Search

The Maternity Protection Act is intended to protect the mother and the child from hazards, excessive demands and damage to health in the workplace, and from financial disadvantages and loss of employment. However, the objectives defined by the Maternity Protection Act-the safety and health of the pregnant employee on the one hand and the prevention of disadvantages in working life on the other-are not yet adequately achieved in the intensive care unit (ICU). Implementation of the Maternity Protection Act to the benefit of all involved parties should also be promoted in the specialist areas represented by the DIVI, in particular the work of pregnant physicians and nursing staff and other working specialists (respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, psychotherapists, and social workers) in the ICU. The aim of this paper is to raise awareness of the need to consider each pregnant and breastfeeding staff member individually and to work together to find a personal solution for continuing to work in the ICU. Possible ways and solutions to achieve this goal are outlined and practical examples are given for implementation in everyday clinical routine. These are also based on comprehensive presentation of activities according to a traffic light color-code system for all occupational groups. Arguments against pregnant employees working in the ICU are discussed and possible solutions are presented., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

The environment in which physicians practice and patients receive care continues to change. Increasing employment of physicians, changing practice models, new regulatory requirements, and market dynamics all affect medical practice; some changes may also place greater emphasis on the business of medicine. Fundamental ethical principles and professional values about the patient-physician relationship, the primacy of patient welfare over self-interest, and the role of medicine as a moral community and learned profession need to be applied to the changing environment, and physicians must consider the effect the practice environment has on their ethical and professional responsibilities. Recognizing that all health care delivery arrangements come with advantages, disadvantages, and salient questions for ethics and professionalism, this American College of Physicians policy paper examines the ethical implications of issues that are particularly relevant today, including incentives in the shift to value-based care, physician contract clauses that affect care, private equity ownership, clinical priority setting, and physician leadership. Physicians should take the lead in helping to ensure that relationships and practices are structured to explicitly recognize and support the commitments of the physician and the profession of medicine to patients and patient care.

Objectives The aims of this position paper are to (i) summarize research on precarious employment (PE) in the context of occupational health; (ii) develop a theoretical framework that distinguishes PE from related concepts and delineates important contextual factors; and (iii) identify key methodological challenges and directions for future research on PE and health. Methods This position paper is the result of a working group consisting of researchers from the EU, Turkey and the USA, who have discussed the issue over the course of six months (October 2018-April 2019), meeting both online and face-to-face on several occasions. Results The lack of a common theoretical framework of PE hinders it from becoming an established part of occupational and public health research. There are also issues regarding operationalization in surveys and registers. Further, previous research on PE and health suffers from methodological limitations including inadequate study designs and biased assessments of exposure and outcomes. PE is highly dependent on contextual factors and cross-country comparison has proven very difficult. We also point to the uneven social distribution of PE, ie, higher prevalence among women, immigrants, young and low educated. We propose a theoretical framework for understanding precarious employment as a multidimensional construct. Conclusions A generally accepted multidimensional definition of PE should be the highest priority. Future studies would benefit from improved exposure assessment, temporal resolution, and accounting for confounders, as well as testing possible mechanisms, eg, by adopting multi-level and intersectional analytical approaches in order to understand the complexity of PE and its relation to health.

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is crucial for the development of employability skills and has an influence on employment outcomes. Given the significance of WIL pedagogies for graduate preparedness and transitions into work, concerns have been raised on the barriers to access and participation in WIL for some cohorts of learners. Equity and inclusion in WIL, that is, considerations for diverse learners once enrolled into a subject or course with varying WIL components, is not a new concept with some guidelines purported over a decade ago. Designing WIL to accommodate for equity and inclusion, however, has presented challenges with few studies offering navigation for curriculum design. This paper draws on empirically sound curriculum design principles for inclusion for learner variability through Universal Design for Learning (UDL), to offer the UDL for WIL design framework. The paper presents conceptual and practical contributions for educators of WIL experiences to reduce barriers and integrate student voice to support all graduates' career transitions.

