| 1. |
- Bernhard, Dörte, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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Disability management experts and the impact of jurisdiction on practice: an Ontario example
- 2010
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In: International Journal of Social Security and Workers Compensation. - 1836-9022. ; 2:1, s. 1-16
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction The role, tasks and competencies of disability management professionals (DMPs) have increasingly become a focus of research in the last decade. However, the legal context in which DMPs work, how this affects their daily practice, and how this impacts their training curricula, has been neglected. This omission is problematic given that international training programs of disability management (DM) operate across different jurisdictions. Our study describes DMPs' practice in Ontario, Canada and considers jurisdiction-specific elements of disability management practice. Methods The study is based on seven interviews and a focus group with five participants, who are either certified disability management professionals or who are involved with DMPs' training, as well as documentary analysis of the legal context of these professionals' practice. Results The study shows how DMPs' practice is affected by the local legal context. The jurisdiction's socio-political framework requires DMPs to distinguish between occupational and non-occupational cases, a distinction which affects their practice and their recommendations to employers. This is in contrast to DM training which emphasises equal treatment of all people with disabilities. Conclusions The research suggests that disability management practices may differ from one jurisdiction to the next and therefore emphasises the need to consider socio-political aspects in DMPs' practice as well as in the development of training programmes and cross-jurisdictional research.
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| 2. |
- Dunstan, Debra, et al.
(author)
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The role of co-workers the return-to-work process
- 2015
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In: International Journal of Disability Mangement Research. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP). - 1833-8550 .- 1834-4887. ; 10, s. 9-16
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is a large body of research examining work disability management and the return to work (RTW) of sick or injured workers. However, although this research makes clear the roles of the returning worker and supervisor, that of the co-workers is less well understood. To increase understanding of this topic, we have identified, reviewed, and discussed three studies that emerged from our connection with a Canadian research-training program. The first study, conducted in Sweden by Tjulin, MacEachen, and Ekberg (2009), showed that co-workers can play a positive rolein RTW, but this is often invisible to supervisors. The second study, undertaken by Dunstan and MacEachen (2013) in Canada, found that RTW could both positively and negatively impact co-workers. For instance, co-workers may benefit from learning new skills, but may also be burdened by the need to assume extra work to accommodate a returning worker. The third study, performed in Belgium by Mortelmans and Verjans (2012) and Mortelmans, Verjans, and Mairiaux (2012) reported the need to include the expectations and objections of co-workers in RTW plans and implemented a three-step RTW tool that involves co-workers. Taken together, these studies highlight the social context of work, the positive roleplayed by co-workers in the RTW process, the impacts of workplace social relations on RTW outcomes, and the benefits to all of involving co-workers in RTW plans.
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| 3. |
- Ellen, MacEachen, et al.
(author)
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Systematic review of qualitative literature on occupational health and safety legislation and regulatory enforcement planning and implementation
- 2016
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - : SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL WORK ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH. - 0355-3140 .- 1795-990X. ; 42:1
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective The ability of occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation and regulatory enforcement to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses is contingent on political, economic, and organizational conditions. This systematic review of qualitative research articles considers how OHS legislation and regulatory enforcement are planned and implemented. Methods A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed, English-language articles published between 1990 and 2013 yielded 11 947 articles. We identified 34 qualitative articles as relevant, 18 of which passed our quality assessment and proceeded to meta-ethnographic synthesis. Results The synthesis yielded four main themes: OHS regulation formation, regulation challenges, inspector organization, and worker representation in OHS. It illuminates how OHS legislation can be based on normative suppositions about worker and employer behavior and shaped by economic and political resources of parties. It also shows how implementation of OHS legislation is affected by "general duty" law, agency coordination, resourcing of inspectorates, and ability of workers to participate in the system. Conclusions The review identifies methodological gaps and promising areas for further research in "grey" zones of legislation implementation.
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| 4. |
- Hansson, Josefine, et al.
(author)
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A Comparative Study of Financial Support and Resilience of Self-Employed people in Sweden and Canada
- 2023
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In: <em>European Journal of Public Health</em>, Volume 33, Issue Supplement_2, October 2023. - : Oxford University Press (OUP).
