centre-for-employee-ownership-survey-2019-report.pdf">United Kingdom</a> and <a href="https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/report/2012/recent-trends-in-employee-financial-participation-in-the-european-union">Europe</a> shows that incentives and policies, like <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-capital-gains-tax-exemption-employee-owned-companies/">beneficial tax treatment for capital gains</a> and employer contributions, can add to this momentum.</p>
<p>This is an exciting moment for Canadian business and labour. With the right next steps, Canada’s new employee ownership trust is poised to help us transition to a more equitable, sustainable and just economy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203314/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Pek receives funding from the University of Victoria's President's Chair award and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University through this appointment as a Social Capital Partners Fellow. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lorin Busaan 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 Canadian government’s proposed employee ownership trust could have positive impacts that go beyond workers and businesses.Lorin Busaan, PhD Student, Gustavson School of Business, University of VictoriaSimon Pek, Associate Professor of Business and Society, Gustavson School of Business, University of VictoriaLicensed 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/2008732023-03-03T14:40:49Z2023-03-03T14:40:49ZWhat is driving current labour market shortages and how older workers could help<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512947/original/file-20230301-27-v8fxho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C7%2C952%2C646&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-older-architect-woman-successful-confidence-1634499616">Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many countries are struggling with worker shortages right now as companies in the <a href="https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/the-states-suffering-most-from-the-labor-shortage">US</a>, <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2023-0001/#:%7E:text=In%20November%202022%2C%2013.3%25%20of,of%20businesses%20reported%20a%20shortage.">UK</a> and <a href="https://euobserver.com/migration/156589#:%7E:text=The%20Digital%20Economy%20and%20Society,shortages%20have%20a%20catastrophic%20cost.">the EU</a> all struggle to fill job vacancies.</p>
<p>This is often attributed to pandemic-related phenomena such as the “<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/the-great-resignation-is-not-over/">great resignation</a>” or “<a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211214-great-resignation-into-great-reshuffle">great reshuffle</a>”, when many people left or changed jobs to improve their work-life balance. Long-term sickness also plays a role <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/economicinactivity/articles/halfamillionmorepeopleareoutofthelabourforcebecauseoflongtermsickness/2022-11-10">in countries like the UK</a>. </p>
<p>But the underlying reason for these mounting shortages is the combination of a decline in workers aged 35 years and under and an ageing workforce. This may sound like the same thing, but it isn’t.</p>
<p>Falling birth rates in many countries since the 1960s have meant that <a href="https://ageing-better.org.uk/work-state-ageing-2020">fewer young people are now entering the labour market</a> to fill the vacancies left by <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/reasonsforworkersagedover50yearsleavingemploymentsincethestartofthecoronaviruspandemic/wave2#increase-in-economic-inactivity-in-those-aged-over-50-years:%7E:text=adults%20aged%20over%2050%20years%20in%20the%20labour%20market%20continue%20to%20drive%20the%20increase%20in%20inactivity">the outflow of baby boomers</a>. This trend is happening at different times in different countries. </p>
<p>But broadly speaking, it means that the labour force growth seen in many countries, decade after decade since the start of the Industrial Revolution, is gradually coming to an end. </p>
<p>This confronts employers – and society as a whole – with a completely new situation. Such shortages in the labour market are something with which they have no experience. </p>
<p>It also carries the risk that (parts of) society will grind to a halt due to a lack of staff, for example, in healthcare, childcare, public transport, the police and many other sectors that are essential for the proper functioning of a country.</p>
<p>Technology (artificial intelligence or robots) will probably relieve this pressure over the long term. But an obvious short-term solution is the better deployment of older employees. </p>
<p>Life expectancy is still increasing every year in many countries and <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years)">almost everywhere in Europe</a>, but there has not been a similar rise in people staying in the labour market for longer across all of these countries. Even if older people want to continue to contribute to the labour market and society, research shows <a href="https://academic.oup.com/esr/article/37/1/49/5900768">they can feel discriminated against</a> when applying for new jobs or even in their current positions.</p>
<h2>Why older workers might find it hard to get hired</h2>
<p>So why is it so difficult for older people to find a place in a labour market that is calling out for more workers? The explanation is twofold. </p>
