Visions of a More Sustainable Future of Work for the Underserved

For generations, humanity has experienced socioeconomic disparities that are yet unresolved. Although education and training have transformed some individuals in society, they have not addressed the broader issues of sustainable employment for many underserved communities. Governments, corporations, policymakers, and numerous stakeholders have continued to address the problem, yielding disappointing results. Growing inequality in society continues to be a major concern. Vertical inequalities between the poor and the rich and horizontal inequalities between various groups of society have remained high for centuries. This chapter focuses on a variety of individual elements that outline the current challenges to humanity in an unequal society that certain communities continue to face, citing an unsustainable environment. Inequality and degradation negatively impact the future of work. Efforts continue to advance the future of work as a progressive, stable, and welcoming environment without the need for underserved communities to be marginalized.

Saffron Interactive, Create Your Own Future

This is a case study detailing the 2021 IELA Gold award winner for Blended Learning, Saffron Interactive’s Create Your Own Future. This project was developed to support those most at risk from digital disruption into the labour market and towards sustainable employment.

Decision (not) to disclose mental health conditions or substance abuse in the work environment: a multiperspective focus group study within the military

ObjectivesMany workers in high-risk occupations, such as soldiers, are exposed to stressors at work, increasing their risk of developing mental health conditions and substance abuse (MHC/SA). Disclosure can lead to both positive (eg, support) and negative (eg, discrimination) work outcomes, and therefore, both disclosure and non-disclosure can affect health, well-being and sustainable employment, making it a complex dilemma. The objective is to study barriers to and facilitators for disclosure in the military from multiple perspectives.DesignQualitative focus groups with soldiers with and without MHC/SA and military mental health professionals. Sessions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was done using a general inductive approach.SettingThe study took place within the Dutch military.ParticipantsIn total, 46 people participated in 8 homogeneous focus groups, including 3 perspectives: soldiers with MHC/SA (N=20), soldiers without MHC/SA (N=10) and military mental health professionals (N=16).ResultsFive barriers for disclosure were identified (fear of career consequences, fear of social rejection, lack of leadership support, lack of skills to talk about MHC/SA, masculine workplace culture) and three facilitators (anticipated positive consequences of disclosure, leadership support, work-related MHC/SA). Views of the stakeholder groups were highly congruent.ConclusionsAlmost all barriers (and facilitators) were related to fear for stigma and discrimination. This was acknowledged by all three perspectives, suggesting that stigma and discrimination are considerable barriers to sustainable employment and well-being. Supervisor knowledge, attitudes and behaviour were critical for disclosure, and supervisors thus have a key role in improving health, well-being and sustainable employment for soldiers with MHC/SA. Furthermore, adjustments could be made by the military on a policy level, to take away some of the fears that soldiers have when disclosing MHC/SA.

Special Employment Centres, Time Factor and Sustainable Human Resources Management in Spanish Hotel Industry: Can Corporate Social Marketing Improve the Labour Situation of People with Disabilities?

Background: Low-quality jobs, long working hours and difficult scheduling of hours have been usually reported in the hotel industry. The situation is more difficult for people with disabilities (PWD), even more in the COVID-19 crisis, especially in terms of labour inclusion (due to the labour discrimination usually suffered by this collective). Thus, Special Employment Centres (SEC) have been created in Spain to spread protected employment of PWD. Although they are improving the situation in the short term, the long-term impact developing sustainable employment is not clear. The objective of this paper is to analyze the Spanish situation, the possible differences between sheltered employment and the ordinary labour market, how SEC could be improving (or not) their labour situation in the hotel sector in the long term, and the potential of incorporating Corporate Social Marketing to overcome the problem. Methods: A content bibliographic analysis has been carried out according to the latest research about this topic, using a ProKnow-C methodology. Results: There seems to be two different groups of papers (supply and demand sides), being the supply side one (focused on HR practices about PWD inclusion and managers’ perceptions of workers with disabilities) more related to our research objective. Furthermore, few articles were found about SEC and Corporate Social Marketing in relation to this topic, highlighting the originality of this research approach. Conclusions: According to our bibliographic portfolio, the presence of labour discrimination in the regular market is more evident; and, in the long term, two opposite situations could be happening simultaneously: (a) SEC would be reinforcing the social stigma, hindering the labour situation of PWD; (b) SEC could be changing the social perspectives of clients and all society in a positive manner. Therefore, it would be necessary to go in-depth into the present subject, from an academic but also practical perspective, incorporating an innovative Corporate Social Marketing approach in order to shed new light on this issue and improving effective sustainable employment of PWD.