Abstract Background Work participation is important for health and can be considered as engagement in a major area of life which is of significance for most people, but it can also be thought of as fulfilling or discharging a role. Currently, academic research lacks a comprehensive classification of work participation outcomes. The International Classification of Functioning is the foremost model in defining work functioning and its counterpart work disability, but it does not provide a critical (core) set of outcomes. Standardizing the definitions and nomenclature used in the research of work participation would ensure that the outcomes of studies are comparable, and practitioners and guideline developers can better decide what works best. As work participation is a broad umbrella term including outcome categories which need unambiguous differentiation, a framework needs to be developed first. Aim To propose a framework which can be used to develop a generic core outcome set for work participation. Methods First, we performed a systematic literature search on the concept of (work) participation, views on how to measure it, and on existing classifications for outcome measurements. Next, we derived criteria for the framework and proposed a framework based on the criteria. Last, we applied the framework to six case studies as a proof of concept. Results Our literature search provided 2106 hits and we selected 59 studies for full-text analysis. Based on the literature and the developed criteria we propose four overarching outcome categories: (1) initiating employment, (2) having employment, (3) increasing or maintaining productivity at work, and (4) return to employment. These categories appeared feasible in our proof-of-concept assessment with six different case studies. Conclusion We propose to use the framework for work participation outcomes to develop a core outcome set for intervention studies to improve work participation.

Background: Health status, type of contract, education and age might affect labour force participation (LFP). We investigated possible factors associated with LFP among European countries., Methods: European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) data of 149,798 individuals were used and the odds ratios were calculated in logistic regression analyses., Results: LFP rates were higher among those in good health. Self-perceived poor health frequencies were higher in people with temporary contracts than in those with permanent contracts in Bulgaria, Finland, and Hungary, while they were lower in Republic of Serbia. Multivariate analyses revealed that having temporary contract, poor health, oldest age group, and lower educational level were associated with lower probability of being in paid employment in the total study population. Poor health was stronger driver of lower LFP than temporary contracts in Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Netherlands. Temporary contracts were stronger driver of lower LFP than poor health in Greece, Spain, Finland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia and total study population., Conclusion: Both poor health and temporary contracts were associated with lower LFP. The magnitude of these associations varied among countries. Worker's health status differed by type of contract in Bulgaria, Hungary, Finland and Serbia., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Involuntary non-regular employment is a severe inequity problem worldwide, and it may significantly affect the mental health of employees. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between employment type and mental health. Additionally, the characteristics of involuntary non-regularly employed workers were explored. An online-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Japan, and 1566 participants were included in the data analysis. The eligible participants were divided into four categories: regularly employed (n = 1092), voluntary (n = 134), average (n = 233) and involuntary (n = 107) non-regularly employed individuals, respectively. Involuntary non-regular employment was associated with greater lack of vigour, anger-irritability, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. It was higher among women, those who were single or had no childcare, and those who had lower personal income or shorter working hours, or who tended not to practice relaxation activities. Lower personal income was associated with a risk of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Those individuals experiencing involuntary non-regular employment had a higher risk of poor mental health; subgroup analysis showed that this was particularly true among men. Both encouragement of employment stability via policy reform and workplace mental health support for involuntary non-regularly employed individuals are urgent health concerns., (© 2023 International Union of Psychological Science.)

Drawing on the labour process theory and the job-demands resources model, this study challenges the assumption of beneficial effects of high-performance HR practices (HPHRP). The study argues that such practices lead to heightened work demands, which in turn compromise employees' well-being. The study also argues that the negative consequences associated with HPHRP can be ameliorated when employees receive support from their managers. To test the study's moderated mediation model, multisource matched employer-employee data from the Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2011 is used. Results of generalised multilevel structural equation modelling in STATA revealed that the relationship between HPHRP and well-being (anxiety and depression) is mediated by Job demands (JD). Furthermore, the relationship between JD and both anxiety and depression is moderated by Managerial support (MS), such that when the level of MS is high, the positive relationship between HPHRP and both anxiety and depression via JD is weaker. Taken together, the findings of the study advance our understanding of why and when HPHRP may impair employees' well-being., (© 2023 The Authors. Stress and Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In this paper, the author explores the prospect of, and the rationale for, the "critical workplace information literacy" (CWIL) construct, by situating it at the junction of critical information literacy (CIL) and workplace information literacy (WIL), the two hitherto discrete frameworks and subdomains of information literacy (IL). This preliminary attempt at the conceptualisation of a new construct was guided by the question of what role CIL can play in empowering workers to attain decent work. The author frames the conceptualisation around the 'decent work' (DW) concept, as a normative goal of the critical workplace information literacy construct, and discusses the rationale for it in the framework of the discussion on the decent work deficits in the contemporary work and information environment. Freire's critical hermeneutics and dialectics of voice and empowerment are drawn upon. The paper argues positively for the role of CIL in attaining decent work and for the need for a new construct that would help fill the knowledge and discursive gap in IL and its subdomains and overcome the current silos in the IL community. The author concludes that developing a concept requires a broad deliberative process informed by both theoretical and empirical research, and gives suggestions for future research.

