Employment Experiences Of People Research Articles

Disability and employability in the audio-visual sector: the (dis)connection between corporate social sustainability goals and the employment experiences of people with disabilities

People with disabilities (PwD) have made significant progress in having their rights acknowledged, yet the ongoing presence of stigmas continues to hinder their full inclusion. The approach of the 2030 Agenda, as well as legislative developments focussed on improving the employment status of this group, have encouraged companies to express growing concern for this issue in their sustainability reports. However, such efforts have not resulted in a substantial increase in employment of PwD. The aim of this research is to gain knowledge regarding the dis(connection) between the corporate discourse of large Spanish audio-visual companies and the reality experienced by PwD employed in this sector. Using Atlas.ti software, a thematic relational analysis of two discourses has been carried out: firstly, the corporate narrative, which has been published in the sustainability reports of the three most prominent audio-visual groups in Spain; and secondly, the discourse regarding the experiences of three focus groups consisting of PwD employed in the audio-visual job market. The findings reveal that while these companies disseminate a positive view of diversity and inclusion, workers with disabilities continue to have a pessimistic outlook towards the situation. Moreover, companies are acutely interested in issues such as the commitment to inclusion and social equality, which they promote as part of their image. Furthermore, these companies include a variety of socially diverse factors, such as race, gender, age and/or general ability. On the contrary, the experiences related by the focus groups convey special concern for the role of different agents involved in the employment of PwD, such as companies, governments and associations, as well as apprehension regarding the policies and resources needed to achieve labour inclusion. Such discrepancies highlight the lack of cohesion between corporate policies of the audio-visual sector and the professional reality experienced by PwD.

The importance of employment to workers with preexisting behavioral health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Little is known about the employment experiences of people with preexisting behavioral health conditions during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, despite the recognized importance of work for this group. Two hundred and seventy two adults with behavioral health conditions, recruited through statewide mental health networks in NJ and NY, completed an online survey in April-May 2020. Multivariable analysis examined the effects of sleep and dietary changes, COVID-19 exposure, anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2), and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-2) on employment status and job changes. Respondents' open-ended descriptions of pandemic-related changes in employment were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Two-thirds (65%) were employed, only 4% became unemployed, and 29% reported changes in their jobs as a result of the pandemic. In logistic regression analysis controlling for age, race, education and gender, workers were more likely than nonworkers to report altered eating and sleeping habits, but not greater anxiety or depression. However, those whose jobs changed were more likely to report COVID-19 exposure, altered sleep patterns, clinically significant anxiety symptoms, and both anxiety and depressive symptoms compared to those whose jobs had not changed. Qualitative analysis revealed work's positive impact (pride in job performance, using new skills, feeling safer working from home) and its negative effects (lifestyle disruption, worry about job security, isolation from coworkers). This is the first study to suggest the important role that work played for people with preexisting behavioral health disorders during the pandemic, with both positive and negative influences, and important implications for services and supports. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

‘If I don't get a job in six months' time, I can see myself being back in there’: Post‐prison employment experiences of people in Canberra

AbstractResearch has consistently shown that gaining employment after release helps to reduce recidivism, but also that people who have been in prison face many barriers to finding secure employment. This article presents qualitative data from the experiences of 11 people who had been released from prison in the Australian Capital Territory. We focus on the challenges these participants encountered with obtaining employment post‐release, including not having access to suitable housing, criminal background checks, managing post‐release commitments (such as attending substance abuse rehabilitation appointments) and a lack of confidence in approaching potential employers. Consequently, we recommend that policymakers ensure that there is a dedicated specialised employment team within the custodial environment providing individualised support for both unsentenced and sentenced people, both while they are incarcerated and post‐release.

Engaging Families in Employment: Individuals and Families' Retrospective Transition Experiences With Employment Services.

In the United States, employment experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have been dominated by discrepancies between recent policy shifts promoting integrated employment for people with IDD and the stagnation of the employment rate in integrated settings for this population. Although there is no direct source for labor force participation for individuals with IDD in the general population, data from the National Core Indicators Project suggest that, in 2015-2016, only 19% of working-age adults supported by state IDD agencies worked in one of the three forms of integrated employment-group-supported, individual-supported, or competitive (individualized and without supports). Twelve percent (12%) worked in competitive or individual-supported employment, and 7% worked in group-supported employment (Hiersteiner, Bershadsky, Bonardi, & Butterworth, 2016). In addition, individual employment supports have not been implemented with fidelity to a consistent model or set of expectations, and participation in nonwork services has grown rapidly (Domin & Butterworth, 2013; Migliore et al., 2012; Winsor et al., 2017).

Individual resilience as a strategy to counter employment barriers for people with epilepsy in Zimbabwe.

Understanding individual resilience helps to improve employment opportunities of people with epilepsy. This is significant because, in Zimbabwe, as in many other countries in the Global South, people with epilepsy encounter several barriers in a context of less-than-ideal public services. Despite this disadvantage, some people with epilepsy have better employment outcomes for reasons including level of seizure control, social background, employment support services, and individual resilience. This article reports on data from participants (n=8), who were part of a larger study (n=30) on employment experiences of people with epilepsy in Harare. The study used in-depth interviews with the participants, who were all service users and members of the Epilepsy Support Foundation (ESF) in Harare. The eight resilient participants comprised four males and four females aged between 26-48years, who were selected because, unlike the remaining 22 participants, they had overcome chronic unemployment. Seven of the eight participants were employed, while one had recently become unemployed. Views of service providers (n=7) were sought on the experiences of people with epilepsy through a focus group discussion. The service providers included two health workers, three social service workers, and two disability advocacy workers. Data were analysed using NVivo, a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis package. The study found that participants experienced barriers, such as a lack of medical treatment, yet this was important for education and training, lack of finances for training, and negative attitudes at workplaces. Despite these barriers, participants had overcome chronic unemployment due to their individual resilience characterised by: (i) a 'fighting spirit', (ii) being their own advocates, and (iii) having a mastery over, and acceptance of, their epilepsy. The research concluded that, where people with epilepsy faced barriers, as in Zimbabwe, individual resilience acted as a strong coping mechanism that resulted in better employment outcomes. This suggested service providers should strengthen resilience-building initiatives and make them more accessible to people with epilepsy. However, this is only a coping mechanism that should not stop service providers and service users from advocating for government-provided employment services.