In What Ways Does Health Related Stigma Affect Sustainable Employment and Well-Being at Work? A Systematic Review

Purpose Studies are increasingly showing that health related stigma is a barrier to employment, but it is not known how. The aim of this systematic review is to identify, appraise and analyse studies that have directly or indirectly addressed ways in which stigma affects sustainable employment and well-being at work of people with disabilities. Methods Using a multiphase screening process, this review is based on a comprehensive literature search (2000–2019) carried out in six electronic databases: Embase, Web of Science, Medline Ovid, Cochrane CENTRAL, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. Results 7.263 publications were identified; 96 studies were found eligible to be included in the review. 72% of the studies were conducted in North America or Europe. Few studies directly assessed how stigma affects the employment of people with disabilities. Most studies highlighted that attitudes and behaviour of employers formed a barrier to employment, as well as anticipated stigma and self-stigma in people with health problems. However, the findings also showed that the attitudes and behaviour of co-workers, health care professionals, reintegration professionals, customers, and family and friends could act as a barrier to employment although these influences are under-researched. Although many similarities were seen in the relevant findings of studies about both physical and mental disabilities, several nuances were found. Conclusion Stigma hampers sustainable employment and well-being in multiple ways. Whereas the number of publications on this topic is rapidly increasing, the roles of health care professionals, reintegration professionals, co-workers, customers, and family and friends particularly warrant more attention.

Sustainable Employment and Livelihoods for All

The coronavirus pandemic has not only caused unemployment and livelihood issues, among others, but also has exposed the (pre-pandemic) need for greater employment opportunities and working conditions, and social protection measures. This special issue on ‘Sustainable Employment and Livelihoods for All’ discusses how in/formal workers’ lives are impacted and calls for immediate policy reforms and innovative programs to salvage and prevent millions of people from further plunging into poverty.

Gram Swaraj: The Sustainable Model for Rural Industrialisation and Employment

This article discusses the relevance of Gram Swaraj or village self-governance and rural industries in the context of pandemic-ravaged countries like India. Drawing mainly from Gandhian Gram Swaraj ideas and secondary sources, it discusses the impact on informal sector workers, their rural–urban–rural migration and precarious livelihood question, the need for rural industries and the adaptation and application of Gram Swaraj ideas. The analysis has implications for considering these ideas for creating sustainable employment and livelihood in rural areas in countries like India.

Ensuring Sustainable Employment of Personnel in the Context of Digitalization of the Economy

Aim. In the article is conducted a study aimed at identifying areas for ensuring sustainable employment in the context of the digitalization of the economy. Methodology. The authors carried out a critical review of the literature on the issues under study and identified the main participants that influence the provision of sustainable employment, such as government authorities, educational institutions, employers and staff of the organization. In the course of the study, an online survey was conducted, which included representatives of the real sector of the economy, government officials, students, university professors and temporarily unemployed citizens from different regions of the country, enterprises and organizations of different sizes and forms of ownership, as well as spheres of activity. Results. The opinion of the respondents was revealed on a number of important issues related to the modern transformation of the economy and the formation of new labor relationships that affect the sustainable employment of the country's population. Demand, from the point of view of employment and importance for society as a whole, according to the respondents, will be those who have and form the necessary and appropriate “digital competencies”. It was also found that the digital economy will lead to a change in the value attitudes of employers, staff and the organization as a whole. At the same time, it is necessary to preserve a humanistic approach to personnel, emphasizing the advantages of a person in interaction with information technologies.

US community colleges see enrollment drop this year

Significance President Joe Biden included free community college tuition for all students in his original infrastructure spending bill, and falling numbers have bolstered efforts to link community college access to equity and justice, rather than just education and employment. Impacts Attracting new faculty with recent industry expertise to community colleges will require investment in teaching how to teach. A volatile labour market will increase the need for lifetime learning, especially for those now in the manual services sector. Two years of post-secondary education will be needed for sustainable employment as employers emphasise skills and credentials.