Work - Volume 77, issue 3

Authors: Jacobs, Karen

Article Type: Editorial

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-246002

Citation: Work, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 719-720, 2024

Authors: Inge, Katherine J. | Wehman, Paul | Avellone, Lauren | Broda, Michael | McDonough, Jennifer

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Customized employment (CE) is recognized in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (2014) as a strategy for promoting competitive integrated employment. However, the existing body of evidence supporting CE is mainly descriptive rather than experimental research. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the impact of CE on the employment outcomes, hours worked per week, and wages of transition-age youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. METHOD: The outcomes of transition-age youth participating in a CE intervention were compared to those receiving treatment-as-usual using a randomized controlled trial design. RESULTS: Participants receiving CE were significantly more likely …to secure competitive integrated employment than controls who received treatment-as-usual. Participants in the intervention and control conditions earned similar wages. Participants in the control condition worked more hours per week than those in CE. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study demonstrate the effectiveness of CE to assist transition-age youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities in obtaining competitive integrated employment, but future research is needed to examine factors impacting weekly hours and wages of participants in CE. Show more

Keywords: Customized employment, competitive integrated employment, intellectual and developmental disability, transition-age youth

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-246003

Citation: Work, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 721-729, 2024

Authors: Phillips, Jennifer

Article Type: Other

Abstract: Weight bias and weight stigma is present in healthcare settings negatively affecting people with obesity. Healthcare professionals should be aware of how their potential bias and stigma may be impacting clients with obesity. With obesity projected to rise among the world, the healthcare environment needs to be more accepting and accommodating.

Keywords: Weight bias, weight stigma, healthcare, obesity, discrimination

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-246004

Citation: Work, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 731-733, 2024

Authors: Chitapi, Unity M. | van Niekerk, Lana | Blank, Alison

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Globally, persons with disabilities are faced with unemployment and reduced income opportunities. Barriers to employment tend to be severe for women with disabilities who occupy marginalized positions in labor markets. ‘Livelihood occupations’ are conceptualized for this review to denote everyday activities that are done for subsistence and survival, and to broaden presentations of activities normally termed ‘work’, ‘employment’, ‘job’ or ‘productivity’ that people do to earn money and non-monetary gain. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review, undertaken as part of a broader interpretive phenomenological analysis of livelihood occupations of women with disabilities, maps research on the subject of livelihood …occupations for women with disabilities. METHODS: The Arksey and O’Malley framework and PRISMA extension for scoping reviews were utilized to guide the five stage scoping strategy used to screen and select sources. Data from selected sources were synthesized using deductive qualitative content analysis to fit experiential components into equity categories determined a-priori from the Equitable Total Rewards model, to determine if these experiences connote equity or lack thereof. RESULTS: Nineteen sources, mainly from high income countries, are identified. Aspects of benefit and career inequity were largely evident in the experiences of the women across all sources. CONCLUSION: There is considerable lack of research on experiences of livelihood occupations in low and middle income countries contexts justifying further research. Women with disabilities report experiencing inability to realize career goals and occupational choice. Show more

Keywords: Work, narratives, disabled persons, work, employment, equity

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220348

Citation: Work, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 735-753, 2024

Authors: Garcia-Torres, Mariana | Condon, Olivia | Harris, Sarah Parker | Gould, Robert | Harniss, Mark

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination in all areas of public life. The ADA contributes to equal opportunity across policy areas, including the interconnected domains of higher education and employment. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, emerging research has begun to document the disparities in impact on people with disabilities, among other marginalized groups. However, no research to date has reviewed and synthesized literature that addresses disability discrimination related to COVID-19 that has implications for application of the ADA. OBJECTIVE: This rapid evidence …review aims to increase understanding about how COVID-19 has resulted in challenges for people with disabilities in the domains of employment and higher education that may be resolved through application of the ADA. METHODS: Keyword searches were conducted in five electronic databases. Title, abstract, and full text screening was conducted followed by a thematic analysis of key ADA themes. RESULTS: Twelve final articles were included in this review, eight categorized within higher education and four within employment. In relation to the ADA and COVID-19, five studies revealed findings related to web accessibility, eight related to effective communication, and four related to reasonable accommodations. CONCLUSION: The findings provide a broad overview of the current research on how COVID-19 has affected accessibility, communications and accommodations in employment and higher education and identify gaps in the literature within these policy domains. Show more

