Occupation and working outcomes during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Using data from the first wave of the SHARE COVID-19 Survey and additional information collected from the previous waves of SHARE (Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe), we explore the effects of job characteristics on two outcomes: (i) the probability of work interruptions and (ii) the length of such interruptions during the first phase of the Coronavirus Pandemic. In order to assess the relationship between job features and labour market outcomes, we define two indexes proxying the pre-COVID-19 technical remote work feasibility as well as the level of social interaction with other people while working. Moreover, we use an indicator that classifies ISCO-08 3-digit job titles based on the essential nature of the good or service provided. We find that job characteristics have been major determinants of the probability of undergoing work interruptions and their duration. In addition, we show that women have been negatively affected by the Pandemic to a much larger extent than men, suggesting the relevance of the intrinsic characteristics of jobs they are mainly involved in, and the role of gender selection into specific activities. Not only females were more likely to have undergone work interruptions but they also exhibited larger probabilities of longer work breaks. A similar impact is seen for self-employed and less-educated workers.

Understanding the social media interactivity paradox: the effects of social media interactivity on communication quality, work interruptions and job performance

PurposeAlthough social media is widely used for organizational communication, studies have begun to show its controversial effects on job performance in the workplace. To investigate these effects, this study developed a conceptual framework for how social media interactivity affects communication quality and work interruption, as well as how such effects impact job performance.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed theoretical model was empirically validated through a survey study of 556 employees in China.FindingsThe results verified a social media interactivity paradox that indicated social media interactivity increased both communication quality and work interruptions. The results further showed that high levels of social media dependency were a detriment to organizations.Originality/valueThis study verified the existence of a social media interactivity paradox in the use of social media for workplace communication. Moreover, results revealed that the effect of social media interactivity on organizational outcomes depends on its respective dimensions.

Work-Care Balance over the Day and the Gender Wage Gap

We focus on the timing of labor supplied during the day and its interaction with home care responsibilities. Using the American Time Use Survey, we measure the incidence of household care activities between 8 AM and 5 PM (the prime time of the day). Women experience more work interruptions during that time. These work interruptions imply wages that are about 9 percent lower. This result is consistent with occupations offering more flexibility but also a lower wage. We offer suggestive evidence that missing work due to household demands has a larger penalty in occupations with more coordinated work schedules.

Vessel Motions and Work Interruptions Aboard a Fast Rescue Craft

A set of field trials were carried out aboard a Canadian Coast Guard fast rescue Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat. The vessel was outfitted with a data acquisition system to collect vessel and engine performance data and trialled in three wave conditions (approx. Beaufort 2 to 7). This paper focusses on the methodologies and results for calculating and investigating Motion-Induced Interruptions (MIIs). MIIs due to lateral and longitudinal overbalancing and sliding were investigated using the counting of motion events which are expected to cause an interruption, supported by a statistical analysis and examination of the distribution of the MII data. We conclude that MII assessments of small, light, high-speed craft such as the one studied should include longitudinal acceleration and pitch angle, typically assumed to be non-influential in MII assessments. Statistical treatments have promise for analysis of field-acquired MII data.

Bipolar Tension and Employee Relations Challenge at a Higher Education Institution

This is a case of employee relations challenge at ASE, a Palestinian higher education institution (HEI). It reflects on real narratives and experiences of an accumulative and an endured conflict between ASE's labor union and its top management due to rigid administrative policies and pitfalls while transitioning through a strategic reform. The case urges readers to revert to the roots, envisage, and analyze 'internal employee relations under crises' from a dialogical and a sociopolitical perspective based on ideas drawn from the Habermas's 'Theory of Communicative Action' (TCA). HEIs are envisaged as sovereign workplaces that function on pluralistic values generating positive dialogue communication between all stakeholders and subsequently healthy employee relations. This case examines different episodes where ASE's management utilized autocratic leadership for utilitarian drivers causing employee exclusion and mounting tensions on campus. Consequently, several forms of overt resistance prevailed including strikes, apathy, and work interruptions.

Do Parental Leaves Make the Motherhood Wage Penalty Worse?

We assess if and how motherhood wage penalties change in response to the design of parental leave regulations. Focusing on Germany, we compare sweeps of reforms inspired by opposite principles. One allowed for longer periods out of paid work in the 1990s, the other prompted quicker re-entry in the labour market in the late 2000s. These reforms may have first exacerbated and later mitigated wage losses for new mothers, albeit each component of leave schemes may trigger separate, and at times zero-sum, mechanisms. We rely on Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) data and a difference-in-differences design. Focusing on first-time mothers, we find that motherhood wage penalties were substantial (around 20–30 per cent of pre-birth wages) and also changed little during the 1990s. As parental leave reform triggered longer time spent on leave coupled with better tenure accumulation, wage losses for mothers remained stable in this first period. Following parental leave reform in the late 2000s, instead, the wage prospects of first-time mothers improved, thanks in part to shorter work interruptions and increased work hours. We suggest that the nuts and bolts of leave schemes can be fine-tuned to reduce child penalties and, thus, gender wage disparities.