People Seeking Asylum in Australia and their Access to Employment: Just What Do We Know?

Public and political claims about the employment of people from a refugee background in Australia do not always reflect the research findings in this area. For example, recent claims by a senior Coalition Government Minister about people seeking asylum who arrived to Australia by boat during the previous Labor Government’s terms in office (2007-13) posit that many have limited employment prospects. However, given there is little research or government reporting on the experiences of asylum seekers who arrived during this time, and none that focuses specifically on their employment, there is no evidence to support this. A review of research on the employment experiences of people from a refugee background, and Australian policies, suggests a more nuanced picture. This includes research that found while initially people from a refugee background are more likely to be unemployed, have temporary jobs and lower incomes than other newly arrived immigrants, over the longer term second-generation refugees have higher levels of labour market participation than the general population and refugees and their families make significant economic and community contributions to Australia. Research also highlights that refugees may experience a range of barriers to accessing employment, including discrimination, and a review of Australian policies indicates these are likely to have exacerbated some of these barriers for asylum seekers who arrived to Australia by boat. In addition, given previous findings that public attitudes can be influenced by representations made in public and political discourses, the public statements of senior Ministers may be further deepening barriers to accessing employment faced by asylum seekers who arrived by boat.

The Phenomenological Study on the Employment Experiences of People with Psychiatric Disabilities

본 연구는 정신장애인이 취업의 전 과정을 통해 어떤 경험을 하게 되며, 어떻게 자신의 역할을 가치 화하고 궁극적으로 사회통합과정에 진입해 나가는지 심층적으로 이해하고자 하였다. 특정 현상의 본질적 모습을 참여자들의 삶과 연결하여 보다 생생하고 풍부하게 이해하기 위하여 현상학적 연구방법을 활용하였으며, Colaizzi의 분석방법을 통해 고유경험을 깊이 있게 기술하였다. 정신장애인의 취업경험에 관한 분석과 반성적 고찰을 통해 6가지의 주제묶음을 도출하였다. ‘좁은 문을 비집고 들어가기’, ‘낯선 무대 위에 올려지기’, ‘빠른 세상 속에 헛돌기’, ‘버텨내기’, ‘평범한 삶에 포개지기’, ‘내 한계를 인정하며 한발 더 내딛기’이다. 참여자는 직업세계의 편견과 차별, 스스로의 기 능적 제한을 경험하면서 사회적으로 성장하였고, 이를 통해 내재화된 환자역할에서 벗어나는 힘이 생 기고, ‘장애’보다는 자신의 ‘능력과 노력’에 초점을 두어 자아를 통합하였다. 참여자들은 취업이 주는 정당한 고통이 자신이 지향하는 삶의 일부로 의미화하고, 한발 더 내딛어 세상에 합류하고자 하는 경 험을 하였다. 본 연구는 이러한 연구결과를 통해 정신장애인의 취업지원을 위한 실천적 개입방향을 제시하였다.

Focus Groups and Methodological Reflections

This article discusses the methodological issues and pragmatic dilemmas confronted by a group of researchers conducting focus groups composed of people with disabilities. As an initial component of a mixed-method, longitudinal research project, the intention was to gather perceptions of the ways in which recent policy initiatives shape the lives and employment experiences of people with disabilities. We present the methodological design issues we encountered in planning and conducting the focus groups with the hope that our reflections inform future qualitative research designs involving people with disabilities.

It's a whole new ball game! Employment experiences of people with a cochlear implant

Many implantees anecdotally report employment benefits being associated with implantation. This benefit has not been routinely reported in prospective studies of implant outcomes. It is important therefore to establish the nature of benefit reported by implantees so that further studies may document such outcomes in a representative fashion. To this end, a qualitative study of the experiences of 12 people with cochlear implants in the workplace is presented. A focus group methodology was used to collect the data. Patients use a before and after narrative style to relate the impact of the device on their working lives. Prior to implantation, deafened adults report being on the margins of the workplace, mostly concerned with holding on to a job that was quite difficult to obtain in the first place. Under-employment (working below their ability levels) was a key issue. Following implantation, working life was markedly better. Implantees report being able to pursue the jobs they were trained for with greater confidence. They also reported a greatly enhanced sense of job security. They had moved from the margins to the centre of working life, participating in non-vital, spontaneous conversations, and generally felt part of the workplace. Most notably, implantees felt able to take career risks such as seeking out better employment opportunities. Respondents note that a variety of accommodations still need to be made so that they can more readily take part in workplace communication. Overall, the post-implant transition back to work could be made simpler for implantees if appropriate vocational services were offered as part of their rehabilitation programme.

It's a whole new ball game! Employment experiences of people with a cochlear implant

It's a whole new ball game! Employment experiences of people with a cochlear implant