Keywords: Disability, rapid review, pandemic, employment, higher education, public policy, ADA

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-230070

Citation: Work, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 755-767, 2024

Authors: Niazi, Aiman | Memon, Mumtaz Ali | Sarwar, Naukhez | Obaid, Asfia | Mirza, Muhammad Zeeshan | Amjad, Kainaat

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Work intensification can lead to both work-related and non-work-related outcomes that positively and negatively affect the employee, organization, and job in question. The criticality of this phenomena necessitates conducting a systematic review to capture the essence of the extant literature. OBJECTIVE: This paper presents a systematic review of the literature on work intensification from 1989 to 2022. It reviews the conceptualization of the construct, explores the factors influencing work intensification, identifies its outcomes, moderators, and mediators, and provides a review of the theories that have been used to support the phenomena of work intensification. …METHODS: The systematic review employed the PRISMA approach to screen 2823 records from the Web of Science database and extract 74 quantitative studies for final examination. RESULTS: Firstly, work intensification has primarily been conceptualized through various constructs such as workload, long work hours, and time pressure. Secondly, there are well-established positive and negative outcomes associated with work intensification, either directly or through mediators. Thirdly, both the conservation of resource theory and the job-demands resource theory are widely utilized to support models related to work intensification. CONCLUSION: The study urges practitioners to enhance their efforts in effectively managing employees’ intensified work demands, particularly in relation to work overload, working hours, and time pressure. By addressing these factors, organizations can minimize negative outcomes and promote positive consequences. Show more

Keywords: Work intensification, work overload, time pressure, long work hours

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-230193

Citation: Work, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 769-787, 2024

Authors: Doğan, Semanur | Bayram, Gulay Aras

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Changes in the sleep-wake cycle in shift workers can cause many health problems. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between daytime sleepiness and sleep quality on balance, physical activity level, fatigue and quality of life in shift and non-shift workers. METHOD: A total of 58 employees, 29 shifts and 29 non-shifts, were included in the study. Data were collected using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Tandem Posture Test, the One-Foot Stand Test, the Ten-Step Tandem Walking Test, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, the Fatigue …Severity Scale, and the Nottingham Health Profile. RESULTS: Individuals working in shifts had higher fatigue severity and daytime sleepiness levels (p  < 0.05), while physical activity levels and sleep quality were lower than those working without shifts (p  < 0.05). It was determined that as the daytime sleepiness of individuals working in shifts and non-shifts increased, their quality of life decreased (p  < 0.05). CONCLUSION: According to the data obtained from the study, individuals working in shifts compared to individuals working without shifts experienced higher levels of daytime sleepiness and fatigue severity level while sleep quality and physical activity level were lower. Show more

Keywords: Balance, daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, shift work, worker, quality of life

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220700

Citation: Work, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 789-797, 2024

Authors: Verburgh, Marjolein | Verdonk, Petra | Muntinga, Maaike | van Valkengoed, Irene | Hulshof, Carel | Nieuwenhuijsen, Karen

