The Effects of Workplace Support on Workplace Disruptions: Differences Between White and Black Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Abuser-initiated workplace disruptions are experienced by women who are in abusive intimate relationships. However, workplace disruptions may be prevented with targeted workplace supports. Using pilot data, this study examined relationships between workplace disruptions and workplace supports. Crosstabulation and Fisher’s exact test results were stratified by race to understand potential racial discrimination of survivors. Findings revealed supports are associated with infrequent workplace disruptions for Black women, but White women were extended a wider variety of supports, even with frequent disruptions. Discussion of results is applied to workplaces and policy makers seeking to better support employees experiencing partner violence.

Working Family Caregiver Well-Being: Work Impact, Workplace Supports, and Family Discord

A recent study by our team showed that family discord about care provision among multiple family caregivers was a significant predictor of caregiver burden, anxiety, depression, and activity restrictions. This study examined the combined effects of family discord, work impacts (missed work, caregiving affects work), and workplace supports (flexible hours, caregiver benefits) on caregiver well-being. We conducted a secondary analysis using cross-sectional survey data from the Western Pennsylvania Family Caregiving Project 2017-2018. Participants were family caregivers who worked outside the home and shared older adult (i.e. over age 50) caregiving responsibilities with family (n=364, mean age: 52.59 years, female: 71.7%, White: 79.7%, cared for a parent: 69.5%, mean work hours/week: 37.30). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted testing for main effects of family discord, work impacts, and workplace supports; and interactions between discord and work impacts/workplace supports. The presence of family discord negatively impacted all caregiver well-being outcomes (p<0.05). Having more work impacts increased the risk for anxiety (p<0.04), activity restrictions (p<0.01) and burden (p<0.01). No main effects were found for workplace support. Moderating effects were found, such that anxiety was high when family discord and work impacts were higher (p=0.025). Additionally, more activity restrictions occurred when caregivers had low workplace support and higher family discord (p=0.020). Results suggest having less family discord, more workplace support, and less negative work impacts may improve caregiver well-being. Future work is needed to determine which work supports are most beneficial to this population and how family discord and negative work impacts can be reduced.

Barriers and facilitators to requesting accommodation among individuals with psychiatric disabilities: A qualitative approach

BACKGROUND: Employees with psychiatric disabilities experience a great amount of workplace challenges such as lacking workplace supports and job accommodations. There is a lack of research surrounding job accommodations for persons with psychiatric disabilities within the United States. Thus, research is warranted to understand how to meet the needs of this population via accommodations. OBJECTIVE: This study examined barriers and facilitators to requesting accommodations among employees with psychiatric disabilities through a qualitative approach. METHODS: This study recruited 120 participants from multiple agencies serving individuals with psychiatric disabilities in the United States. Themes regarding barriers and facilitators were identified using the conventional content analysis approach. RESULTS: The most commonly identified themes were employees’ fear and anxiety negatively impacting accommodation seeking behaviors, employer discrimination and non-inclusive workplace culture, and employers lack knowledge of disabilities and ADA. Participants also identified positive experiences in requesting accommodations. CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation professionals and employers may utilize current findings, facilitate a positive and inclusive workplace environment and assist employees with disabilities to take full advantage of workplace resources and job accommodation to exert their potentials.

To Disclose or Conceal? Workplace Disability and Eldercare-Related Disclosure Decision-Making Strategies

Using qualitative methods, this study explored workplace disclosure decisions made by employees caring for children and younger adults with disabilities or special healthcare needs and compared these experiences with those of employees caring for older adults when seeking family support at work. Nineteen semi-structured interviews included participants caring for children and younger adults with disabilities and older adults who were predominantly female, white, college-educated, and middle-aged. Employees in the sample had developed communication competence from prior experiences that impacted their ability to negotiate workplace supports to achieve positive outcomes. Differences found between the groups relate to the experiences of stigmatization and the use of formal flexibility supports. Findings highlight the need for employers to understand employees’ experiences of work-life fit when they care for children and younger adults with disabilities as well as those caring for older adults. Implications for work–family theory, workplace inclusion policies, and practices are discussed.