Abstract Background As yet, little is known about the effects of mental health stigma on sustainable employment. This is surprising, as mental health stigma is common, and because people with severe and common mental disorders are 7 and 3 times more likely to be unemployed, respectively, than people with no disorders. As the global lifetime prevalence of mental disorders is 29%, the high unemployment rates of people with these health problems constitute an important and urgent public health inequality problem that needs to be addressed. Main text The aim of this position paper is to illustrate the assumption that stigma contributes to the unemployment of people with mental illness and mental health issues with evidence from recent scientific studies on four problem areas, and to provide directions for future research. These four problem areas indicate that: (1) employers and line managers hold negative attitudes towards people with mental illness or mental health issues, which decreases the chances of people with these health problems being hired or supported; (2) both the disclosure and non-disclosure of mental illness or mental health issues can lead to job loss; (3) anticipated discrimination, self-stigma and the ‘Why Try’ effect can lead to insufficient motivation and effort to keep or find employment and can result in unemployment; and (4) stigma is a barrier to seeking healthcare, which can lead to untreated and worsened health conditions and subsequently to adverse occupational outcomes (e.g. sick leave, job loss). Conclusions The paper concludes that stigma in the work context is a considerable and complex problem, and that there is an important knowledge gap especially regarding the long-term effects of stigma on unemployment. To prevent and decrease adverse occupational outcomes in people with mental illness or mental health issues there is an urgent need for high quality and longitudinal research on stigma related consequences for employment. In addition, more validated measures specifically for the employment setting, as well as destigmatizing intervention studies are needed.

This paper addresses the question of why young Australians with intellectual disability (ID) remain underrepresented in open employment despite significant investment by various stakeholders. It uses the analogy of Whack-a-Mole (an arcade game) to draw attention to the complexity young people face during transition, and to illustrate how addressing one barrier in isolation is unlikely to result in successful transitions. In response to repeated calls for more holistic understandings of the transition process for young adults with ID, the paper draws upon the work of Urie Bronfenbrenner to present an adaptation of his model to map the ecologies of young people with ID's as they seek to transition from school to open employment. The model illustrates the complexity of transition, a proliferation of stakeholders, and traces how transition is contingent on much more than young adults with ID's capabilities. It invites further consideration of, and utility for, an ecological model as a basis for imagining possibilities to increase the number of people with ID in open employment and concludes by raising some questions that stakeholders might ask.

Objective: This study examined the relationship between precarious employment (PE) and mental well-being, focusing on age-specific interactions., Methods: Nationally representative Korean workers (N = 29,961) were surveyed between 2020 and 2021 to collect data on multidimensional PE (categorized as low, moderate, or high) and the WHO-5 well-being index. Workers' ages were classified as young (<35 years), middle-aged (35-54 years), and older (≥55 years). Logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The interaction between PE and age on well-being was examined by including interaction terms in the regression models., Results: The prevalence of poor well-being was 25%, 29%, and 39% for low, moderate, and high precariousness, respectively, whereas it was 26%, 30%, and 39% for young, middle-aged, and older workers, respectively. In the overall sample, the OR (95% CI) of the association between PE and poor well-being was 1.24 (1.17-1.32) for moderate and 1.54 (1.43-1.65) for high precariousness, compared with low precariousness. There was a significant interaction between old age and PE on the odds of poor well-being. Compared with young workers with low PE, middle-aged workers with high PE (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.62-2.10) and older workers with high PE (OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.83-2.40) exhibited increased odds of having poor mental well-being., Conclusion: PE serves as a social determinant of older workers' psychological well-being. Policy interventions are required to protect older workers' psychological well-being., (© 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