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundGlobally the COVID-19 pandemic presented major difficulties for self-employed people such as financial decline, restrictions and business closures. A plethora of financial support measures was rolled out worldwide to support them, but there is a lack of research looking at the effectiveness of the policy measures on small businesses. The aim of the study was to compare policies addressing government financial support in Sweden and Canada to get an understanding of how different governmental financial support measures enhanched self-employed people's resilience and improved their chances to manage the pandemic. In addition, individual interviews with Swedish and Canadian self-employed people were conducted to get an understanding of how they experienced the support measures and how these measures factored into their resilience during and after the restrictions had ended.MethodsWe conducted a mixed-method study encompassing document analysis and semi-structured interviews with self-employed people in Sweden and Canada. The constant comparative method guided the data analysis and documentary and interview data were analysed together. Three categories were formed: Welfare protection and effects, Self-employed well-being and Agility during COVID-19, based on their ability to represent the overall sense of the phenomena.ResultsKey results were that self-employed people in both countries unable to telework, were less resilient during the pandemic due to financial problems, restrictions and lockdowns, and that this negatively affected their well-being.ConclusionsPotential future policy responses in Sweden and Canada to support self-employed people during crises or adversity should consider the diversity among small businesses and tailor programmes towards viable businesses in greatest need of support, such as those in businesses unable to telework.Key messages • Self-employed people in Sweden and Canada unable to telework, were less resilient during the pandemic due to financial problems, restrictions and lockdowns. • Future policy responses to support self-employed people during adversity should tailor programmes towards viable businesses in greatest need of support.
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| 5. |
- Hansson, Josefine, et al.
(author)
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A comparative study of governmental financial support and resilience of self-employed people in Sweden and Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2024
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In: International Journal of Circumpolar Health. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1239-9736 .- 2242-3982. ; 83:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Globally, self-employed people were among the hardest hit by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and faced hardships such as financial decline, restrictions, and business closures. A plethora of financial support measures were rolled out worldwide to support them, but there is a lack of research looking at the effect of the policy measures on self-employed people. To understand how different governmental financial support measures enhanced the resilience of the self-employed and improved their ability to manage the pandemic, we conducted a mixed-method study using policy analysis and semi-structured interviews. The documents described policies addressing governmental financial support in Sweden and Canada during the pandemic, and the interviews were conducted with Swedish and Canadian self-employed people to explore how they experienced the support measures in relation to their resilience. The key results were that self-employed people in both countries who were unable to telework were less resilient during the pandemic due to financial problems, restrictions, and lockdowns. The interviews revealed that many self-employed people in hard-hit industries were dissatisfied with the support measures and found them to be unfairly distributed. In addition, the self-employed people experiencing difficulties running their businesses reported reduced well-being, negatively affecting their business survival.
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| 6. |
- Hansson, Josefine
(author)
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Self-employed people navigating difficult times : business challenges and well-being from a salutogenic perspective
- 2024
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- BackgroundGlobally, the COVID-19 pandemic presented major difficulties for many self-employed people because it caused pressures such as decreased customer demand, production stagnation, disruptions in supply chains and increased uncertainty. The vast amount of the studies of self-employed people during the pandemic have focused on traditional pathogenic effects. Hence, overall aim of this thesis is to explore how self-employed people experienced and used internal and external salutogenic resources to navigate the pandemic, from a business challenge and an individual well-being perspective. MethodsDifferent methods of data collection and analysis were employed in the thesis. For study I, a qualitative design was used to explore whether a sense of coherence was experienced, and any general resistance resources were used by small business managers in Sweden and Norway during the pandemic. For study II, a cross-sectional quantitative design was employed to investigate the well-being of self-employed people in Europe during the pandemic and whether their well-being was influenced by factors representing four socio-ecological levels. Lastly, study III applied a mixed-method design including comparative policy analysis and interviews to gain an understanding of how different governmental financial support measures aimed to aid the resilience of Swedish and Canadian self-employed people and improve their ability to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Study I was analysed through a deductive content analysis, study II was analysed using independent sample t-tests, correlations and linear regression, and study III used comparative policy analysis and inductive content analysis. ResultsFindings from the interviews in study I demonstrated that it was important for the participants to comprehend and manage challenges during the pandemic in a resourceful manner, and to see meaningfulness in their situations. In study II, the findings highlight that the socio-ecological factors of resilience, social support, doing useful work and experiencing rules as clear affected the self-employed people’s well-being, and that these factors may be even more important for those who had difficulties running their business. Study III found that self-employed people in both Sweden and Canada who 10 were unable to telework were relatively less resilient during the pandemic. The interviews revealed that many self-employed people in hard-hit industries were dissatisfied with government financial support measures and found them to be unfairly distributed. In addition, the self-employed people who experienced difficulties running their businesses reported reduced well-being, which had a negative effect on their business survival. Conclusion While the three studies in this thesis had different foci, they collectively provide insights into the internal and external salutogenic resources that influenced how self-employed people navigated the pandemic. A sense of coherence, resilience and well-being were deemed important for handling the pandemic well, for both the individuals and their businesses. The research also indicated the interconnectedness between self-employed people and their businesses. For instance, financial difficulties may lead to increased stress and pressure to make decisions to sustain the business. Reduced well-being, in turn, made it harder to adapt and adjust positively to adversity. The importance of supporting factors at multiple socio-ecological levels was also highlighted, and these may be particularly important to those who had difficulties running their businesses.