Effect of Access to Workplace Supports for Breastfeeding Among Formally Employed Mothers in Kenya

Objectives We evaluated the availability of workplace breastfeeding (BF) supports, and the associations between these supports and BF practices among formally employed mothers in Kenya – where many women work in horticulture farms and legislation requiring workplace BF supports is being implemented. We hypothesized that the availability of supports would be associated with a higher prevalence and greater odds of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). Methods We conducted repeated cross-sectional surveys among formally employed mothers at 1–4 days, 6 weeks, 14 weeks, and 36 weeks (to estimate 24 weeks) postpartum at 3 health facilities in Naivasha from Sept. 2018 to Oct. 2019, 13 months after the 2017 Kenyan Health Act, which requires workplace BF support, was passed. We evaluated the associations of workplace BF supports with EBF practices using tests of proportions and adjusted logistic regression. Results Among formally employed mothers (n = 564), reported workplace supports included on-site housing (16.8%), on-site daycare (9.4%), and private lactation spaces (2.8%). Mothers who used workplace on-site childcare were more likely to practice EBF than mothers who used community- or home-based childcare at both 6 weeks (95.7% versus 82.4%, p = 0.030) and 14 weeks (60.6% versus 22.2%, p < 0.001; [aOR (95% CI) = 5.11 (2.3, 11.7)]. Likewise, mothers who visited daycares at or near workplaces were more likely to practice EBF (70.0%) compared to those who did not visit a daycare (34.7%, p = 0.005) at 14-weeks. Among all mothers, 84.6% with access to workplace private lactation spaces practiced EBF, compared to 55.6% without such spaces, p = 0.037. Mothers who live in on-site housing were twice as likely [aOR (95% CI) = 2.06 (1.25, 3.41)] to practice EBF compared to those without access to on-site housing. Conclusions Formally employed mothers in Kenya who used on-site childcare, lived in on-site housing, and had access to private workplace lactation rooms are more likely to practice EBF than mothers who lack these supports, while the use of community-based childcare in this context is associated with a lower prevalence of EBF. As the Kenya Health Act is implemented, provision of these supports and strategies to help women visit their children in daycare can enable EBF among employed mothers. Funding Sources NIH Fogarty International Center.

A Cultural Perspective on School and Work Transitions for Indigenous Young Adults in Canada

Successful transitions to higher education and work have been identified as particularly high priorities for Indigenous young adults; however, there is limited research that explores transition experiences from their perspectives, including the impact of culture. In this chapter, the authors describe the issues, options, and pathways for Indigenous young adults and how these affect educational and work transitions. Findings from three narrative studies with a total of 190 Indigenous young adults in two urban sites are presented. Six common themes across studies and sites were identified: importance of cultural identity, relational connectedness, need for respecting diversity, roles of family and community, roles of employers and co-workers (or instructors and fellow students), and overcoming the impact of discrimination. Fifteen employers were also interviewed about workplace supports and barriers for these young people. The findings are discussed, with implications for more culturally oriented theory and practice.

Consumer perspectives of vocational rehabilitation and return to work following acquired brain injury

Introduction: Following acquired brain injury, the goal of return to work is common. While return to work is supported through different rehabilitation models and services, access to vocational rehabilitation varies within and between countries, and global rates of employment post-injury remain low. The literature identifies outcomes from vocational programs and experiences with return to work, yet little is known about individuals’ perceptions and experiences regarding rehabilitation to support their vocational goals and experiences in attempting to return to work. Method: This qualitative study investigated the experiences of community-living adults with acquired brain injury (n = 8; mean age 45 years; mean time post-injury of 5.5 years) regarding their vocational rehabilitation and return to work. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted, with data analyzed via thematic analysis. Results: Participants identified negative and positive experiences with vocational rehabilitation and return to work. Five overarching themes were identified: addressing vocational rehabilitation in rehabilitation; facilitators of recovery and return to work; the importance and experience of working again; acquired brain injury and identity; and services, systems and policies. Participants also identified five key areas for early vocational rehabilitation services: education; service provision; employer liaison; workplace supports; and peer mentors. Study findings inform current and future practice and service delivery, at a clinical, service and system level.

Absenteeism and Presenteeism Among American Workers

Recent policy proposals for early intervention argue that health and workplace supports may be more effective if they are provided soon after the onset of a disabling condition, before an individual has completely stopped working. One challenge in developing effective early intervention programs, however, is identifying workers who may benefit from this type of assistance. Chronic absence from work or presenteeism (working while sick) could signal a worker has begun transitioning out of the labor force and may benefit from early intervention. We analyze the relationship between absences, presenteeism, and work outcomes using data from the American Working Conditions Survey. We find absences and productivity losses when working while sick are quite low on average, and absenteeism and presenteeism are highly positively correlated. We find no relationship between subsequent work outcomes and either absences or presenteeism except for individuals in the extreme right tail (95th percentile) of the absence distribution, who also engage in presenteeism. Those workers with extremely high absence rates and presenteeism have an 80% higher probability of labor force exit 3 years later. Our findings suggest that workers with many absences could be a useful group to target for early interventions and accommodations.