To study hiring discrimination against cancer survivors, we conduct a vignette experiment in which American and British professionals recruited via Prolific evaluate fictitious job candidates. Candidates differed by periods of non-employment in their career, including non-employment due to suffering from cancer. We study the effect of cancer experiences on professionals' hirability ratings, as well as its effect on underlying candidate perceptions, related to various potential forms of stigma identified in the literature. We find that employment opportunities are lower for candidates with a history of cancer, compared to candidates without such a gap. This penalty is particularly explained by perceptions that these candidates will have higher sick leave probabilities and create additional costs. However, relative to candidates with a comparable gap due to depression or personal reasons, former cancer patients are less stigmatised, with relatively favourable assessments of their emotional abilities, social abilities, motivation and positive impact on workplace culture., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Research on the influence of family background on college graduates' earnings has not considered the importance of the match between parents' and children's field of study. Using a novel design based on within-family comparisons, I examine long-term earnings returns to reproducing parents' field of study in Denmark. I find that individuals whose field of study matches that of a parent have earnings that are 2 percent higher than those of their siblings with college degrees in different fields, on average. Earnings returns to field inheritance are highest in the fields of law (9 percent), medicine (6 percent), and engineering (4 percent) and are driven mainly by income from self-employment. I find no direct evidence of nepotism as the earnings advantage does not arise from inheritance of parents' firms or employment in parents' occupational network. My findings indicate that, although a college degree generally equalizes family background differences in economic outcomes, there are additional payoffs to field inheritance, particularly in traditional fields characterized by a high degree of social closure and self-employment., (© 2024 The Authors. The British Journal of Sociology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of London School of Economics and Political Science.)

There is a need for improved skills development within the UK's Higher Education Institutions (HEI) stemming from the disconnect between the expectations of employers of the skills graduates have and the skills graduates have gained during their degree. It is well-known now that there is a clear skills gap. The present study aims to explore the effect of graduates and students' perception of skills development in HEI in the UK. A total of 420 participants completed an online survey to explore their perception as well as their confidence of skills development by rating each skill on a Likert scale. The paper discusses the results in light of pedagogical strategies developed to teach soft skills in HE. The paper concludes with recommendations for teaching practice.

The career transitioning of students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) has not been commendable. This research paper discusses the career transitioning of students with SLD concerning existing research concerning knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about these students. It examined ways of preparing and supporting students with SLD towards their transition into the world of work. Additionally, it looked at how important career transitioning is for SLD students. More robust social networks, improved self-esteem, avoidance of stigma, and potential lifetime advantages, including better incomes and independent living, are some of the relevance of career transitioning for students with SLD. The paper highlights the need for students with SLD to receive support and guidance from their parents, teachers, school administrators, peers, counselors, and other stakeholders to obtain stable careers. This paper contributes to the theoretical and practical implications for supporting young people with SLD in their transition to the world of work. Further research is required to strengthen the existing literature on this topic.

In the context of online education, which has been growing as a common approach, this paper examines the impact of working while studying on university students' academic performance, namely Cumulative GPA (CGPA), as a rising trend in Egypt, especially after the pandemic and the shift into online learning. The research followed an exploratory survey method, namely a quantitative approach, with a sample of 361 students randomly selected using the convenience sampling method from a total of 3326 students, both working and non-working, from years 2 to 4 across the four schools at Nile University -- Cairo, Egypt. The study examines a cause-and-effect relationship between working students and their CGPA. Literature points out that with online education becoming a conventional mode, there has been an increase in "working while studying" in Egypt, which requires further investigation. Thus, this paper bridges this empirical gap as the first study of its kind by studying the case of Nile University working students and the effect of working while studying on their academic performance and their ability to strike a work-life balance. The study revealed a slightly negative relationship between working while studying and students' CGPA compared to non-working, as well as a negative effect on their work-life balance. The findings imply that a new mindset in the pedagogical system is needed, combining new assessment methods and modes of delivery to accommodate the rising trend. The study hasits own limitations, focusing on Egypt and specifically Nile University students.

