Streven naar het Scandinavische model?

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maroesjka Versantvoort

Towards the Scandinavian model? Effects of parental leave schemes on the labour market position of women Towards the Scandinavian model? Effects of parental leave schemes on the labour market position of women Increasing the labour market participation and emancipation of women has been and still seems to be one of the major socio-economic policy goals for Dutch policy makers. The new coalition agreement mentions an extension of parental leave rights, and a further granting of parental leave by means of life course policies as potential effective policies in this respect. This paper endeavours to provide insights in the labour market, income, and emancipation effects of these policies. For that purpose it reviews the relevant theoretical and empirical literature on the effects of career breaks and places the effects in the context of the welfare state. The paper concludes with a trade-off: extension of parental leave rights may lead to better job possibilities for women, but this effect tends to go together with lower wages, and less career prospects for women in general.

Author(s):  
Ivana Dobrotić ◽  
Sonja Blum

There is limited knowledge about eligibility for leave in general, and about leave rights of parents less securely attached to the labour market in particular. Consequently, social inequalities in access to leave rights remain hidden, which may be particularly pronounced in countries where stable employment is a principal condition to exercise leave rights. In this chapter, we develop an innovative conceptual framework based on the social rights literature, which takes into account how access to Parental Leave benefits is granted (in-) dependent of labour market position. Four ideal types are presented: the universal parenthood model, the selective parenthood model, the universal adult-worker model, and the selective adult-worker model. Finally, we illustrate these types with three country case examples of Parental Leave systems.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miia Wikström ◽  
Heidi Anttila ◽  
Minna Savinainen ◽  
Anne Kouvonen ◽  
Matti Joensuu

Abstract Background: The unemployed have lower work ability and poorer health than the employed. This situation deteriorates when unemployment continues. The long-term unemployed often have co-morbidities and face many other challenges. This increases the need for a multidimensional assessment of work ability and functioning in different service settings. In this study, we describe the development and analyse the content validity of the Abilitator, a self-report questionnaire on work ability and functioning for those in a weak labour market position. Methods: The Abilitator was developed in 2014–2017. Its construct was assessed by members of academic expert panels (n=30), practical expert panels of professionals (n=700) and target group clients (n=28). The structure and the content of the questionnaire was co-developed in 29 workshops and adjusted twice based on the expert panels’ feedback. The Abilitator was also implemented among target group clients (n=3360) in different services and projects. During its development the Abilitator was linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The content validation process followed the guidelines recommended by the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) panel. Results: The construct of the Abilitator combines the multidimensional and biopsychosocial models of work ability and functioning. It also includes aspects of social inclusion and employability. It evaluates social, psychological, cognitive and physical functioning, and the ability to cope with everyday life. The content of these concepts was validated by the academic and practical expert panels. The Abilitator’s 79 ICF codes covered 57% of the Generic, 77% of the Brief Vocational Rehabilitation, and 8% of the Minimal Environmental ICF Core Sets. When compared with the Work Ability Index (WAI) and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0), the direct equivalences of the ICF codes were 36% and 44%, respectively. Conclusion: The Abilitator sufficiently comprehensively covers the relevant aspects to enable the assessment of the overall work ability and functioning of the population in a weak labour market position.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudi Wielers ◽  
Jacques van Hoof

Incapacitated workers and the Labour Participation Law Incapacitated workers and the Labour Participation Law In this new rubric, the editorial board of Journal of Labour Issues has asked informed researchers whether the new Dutch Labour Participation Law that is operative since the beginning of 2015 improves the labour market position of incapacitated workers. The main goal of this new law is to place a larger number of incapacitated workers in regular instead of state-subsidized work places. The researchers hesitate to answer the question in the affirmative. Their main argument is that the willingness of regular employers to hire incapacitated workers in the Netherlands is low, and that active labour market policies are necessary to improve the labour market position of incapacitated workers. The new law might renew the interest of regular employers in this category of workers, but may also curb the further development of new and promising instruments to create sheltered work places, such as group secondment and supported employment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Hammarström ◽  
Christina Ahlgren

Abstract Background Despite the magnitude of youth unemployment there is a lack of studies, which explore the relations between health experiences and labour market position in various contexts. The aim of this paper was to analyse health experiences among young people in NEET (not in education, employment or training) in relation to labour market position from leaving school until early adult life. Method The population consists of everyone (six women, eight men) who became unemployed directly after leaving compulsory school in a town in Northern Sweden. Repeated personal interviews were performed from age 16 until age 33. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results Health experiences can be viewed as a contextual process, related to the different phases of leaving school, entering the labour market, becoming unemployed and becoming employed. Perceived relief and hope were related to leaving compulsory school, while entering the labour market was related to setbacks and disappointments as well as both health-deteriorating and health-promoting experiences depending on the actual labour market position. Our overarching theme of “Living in the shadow of unemployment – an unhealthy life situation” implies that it is not only the actual situation of being unemployed that is problematic but that the other phases are also coloured by earlier experiences of unemployment . Conclusion A focus on young people’s health experiences of transitions from school into the labour market brings a new focus on the importance of macroeconomic influence on social processes and contextualised mechanisms from a life-course perspective.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Wojtyńska ◽  
Unnur Dís Skaptadóttir

Abstract Following the economic crash in 2008, many migrants in Iceland lost their jobs and experienced deteriorating working conditions. In 2011, four years after the onset of the recession, the unemployment rates among the foreign population remained significantly higher than among Icelanders. In this article, we discuss experiences of unemployed migrants concerning their changed position on the labour market in order to highlight the different mechanisms of labour market exclusion. On the basis of research among registered unemployed foreign citizens, we analyse the main reasons for their difficulties in finding new employment. The main obstacles as reported by survey respondents and focus groups participants were limited knowledge of Icelandic, increased reluctance among Icelandic employers to hire foreigners and insufficient social networking with the native population.


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