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In the Netherlands, the fact that midlife women constitute a considerable segment of the working population is relatively new. Generally paid work contributes to midlife women’s wellbeing, but they also report health challenges, such as work-related fatigue and the menopause. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to understand how midlife women themselves perceive their health, wellbeing, and functioning in relation to paid work. METHODS: In this exploratory qualitative study, 28 women participated in five ethnically homogeneous focus group discussions (FGDs). De FGDs were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed using MAXQDA. …RESULTS: We identified exhaustion as central to our analysis. During midlife, exhaustion seems to occur once a certain limit has been reached, both physically and mentally, with women feeling to have reached the end of their rope. Besides obvious physiological challenges, we identified two major themes in which we discuss challenges both in paid work and private life: (1) work environment and working conditions , and (2) burdens in private life . Participants took various measures to manage and try to reduce exhaustion, including finding a new job or negotiating different job tasks, and reducing work hours. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the extent to which women experience exhaustion is associated with challenges in both paid work and private life. The underlying processes do not seem to reflect individual problems, but reflect a complex set of factors at the structural level. Nevertheless, women take several individual measures to reduce their exhaustion, including reducing their participation in paid work. Show more

Keywords: Women, work, middle aged, menopause, mental health, qualitative research

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220567

Citation: Work, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 799-809, 2024

Authors: van der Laan, Tallie M.J. | Postema, Sietke G. | Alkozai, Siawash A. | van der Sluis, Corry K. | Reneman, Michiel F.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal complaints (MSCs) may be more common in individuals with brachial plexus injury (BPI), whose physical work demands exceed their functional capacity (FC). OBJECTIVES: (a) To assess the concurrent validity of five methods for measuring upper extremity work demands and the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT). (b) To explore the relations between MSCs, physical work demands, and FC in individuals with BPI. METHODS: This study had a descriptive correlational design. Physical work demands of 16 individuals with BPI (12 males, 6 one-handed workers) were assessed during work using five assessment methods and the DOT. Spearman …correlation coefficients between work demand methods were determined. FC was assessed using the functional capacity evaluation one-handed (FCE-OH). A questionnaire was used to examine MSCs. The relationship between MSCs, physical work demands and FC was analyzed visually, using Spearman correlation coefficients, and by comparing FCE-OH results to FCE reference values. RESULTS: Spearman correlation coefficients for the DOT and four out of five assessment methods for determining work demands on upper extremities were significant and moderate (four combinations: r  = 0.65–0.79) to strong (five combinations: r  = 0.81–0.94). Correlations of the fifth method with the other methods were weak to fair. No significant relationships were found between MSCs, physical work demands and FCE-OH results. CONCLUSION: The relationships between MSCs, physical work demands, and FC are evidently complex and require further investigation. In this small sample the concurrent validity of the DOT and four methods for determining work demands on upper extremities was moderate to good. Show more

Keywords: Work capacity evaluation, pain, upper extremity, work performance, workload, ergonomic assessments

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220680

Citation: Work, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 811-825, 2024

Authors: Hensing, Gunnel | Blom, Sara | Björkman, Ida | Bertilsson, Monica | Martinsson, Johan | Wängnerud, Lena | Löve, Jesper

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Gender differences in attitudes towards depression gives reason to believe that sociocultural gender norms play a role in other areas. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to test (i) if the likelihood to think that sick leave with depression symptoms is not reasonable varies between women and men, and (ii) if the likelihood to think sick leave is not reasonable varies depending on the gender of the individual with depression symptoms. METHODS: A study population of 3147 participants responded to a web-survey with a written case briefly describing a man or woman with symptoms of depression. Respondents …were asked if they thought it is reasonable that the person was sick listed for two weeks. Logistic regression was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: After controlling for age, education, self-rated health, and respondent’s own experience of sickness absence the adjusted OR was 1.45 (95% CI 1.25–1.67) for men being less likely to think sick-leave was reasonable. Gender difference decreased when adjusting for negative attitudes towards depression (adjusted OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.06–1.44). No difference was found between how women and men thought about sick leave in relation to the gender of the case described in the vignette. CONCLUSION: Men were more likely to think that sick leave was not reasonable with decreased OR after adjustment for negative attitudes towards depression. Gender norms might be part of the explanation for differences but are challenging to test. This study contributes to a bourgeoning research field on gendered attitudes and sick leave, in terms of theoretical reasoning and methodological choice. Show more

Keywords: Social stigma, gender, depression, social norms, attitudes, sick leave

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-230119

Citation: Work, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 827-838, 2024