This paper represents one of the most recent and pertinent studies conducted in Afghanistan, aiming to address the societal imperative of comprehending the factors behind the fall of the Republic government and the subsequent rise of the Taliban to power. Furthermore, the paper seeks to analyse public attitudes towards the current situation. Employing a quantitative approach, the research utilizes a descriptive-analytical method through questionnaires and the participants include social media activist, students and universities professors, the data collected by online survey according WhatsApp, Facebook messengers, telegram, email and other social media groups from different ethnic groups. The findings of this research have identified several pivotal factors contributing to the ascent of the Taliban to power, including the US-Taliban agreement in Doha, Qatar; political disparities; administrative and financial corruption within the Republic's administration; Pakistan's support for the Taliban; the previous government's accord with the Taliban; ethnic dominance; robust military morale of the Taliban; and proficient war management by the Taliban. Afghanistan, as a multi-ethnic society, witnesses political dynamics predominantly rooted in ethnic affiliations. The majority of respondents express dissatisfaction with the current Afghan situation, displaying significant concerns for the populace. Foremost concerns, in terms of prioritization, encompass poverty; closure of girls' schools; restrictions on women's education and employment; escalation of civil unrest; mono-ethnic rule; ethnic conflicts; emergence of ISIS; ethnic marginalization; violations of citizenship rights; political participation and legitimacy crises; and authoritarianism. Consequently, to address the political crisis and establish a viable system, the research concludes that while Pashtuns lean toward a centralized system, Hazaras, Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Turkmens evince greater interest in a decentralized structure.

The globally expanding doctoral education and the diminishing availability of academic job opportunities have prompted an increasing proportion of PhD graduates to seek employment beyond academia, drawing a growing scholarly interest. However, the existing literature on doctoral career pathways tends to be fragmented and dispersed, given the idiosyncratic individual and educational characteristics of doctorates grappling with the complex structural factors. To depict a comprehensive picture of the diversifying employment trajectories of doctorates across various geographical, disciplinary and sectoral contexts, this study conducts a systematic review, scouring 831 pertinent journal articles from the Web of Science. Following a set of inclusion criteria, 31 papers were ultimately selected to identify the key factors shaping employment trajectories of PhD graduates at structural (national supply and demand), institutional (employers' perceptions) and individual (doctorates' characteristics) levels. Drawing on the boundaryless and value-based career theories, the authors develop a four-dimension analytical framework, within which the findings of the 31 papers in East Asian and Western contexts are analysed. Overall, stakeholders in Western systems generally recognise the trend of PhD graduates securing non-academic employment, whereas East Asian nations appear less receptive to this agenda. Meanwhile, due to their strong emphasis on research skills utilisation and employment stability, PhD graduates in certain economies find it challenging to pursue satisfying and successful careers, warranting increased attention. Building on the findings, we propose a four-quadrat model in an effort to provide a tool for evaluating the capacity to absorb doctoral workforces of specific systems by categorising the doctoral professions. Highlighting shared patterns observed across various higher education systems and distinct trends prevalent in specific economies, this paper addresses key topics in doctoral education and doctorate employment literature such as labour market conditions, employment outcomes, job satisfaction, skills (mis)matches and sustainable careers.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences between labour market requirements in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the 21st century and university graduates' level of knowledge, skills and aspects of competence (KSAs) qualification benchmark. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a discourse analysis methodology, which is a qualitative and interpretive method of analysing texts. The content for the analysis was extracted from Scopus, Ebscohost, Proquest, Google Scholar, Web of Science, news, publications, thesis papers, dissertations and other research papers. A narrative approach for analysing the content was adopted. Findings: The findings reveal that new graduates often encounter difficulties in searching for jobs due to a lack of awareness of how to conduct an employment search that best aligns their KSA with the requirements and needs of the labour market. The study concludes that to increase the employability of graduates, higher education institutions should reduce the KSAs gap by collaborating with the private sector and providing students with relevant, industry-based job experience before graduation. Originality/value: This study investigates the gap between graduate KSAs and labour market requirements in the 21st-century UAE. The findings of the study encapsulate the weaknesses and shortcomings of the current educational systems amid the reform agenda in the UAE. It also deliberates upon the state-of-the-art recommendations regarding making the country a knowledge-based economy and society.

