scholarly journals Job and Organisational Level Aspects of Work in Slovenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 655-674
Author(s):  
Ana Arzenšek ◽  
Suzana Laporšek ◽  
Valentina Franca
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Organisation ◽  
New Work ◽  
Market Uncertainty ◽  
Decent Work ◽  
Marginalised Groups ◽  
Labour Market Segmentation ◽  
Time Work ◽  
Organisational Level

Marginalised groups of workers in Slovenia are traditionally most affected by labour market uncertainty, but increasingly middle-class and upper-class workers are experiencing the same. Furthermore, new work forms have given rise to ethical, psychological and legal dilemmas. In this paper, we examine the concept of decent work and focus on job-related and organisational aspects of work in Slovenia. In the empirical part of the paper we therefore focus on working time, work organisation and co-operation within teams, work-life balance, health and stress, and overall satisfaction with working conditions. Our results evidence that new work forms increase insecurity and consequently diminish worker well-being; and this is most experienced by younger, agency and self-employed workers in Slovenia. This suggests that the development of multilevel and multifaceted measures which take into account socio-psychological and legislative factors to address labour market segmentation is necessary, especially when addressing the needs of those forced to work atypically.

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment situation and financial well-being of families with children in Austria: Evidence from the first ten months of the crisis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Steiber ◽  
Christina Siegert ◽  
Stefan Vogtenhuber
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Financial Difficulties ◽  
Childless Women ◽  
Employment Situation ◽  
Time Work ◽  
Families With Children ◽  
Short Time ◽  
The Impact

Objective: This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment situation of parents and in turn on the subjective financial well-being of families with children in Austria. Background: The pandemic had strong repercussions on the Austrian labour market. The short-time work (STW) programme covered a third of employees in the first half of 2020 and helped to maintain employment levels. We provide evidence on how an unprecedented labour market crisis of this sort and in particular the exceptionally wide use of STW had affected the (gendered) employment situation of parents and the financial well-being of different types of families. Method: The study draws on representative panel survey data that cover 905 families with underage children. The data include information on the employment situation and financial well-being of single and cohabiting parents before the onset of the crisis, three months and ten months after its onset. Results: In contrast to other countries, mothers were not more strongly affected by the labour market crisis of 2020 than childless women or fathers. About a third of couples with underage children experienced income losses. Despite the wide use of STW and government support to families, the share of families in financial difficulties has substantially increased, especially among those with many children and single parents, many of who were at risk of poverty already before the crisis. Conclusion: Substantial shares of dual-earner families that had low poverty risks before the crisis were in financial difficulties in 2020. Potential spill-over effects of financial shocks on children are discussed.

scholarly journals The subjective well-being of day labourers in South Africa: The role of income and geographical location

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip F. Blaauw ◽  
Ilse Botha ◽  
Catherina Schenck
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Subjective Measures ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Marginalised Groups ◽  
Informal Labour

Background: The informal economy in South Africa provides employment to large numbers of people who would otherwise have no opportunity to earn a living. Yet informal activities, such as day labouring, generate highly uncertain returns. Although it seems reasonable to conclude that day labourers would be dissatisfied with their lives, this is not necessarily the case as several factors contribute to people’s subjective well-being. Aim: This study is in response to a call for more research on the subjective well-being of marginalised groups in South Africa’s informal labour market. Setting: The day labour market in South Africa, whose members congregate at hiring sites hoping to be picked up by passers-by in need of temporary, casual workers. Methods: Using Sen’s Capability Approach, the study builds on earlier research conducted on the general well-being of day labourers in South Africa, with specific focus on their subjective well-being and geographical location. The results from a countrywide survey of 3830 day labourers were used in a regression analysis to compare the subjective well-being among day labourers across the nine provinces of South Africa. Results: There are statistically significant differences in the well-being of day labourers across the nine provinces. Economic variables play a role in both objective and subjective measures of well-being, while attitudinal and comparison variables are significant for the objective and subjective measures, respectively. Conclusions: Although they have to operate in harsh conditions, day labourers in South Africa display agency by choosing to migrate to richer provinces in search of greater economic opportunity and reward. However, these potential gains are often negated by increased levels of competition and thus depressed wage levels. How to nurture marginalised groups’ abilities to exercise agency and take more control of their lives represents fertile ground for researchers in future.

scholarly journals The Neoliberal University in Ireland: Institutional Bullying by Another Name?