<p>In the first place, many directors, HR managers and department heads grew up – like much of the world – in a society in which old was largely synonymous with “worn out”. This kind of <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/18-03-2021-ageism-is-a-global-challenge-un">ageism</a> applies not only to companies, but also to the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/oct/28/bbc-executive-broadcasters-older-women-tv">television</a> and <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/hollywoods-intentional-and-harmful-neglect-of-women-over-50/">movie industry</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/18/joe-biden-age-approval-rating-2024-election">politics</a> and <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/50-years-later-kathrine-switzer-is-fighting-a-new-discrimination">sport</a>, among other areas. </p>
<p>The idea that an older person should be replaced with someone younger can even be the case in countries where as much as <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105835/share-of-elderly-population-in-europe-by-country/#:%7E:text=In%202021%2C%20Italy%20was%20the,Portugal%20followed%20in%20the%20ranking.">a quarter of the population is over 65 years old</a>. Such a deeply ingrained and widespread habit does not simply disappear and is also difficult to prohibit by law.</p>
<p>A second, perhaps more concrete reason, is that employers – sometimes quite rightly – believe that <a href="https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:9eb25e45-ca89-4139-91ed-496f0edf16b4">older workers tend to</a> have outdated <a href="https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol22/32/">knowledge and skills</a>. If someone has done the same work for years, they could be very good in a particular niche. </p>
<p>But if that niche is a specific machine that hasn’t been updated in decades, for example, when it breaks down, they may quickly find themselves sidelined because they have not learned how the 2022 equivalent works. </p>
<p>And while many older people want to build the necessary knowledge and skills to work this new machine, others may be less enthusiastic. Even then, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254777915_Extending_working_lives_in_Europe_Employers_opinions_and_actions">research shows</a> that employers <a href="https://www.vsa-verlag.de/uploads/media/www.vsa-verlag.de-Busch-ua-Europa-in-sozialer-Schieflage.pdf">can be reluctant</a> to invest in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08959420.2011.551612">new knowledge and skills</a> for older employees. They might wonder how long the organisation will benefit from these investments.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Laptop remote work, training, male, female, colleagues." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512962/original/file-20230301-1750-q3k000.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512962/original/file-20230301-1750-q3k000.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512962/original/file-20230301-1750-q3k000.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512962/original/file-20230301-1750-q3k000.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512962/original/file-20230301-1750-q3k000.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512962/original/file-20230301-1750-q3k000.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512962/original/file-20230301-1750-q3k000.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">Developing new skills and expertise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/black-male-doctor-consulting-senior-old-1854502231">Ground Picture/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Lifelong learning and development</h2>
<p>The troubling issue here is that investment in lifelong learning and development is not standard throughout people’s careers. Participating in training may be seen as a kind of bonus for employees who perform well (a few days out of the office with like-minded people, for example) or a repair of a serious shortcoming or mistake by an employee – a punishment rather than a reward.</p>
<p>Workers should instead be given regular opportunities to refresh well-worn knowledge and acquire new skills throughout their careers. This prevents employees from becoming obsolete towards the end of their careers and seeing their chances of employment drain away. </p>
<p>Organising this would require intensive cooperation between employers, unions and the government. Probably neither party would be able or willing to make these investments entirely on their own. </p>
<p>But it is essential to prevent future generations of older people from being sidelined, even as companies cast around for ways to combat labour market shortages.</p>
<p>Even with a large-scale training offensive for older workers, it will not be easy to break the tradition that employers prefer younger workers. Establishing some good examples now could help to accelerate this process, providing older employees with a new lease of life in their careers and helping to ease the labour shortage in countries around the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200873/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span><a href="mailto:j.j.schippers@uu.nl">j.j.schippers@uu.nl</a> received funding from the European Commission from 2008-2012 for the research project Activating Senior Potential in Ageing Europe (ASPA). He is a member of the Dutch political party GroenLinks. </span></em></p>A combination of a decline in workers under 35 and an ageing workforce is leading to labour shortages in many regions.Joop Schippers, Professor of Labour Economics, Utrecht 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.