Focused Clinical Question: In adult patients with persistent low back pain, what relationship do social determinants of health have on pain frequency or severity? Bottom Line: This systematic review identified several particular social risk factors (including education status, socioeconomic status, and occupational factors) that are consistently associated with adverse low back pain outcomes. In addition, the analysis of the population-representative (cross-sectional) studies demonstrated support for important associations between specific social determinants of health, such as low socioeconomic status/income status and employment status and chronic low back pain prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Supervisors play a crucial role in sustainable employment of employees with a work disability. The 'Mentorwijs' (literal translation: Mentorwise) training was developed to train supervisors in knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to guide these employees. This study evaluated the effect of 'Mentorwijs' on employees' employment and supervisors' behavioral outcomes., Methods: Register- and questionnaire data were obtained from 73 employees and 1,526 matched controls to measure employment (≥ 1/month, ≥ 12 h/week and ≥ 3 consecutive months (≥ 1 h/month)) during a 12-month follow-up period. Questionnaire data were obtained from 127 supervisors who followed the 'Mentorwijs' training, to assess their knowledge, self-efficacy, intention to adopt and applied behaviors., Results: Employment for ≥ 1 h/month did not significantly improve after 3 (β = 0.05; CI=-0.07-0.16), 6 (β = 0.07; CI=-0.04-0.18), 9 (β = 0.08; CI=-0.02-0.18) and 12 (β = 0.01; CI=-0.08-0.10) months among employees whose supervisors followed 'Mentorwijs' compared to those who did not. Significant effects were found after 8 months (β = 0.11; CI = 0.01-0.21). Comparable effects were found for employment ≥ 12 hour/week and ≥ 3 consecutive months (≥ 1 hour/month). Supervisors' knowledge and self-efficacy significantly improved as a result of 'Mentorwijs', but no effects were found for intention to adopt and applied behaviors., Conclusions: 'Mentorwijs' is a promising training to improve the guidance of employees with a work disability. Further research is needed to examine how long-term effects of 'Mentorwijs' on employment can be sustained., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aim: To understand self-employed long-term-care workers' experiences of precariousness, and to unravel how their experiences are shaped at the intersection of gender, class, race, migration and age., Background: In the Netherlands, increasing numbers of nurses and nursing aides in long-term care (LTC) opt for self-employment. Societal organizations and policy makers express concerns about this development, as self-employment is seen as a risk factor for poor health. Self-employment is not necessarily precarious work but can contribute to the precariousness of specific groups. Knowledge about inequities among self-employed nurses and nursing aides in long-term care is lacking., Design: A participatory, qualitative interview study. The research team consisted of four academic researchers and five (un)paid care workers., Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 23 self-employed nurses and nursing aides in LTC (2019-2020). Data were analysed from an intersectional perspective., Results: First, we describe that feeling precarious as a hired employee-due to increasing workloads, health risks, poverty and discrimination-shapes care workers' choice for self-employment. Second, we describe inequities between self-employed care workers who could (financially) afford to turn to self-employment as a health strategy and those who felt squeezed out of the organizations due to poverty or discrimination. They more often dealt with precarious work in the context of precarious lives, negatively impacting their health. Third, we describe how negotiating an entrepreneurial identity with a caring identity required material sacrifices and thus contributed to self-employed care workers' financial precariousness, particularly as women., Conclusion: Our findings indicate that working in LTC is becoming increasingly precarious for all care workers, both for hired and self-employed, with younger, lower-paid and racialized women with unpaid caring responsibilities seemingly most at risk for precariousness., Impact: Our findings urge policy makers and care organizations to develop gender and diversity-sensitive policy responses to address these inequities., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Situated and Activity theories have exercised a significant influence in the field of vocational learning for some considerable time, both sharing a focus on bounded forms of work and forms of learning that facilitate learning in, or to changes to, bounded forms of work. Yet much learning occurs in unbounded contexts often referred to as projectification, where collaborations occur only for the life of a project thereby creating new contingent contexts for learning. Given the existence of this form of working and learning, what type of unit of analysis (UoA) is required to analyse that vocational working and learning in the context of projectification? To address this question, the paper advances the following inter-theoretical argument. Firstly, it is timely to develop a new unit of analysis (UoA) to capture the fractional (intermittent, discontinuous and concurrent) working and learning dynamics associated with the forms of projectification, where funding has to be procured in order to commence. Secondly, that unit of analysis is constituted by the concept of project assemblage, which is based on ideas from Actor Network Theory, Cultural-historical Activity Theory and Cultural Sociology. Thirdly, this new UoA enables researchers to identify the way in which project teams, where members are coming in-and-out, learn to use their different forms of specialist activity to enact objects, why team members will have different backgrounds and understandings of their work, why objects may not cohere, even though team members may treat them as unified and coherent, and how team members learn to incorporate one another's insights and suggestions, and establish a finalized object.