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| 7. |
- Klofsten, Magnus, 1959-, et al.
(author)
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New and small firms in a modern working life : How do we make entrepreneurship healthy?
- 2021
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In: Small Business Economics. - : Springer-Verlag New York. - 0921-898X .- 1573-0913. ; 57, s. 755-763
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The interplay between health, entrepreneurship and small and emerging businesses is a research field receiving growing interest. Studies point to both health-related risks and opportunities, which have implications for the social and economic lives of entrepreneurs and employees in small and new firms. Research has been carried out in different disciplines, which have contributed in different ways to the understanding of this inquiry. As the field is still premature and interdisciplinary in nature, there is a need to establish boundary-crossing avenues for developing new knowledge on the topic. This ambition has led to the development of this special issue. The issue includes results from original research on working life challenges encountered by smaller businesses, approached from a variety of disciplines. In this introduction, we begin by tracing an overarching framework, to which we add brief descriptions of the contributing papers. To conclude, we outline future research goals and discuss how issues around mental health, regulation and work environment inspections, race, disability and gender issues, as well as the growing gig economy will affect the conditions for healthy entrepreneurial work.
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| 8. |
- MacEachen, Ellen, et al.
(author)
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Laws, Policies, and Collective Agreements Protecting Low-wage and Digital Platform Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- 2022
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In: NEW SOLUTIONS. - : Sage Publications Inc. - 1048-2911 .- 1541-3772. ; 32:3, s. 201-212
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this commentary describes and compares shifting employment and occupational health social protections of low-wage workers, including self-employed digital platform workers. Through a focus on eight advanced economy countries, this paper identifies how employment misclassification and definitions of employees were handled in law and policy. Debates about minimum wage and occupational health and safety standards as they relate to worker well-being are considered. Finally, we discuss promising changes introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic that protect the health of low-wage and self-employed workers. Overall, we describe an ongoing "haves" and a "have not" divide, with on the one extreme, traditional job arrangements with good work-and-health social protections and, on the other extreme, low-wage and self-employed digital platform workers who are mostly left out of schemes. However, during the pandemic small and often temporary gains occurred and are discussed.
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| 9. |
- MacEachen, Ellen, et al.
(author)
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Scoping Review of Work Disability Policies and Programs
- 2017
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In: International Journal of Disability Mangement Research. - : Cambridge University Press. - 1833-8550 .- 1834-4887. ; 12, s. 1-11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: This scoping review identifies the foci of research articles that address government laws, policies and programs designed to foster labour market integration of people who, due to illness or disability, face challenges entering or staying in the workforce. Method: A systematic search of English-language peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2014 yielded 14,474 articles. Title and abstract review identified 723 included articles that addressed government-led programs, policy or legislation on work integration and/or income support after injury, illness or impairment. These were sorted by theme, work disability program or policy, disability type, jurisdiction and year published. Results: The number of articles published that address work disability laws, policies and programs increased steadily. Most articles addressed disability in general. Among articles with a specific health focus, mental health was the most common. Research gaps are identified for mixed method study designs, chronic and episodic conditions, illness and cancer, and for work disability policy studies outside of North America, Northern Europe and Australia. Conclusions: We find a growing number of published articles about work disability and policy and identify specific areas where is a need for further research. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s).
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| 10. |
- MacEachen, Ellen, et al.
(author)
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The Uneven Foci of Work Disability Research Across Cause-based and Comprehensive Social Security Systems
- 2019
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In: International Journal of Health Services. - : SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD. - 0020-7314 .- 1541-4469. ; 49:1, s. 142-164
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This scoping review identified what kinds of work disability policy issues are critiqued in articles published in countries with cause-based versus comprehensive welfare systems. Drawing on a review of work disability policy research, we identified 74 English-language, peer-reviewed articles that focused on program adequacy and design. Articles on cause-based systems dwelled on system fairness and policies of proof of entitlement, while those on comprehensive systems focused more on system design complexities relating to worker inclusion and scope of medical certificates. Overall, we observed a clear difference in the nature of problems examined in the different systems. Gaps in work disability policy literature are identified, and challenges for comparative policy research are discussed.
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