Suchergebnisse

During 2016, 30 individuals with a mental health condition (who claimed ESA, have had their ESA withdrawn and moved on to JSA, or have been directed into the WRAG group based on the decision of the WCA) were interviewed. The 30 participants were recruited throughout Scotland. In addition, we interviewed seven individuals who had involvement with various intermediaries, such as advocacy organisations, collective advocacy groups, Citizens Advice Bureau and (an ex employee of) Ingeus. Participants were recruited through advocacy organisations, voluntary groups and the local media. Overall, we established that the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) does not inspire confidence in participants in its adequacy for assessing mental health problems. There is concern that the assessors do not appear to have appropriate expertise in mental health. The WCA experience for many, caused a deterioration in people's mental health which individuals did not recover from. In the worst cases, the WCA experience led to thoughts of suicide. People felt that that there was an inconsistency in terms of GP recommendations and the WCA recommendations. Many people were subject to further upset and distress due to communication from the DWP being lost in the post. Having a mental health condition (MHC) in parallel with being unemployed and on benefits leads individuals to be confronted with multiple and competing stigmas, which they find hard to manage and these become self-reinforcing and self-perpetuating. The WCA and other mandatory structures, work against individuals developing or retaining employability skills as voluntary work is seen as demonstrating fitness for work; education is also not possible whilst receiving ESA. The system fails to recognise that for many, volunteering is good for wellbeing and may be 'as good as it gets'. Whilst the Scottish Government does not have control over the ESA component of Universal Credit, it needs to carefully consider how any benefits that is does have control over (e.g. DLA) are assessed and ...

PurposeFor many nations, their workforces are ageing. The purpose of this paper is to explore the concerns and attitudes of employers to employing older workers and what information they require.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey of workplaces was undertaken in the Fife region of Scotland, which in economic and demographic terms is representative of wider Scotland and other nations in Northern Europe. Descriptive analysis was undertaken to give insight into concerns and actions taken regarding ageing workforces.FindingsMost workplaces perceive more advantages to employing older workers than challenges. Many have adapted training and work practices, but many have not. The majority surveyed believe that existing policies and strategies are sufficient. This points to the need for national and local government and employer associations to become more active to persuade workplaces to better manage future workplaces.Research limitations/implicationsGeneralisability is problematic and the small sample restricted the scope of statistical analysis.Practical implicationsThe authors were unable to judge the severity of how an ageing workforce impacts on workplace performance, as employers found it difficult to conceptualise and identify the impact of ageing from market and economic pressures.Social implicationsResulting from population ageing the workforce of many societies are becoming older, this will impact on workplace relations and the social identity of those over the age of 50 years.Originality/valueLittle research has been undertaken to assess workplaces awareness of, and how to adapt to, an ageing workforce, and research is required to inform and guide management strategy of employers.

Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey of workplaces was undertaken in the Fife region of Scotland, which in economic and demographic terms is representative of wider Scotland and other nations in Northern Europe. Descriptive analysis was undertaken to give insight into concerns and actions taken regarding ageing workforces.PurposeFor many nations, their workforces are ageing. The motivation of this paper is to explore the concerns and attitudes of employers to employing older workers and what information they require.FindingsMost workplaces perceive more advantages to employing older workers than challenges. Many have adapted training and work practices, but many have not. The majority surveyed believe that existing policies and strategies are sufficient. This points to the need for national and local government and employer associations to become more active to persuade workplaces to better manage future workplaces.Research Limitations/implicationsGeneralisability is problematic and the small sample restricted the scope of statistical analysis.Practical ImplicationsWe were unable to judge the severity of how an ageing workforce impacts on workplace performance, as employers found it difficult to conceptualise and identify the impact of ageing from market and economic pressures.Social ImplicationsResulting from population ageing the workforce of many societies are becoming older, this will impact on workplace relations and the social identity of those over the age of fifty years.OriginalityLittle research has been undertaken to assess workplaces awareness of, and how to adapt to, an ageing workforce and research is required to inform and guide management strategy of employers.

The impact of an ageing workforce on the workplace is a concern internationally. Governments are increasingly encouraging the continued labour market participation of older workers, seeking to remove previous barriers to the extension of working lives and give more choice to workers. Despite these legislative drivers, research has consistently found a lack of systematic approaches by employers to prepare and benefit from these demographic and labour market changes. In this paper, qualitative research is drawn upon to examine how managers and older workers think about age and ageing in the workplace; the support put in place for older workers, as well as future priorities; and the lived experiences of the older workers. It is highlighted that employees' age and fitness for work is treated on an individual basis, rather than having formal plans to manage the workplace for older workers. This thus indicates a hands-off approach from management.

Information and communication technology (ICT) workers rarely join trade unions. This is usually explained by the individualized nature of work. This article examines broader forms of collectivism for these workers, drawing on survey and interview data. The focus is on social class, attitudes towards unions and professional bodies and participation in the broader ICT community – specifically Free, Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS). The findings reveal absence of formal collective frames of reference or organization, yet the creativity, autonomy and initiative central to the identity of ICT workers may offer opportunities for collectivization particularly with regard to participation in FLOSS communities.