Poverty continues to burden millions of Canadians each year, and social assistance (SA) is one program that provides last-resort financial assistance, conditional upon looking for and accepting work. Using tax panel data of SA recipients from across seven Canadian regions between 2000 and 2018, we model the probabilities of employment success (ES) across industry of employment, SA benefit amounts, unionization, and individual-level characteristics. We adopt an economic stance to explain reliance upon SA, examining the broader macroeconomic indicators of ES, and to demonstrate the factors associated with exiting SA. We find that many SA recipients do not present evidence of recent employment, indicating a disconnect between stated SA program aims and their outcomes. We provide evidence for increased SA benefits and unionization as significant predictors of ES of SA recipients., (© 2023 Canadian Sociological Association/La Société canadienne de sociologie.)

Objective: To investigate trajectories of sustainable working life (SWL, ie, no interruptions or transitions in working life due to sickness absence (SA), disability pension (DP), or unemployment) in Swedish residential regions using a population-based twin cohort, while assessing sociodemographics and twin pair similarity., Methods: Sample of 60 998 twins born in 1925-1958. SWL was assessed through main labor market status in each year in 1998-2016 based on > 180 days with SA/DP, > 180 days with unemployment, or >half of yearly income from old-age pension for not in SWL, and employment (in paid work and did not fulfill the criteria SA/DP, unemployment, or old-age pension) for SWL. Residential regions were classified into nine groups based on Swedish municipalities. Group-based trajectory models and multinomial logistic regression were applied separately for all regions., Results: In all regions, the largest trajectory group was sustainable working life. Three to four trajectory groups developed toward unsustainable working life with different exit points from sustainable working life. A small proportion were grouped with partial stable or increase in sustainable working life. Increased age, being a woman, <12 years of education, and history of unstable working life increased, and being married and twin pair similarity decreased the likelihood of belonging to trajectories toward unsustainable working life., Conclusions: In all regions, most of the individuals followed a sustainable working life trajectory. A reasonable proportion of individuals followed trajectories developing toward unsustainable working life. The influence of sociodemographic and familial factors on trajectory groups was similar in all regions., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

Copyright of Die Anaesthesiologie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Against the backdrop of high-quality development of the national economy, the development of each city is also facing transformation and upgrading. Cities need high-quality development, and high-quality talents are the key. The problem of attracting high-quality talents in domestic small and medium-sized cities in high-quality development needs to be solved urgently. This paper takes Huai'an, a third-tier city in China, as an example, to understand the intentions and confusions of college students when they seek employment. The qualitative approach of semi-structured interviews is employed. The study finds that in small and medium-sized cities, factors hindering college students from staying in local cities for employment include that the intensity of the government in publicizing high-quality development has not reached to most college students, the guide courses in colleges and universities meet difficulties in the process of delivery, and college students' own career planning are not guided well. In response to the above problems, this paper puts forward suggestions such as strengthening the positive interaction between schools and college students, enhancing the publicity of high-quality urban development among college students, and closely integrating college students' career guidance courses with local development. Quality development attracts more high-quality talents.