Societies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Margaret Hodgins ◽  
Patricia Mannix McNamara
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Decent Work ◽  
New Public ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

New managerialism and the pervasive neoliberalisation of universities is by now a well-established phenomenon. Commentaries explore the political and economic drivers and effects of neoliberal ideology, and critique the impact on higher education and academic work. The impact on the health and well-being of academic staff has had less attention, and it is to that we turn in this paper. Much academic interest in neoliberalism stems from the UK, Australia and the United States. We draw particularly on studies of public Irish universities, where neoliberalism, now well entrenched, but something of a late-comer to the new public management party, is making its presence felt. This conceptual paper explores the concept of neoliberalism in higher education, arguing that the policies and practices of new public management as exercised in universities are a form of bullying; what we term institutional bullying. The authors are researchers of workplace culture, workplace bullying and incivility. Irish universities are increasingly challenged in delivering the International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles of decent work, i.e., dignity, equity, fair income and safe working conditions. They have become exposed in terms of gender imbalance in senior positions, precariat workforce, excessive workload and diminishing levels of control. Irish universities are suffering in terms of both the health and well-being of staff and organisational vibrancy. The authors conclude by cautioning against potential neoliberal intensification as universities grapple with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reviews neoliberalism in higher education and concludes with insight as to how the current pandemic could act as a necessary catalyst to stem the tide and ‘call out’ bullying at the institutional level.

scholarly journals ‘We’re Meant to Be Crossing Over … but the Bridge Is broken’: 2020 University Graduates’ Experiences of the Pandemic in Ireland

Young ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 110330882110047
Author(s):  
Virpi Timonen ◽  
Jo Greene ◽  
Ayeshah Émon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Crossing Over ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Market Uncertainty ◽  
Postgraduate Study ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Care Practices

We interviewed university graduates of 2020 in Ireland to understand how the coronavirus pandemic had affected them. Demonstrating a keen awareness of their mental health, participants had adopted self-care practices such as mindfulness. They recounted positive experiences of life in their ‘lockdown homes’ with supportive families. Some were embarking on normative adult pathways sooner than anticipated while others opted for postgraduate study to bide time. Participants reported heightened worry/anxiety and had limited their media use in response. Their plans did not extend beyond the immediate future, reflecting a degree of resignation. The participants accepted the strict constraints associated with pandemic management in Ireland. They did not view themselves as members of a group that was likely to experience the long-term costs of the pandemic but rather were attempting to negotiate their own pathway through labour market uncertainty while also demonstrating high levels of solidarity towards vulnerable groups in society.

Empowerment e intensificazione? Gli effetti dei nuovi sistemi di lavoro sui lavoratori1

2012 ◽  
pp. 45-75
Author(s):  
Torre Edoardo Della
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
New Work ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
High Performance Work Systems ◽  
Sceptical View

The debate about the effects of new work systems - the so-called High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) - in terms of improving economic performance and productivity of the enterprise is rich in contributions and a substantial convergence is recorded in saying that, in the presence of a well thought-out and properly implemented system, the effects are positive. More neglected and controversial are the effects that these practices have for the well-being of workers. Through a review of theoretical and empirical literature on the topic, this paper analyses the traditional opposition between supporters of the "empowerment view" and supporters of the "intensification view". The former consider the HPWS such as win-win solutions for enterprises and workers, while the latter believe that the HPWS are a managerial expedient that aims to intensify the pace of work and the efforts required to workers. The results show that both positions are sustainable and attach to internal tensions related to HPWS (i.e. control/ discretion, responsibility/stress, etc.) the uncertainty of the results found from the literature. This interpretation finds in the intermediate "sceptical view" the more careful position to adopt and suggests to pay greater attention to the measurement adopted to analyze these relationships and to the characteristics of the employees and of the context in which HPWS are introduced. Finally, some directions for the development of future researches in this area are drawn.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document