This paper attempts to investigate how the rapid development of China's environmental policy contributes to the changes in China's labour market. We first categorise the environmental regulations into (i) command-and-control policies, (ii) economic incentive policies, and (iii) voluntary environmental agreements (VEAs). Then, we use the provincial panel data over the 2000-2015 period to estimate the effect of alternative environmental regulations on employment in China. The results show that alternative environmental regulations have different impacts on employment. This difference even exists within the same group of environmental policies. Amongst the command-and-control policies, the three simultaneities policy leads to less employment, while the deadline governance systems increase employment. For economic incentive policies, higher environmental tax leads to lower employment, while more funding for environmental research promotes employment. The results also show that more VEAs reduced labour demand. In addition, the dynamic impact and regional heterogeneity of environmental regulations on employment are confirmed by the empirical estimation. Specifically, the economic incentive policies significantly impact employment in Central and Western China, whereas they have a non-significant impact on employment in Eastern China. This finding confirms that economic development impacts the relationship between environmental regulations and employment., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Reading primary research literature is an essential skill for all scientists and students on science degree programmes, however little is known about how researchers at different career stages interact with and interpret scientific papers. To explore this, we conducted a survey of 260 undergraduate students and researchers in Biological Sciences at a research intensive UK university. Responses to Likert scale questions demonstrated increases in confidence and skill with reading the literature between individuals at each career stage, including between postdoctoral researchers and faculty academics. The survey indicated that individuals at different career stages valued different sections of scientific papers, and skill in reading the results section develops slowly over the course of an academic career. Inexperienced readers found the methods and results sections of research papers the most difficult to read, and undervalued the importance of the results section and critical interpretation of data. These data highlight a need for structured support with reading scientific literature at multiple career stages, and for senior academics to be aware that junior colleagues may prioritise their reading differently. We propose a model for the development of literature processing skills, and consider the need for training strategies to help inexperienced readers engage with primary literature, and therefore develop important skills that underpin scientific careers. We also encourage researchers to be mindful of language used when writing papers, and to be more inclusive of diverse audiences when disseminating their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global policy mobilities have been studied predominantly at the national level of education, but their implications and effects at the subnational level have been disregarded. This paper analyzes Proyectá tu Futuro, the first social impact bond (SIB) for education and employability implemented in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since 2010, SIBs have become a booming type of policy, rapidly traveling and being adopted across countries and policy spheres. SIBs aim to align the incentives of the private sector--the third sector--and the public sector to obtain results while improving public-policy efficiency. However, often it is policy entrepreneurs' agendas and not results or efficiency goals that trigger SIBs' adoption. In this study, we analyze the diffusion of SIBs as policy mobilities and the processes of adoption and translation in the context of Buenos Aires. To this end, we draw on an analysis of policy documents, existing legal frameworks, and interviews with key actors. Our findings point to the role of "glocal" policy entrepreneurs as key agents for the adoption and translation of SIBs, as well as their capacity to advance their own agendas in the context of global policy mobilities in federal education systems.

The present work was focused to design a cheap, rapid, portable and easy to use filter paper based assay for the qualitative and quantitate analysis of acetone. Sodium alginate gel was loaded with the acetone specific optical signal probe, and subsequently coated onto filter paper surface to design portable colorimetric assays for acetone monitoring. The color of the paper sensor strip was observed to change from dark yellow to light yellowish in the presence of varying concentrations of acetone. Three different color analyzing models including RGB, HSV, and LAB were employed to probe the output optical signal, and their performance was compared in terms of better interpretation of the generated signal. The LAB model was found to provide better analytical figures of merit with a linear response for the acetone concentration ranging from 2.5 to 1500 ppm, and a limit of detection of 0.5 ppm. Furthermore, the specificity of the designed filter paper based sensor was demonstrated against different common interfering compounds. The results demonstrated the potential of our proposed filter paper based sensor as a novel tool for the analysis of acetone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lifelong education has proven to be a significant challenge in the policy arena. The combination of formal education and labor-centered institutions has pressed the development of different mechanisms to understand the role of human capital accumulation in socioeconomic mobility and organizational performance. While the narratives of lifelong education have primed labor and educational studies across developed economies, in the case of developing economies, those logics appear contested by development economics conditions. In this paper, I use the context of the expansion of the graduate educational market and its policy reforms to analyze how a developing economy copes with a change in the availability of a highly educated workforce. Using panel and pseudo-panel data, I examine the evolution of educational returns for the graduate workforce in Chile between 1990 and 2018, considering the differences between industries and public and private sectors. The results point out that there are no public-private differences and high heterogeneity across economic sectors. The policy- and individual-level consequences are discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has popularized online learning as a mode of teaching and learning in universities, thereby exacerbating college students' stress levels in multiple ways. To enhance the quality of college student training, it is crucial to investigate the impact of perceived stress on their online self-directed learning. Using questionnaire data from 969 college students across China, this study performed an empirical analysis of the influence of perceived stress on their online self-directed learning, while also exploring the mediating role of phone dependence and the moderating role of self-management ability. The findings indicate that, firstly, perceived stress has a significant and positive effect on college students' online self-directed learning. Secondly, phone dependence masks the positive impact of perceived stress on students' self-directed learning, thereby weakening the effects of employment and learning stress on their online self-directed learning. Thirdly, self-management ability positively moderates the relationship between employment, social, interpersonal, and learning stress and college students' online self-directed learning. Fourthly, rural college students' online self-directed learning is more susceptible to employment, social, and interpersonal stress; vocational college students' self-directed learning is more influenced by employment, social, and learning stress; and students in the "Double First-Class" initiative universities are more likely to develop phone dependence. Therefore, this paper asserts that using stress reasonably, controlling stress appropriately, channeling stress properly, and enhancing self-management abilities can aid college students in learning autonomous online.