Encouraging Employers Research Articles

Discrimination against Women in the Workplace

Although China has made great progress in women's equality, the awareness of gender equality continues to improve, Chinese contemporary environment has given women more job hunting and employment opportunities, but women still suffer from a lot of gender discrimination in job hunting and employment, resulting in female employment is seriously hindered the low employment rate. The influence of gender stereotypes and the unique physiological characteristics of women are the main reasons that make women suffer discrimination in job hunting and employment. The study highlights the persistent gender pay gap as the main discrimination women face in the job market. Women are often paid less than men, despite having the same educational background and qualifications. This pay inequality reflects a deep-seated gender bias against women. Biased hiring also contributes to discrimination against women in the workplace. Addressing these issues requires implementing policies that promote gender equality in employment, encouraging employers to adopt diversity and inclusion initiatives, and valuing women's rights. Educational programs and campaigns to promote a more inclusive work environment. By fostering a culture of gender equality, we can fully tap the potential of the female labor force, thereby improving social productivity and promoting economic growth. Discrimination against women in the workplace is a complex issue that requires concerted and multifaceted efforts from all sectors of society. By addressing the root causes of discrimination and taking positive measures to achieve fair employment in the workplace, we will provide an economic catalyst for the sustainable development of society.

The Impacts of Physical Workplace Environment (PWE) on Employees Productivity

The paper reviews the impacts of the physical workplace environment (PWE) on employees' productivity, focusing on the pivotal role of the physical environment and its implications for employee well-being. The study emphasises that the physical environment is a critical factor influencing the activities of employees concerning global issues, thereby impacting productivity, efficiency, satisfaction, and absenteeism. The paper employs analytical reviews of the related articles to justify the impact of the physical workplace environment (PWE) on employees' productivity. The content analysis is used to analyse the literature framework of the article. The findings revealed the significance of the physical environment within the workplace, elucidating its profound influence on employee well-being, productivity, and satisfaction. The findings highlight the substantial role of employers in shaping the physical workplace environment and its reflecting impact on employee focus and productivity. A well-designed, comfortable, and conducive workplace has a positive influence on employee satisfaction, recognising employees as a vital asset in achieving organisational success. Consequently, creating an excellent physical workplace environment can significantly enhance employee productivity, encouraging employers to prioritise and provide such an environment, thus contributing to sustainable environmental health and fostering safe workplace practices.

ВИМОГИ РИНКУ ПРАЦІ: ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЙНІ БІЗНЕС-ПРАКТИКИ

The article considers the Fourth Future of Jobs 2023 report released at the World Economic Forum on changes in the global labor market caused by innovation and technological shifts; it is stated that there have been no such studies in Ukraine so far. The transformation of business practices in the labor market has been traced based on Forbes Ukraine research on the ranking of lead ing enterprises and Work.ua on wages in 2023 and the trends of its change in various fields and in the leading industries of production. The common (recognition of one’s own merits and proper appreciation of work by the employer, decent pay, protection and flexibility of employment) and distinctive features of these changes in the world and in Ukraine are clarified: donations and charitable contributions for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, rapprochement of society and business, entrepreneurial flexibility, ingenuity, cleverness, creativity, responsiveness, adaptability, autonomy, changing the status of television, creating new protective structures, giving preference to workers with “soft skills”. The expediency of introducing the term “transformational business practices” into modern scientific discourse is substantiated. It is suggested that the term “transformational business practices” should be understood as the results of developing new and changing creative business practices. The prospects of transformational business practices for the next five years are outlined: encouraging employers to change with the active participation of employees; the impact of the wage level on employment; employment protection and flexibility; balance between work and personal life; professional burnout; innovations and NBIC-initiatives as catalysts of labor market transformation; robotization of production; transition to a “green economy”; reduction of irrelevant jobs and creation of urgent jobs; the demand for certain professions; giving preference to employees with “hard skills”; diversity, equality and inclusion; training in production processes and their automation. According to the results of a study by the Work.ua company, it is indicated that the growth of the wages of young and qualified professionals was influenced by the practices of slowing inflation, the growth of the dollar exchange rate and the average nominal wage, the decrease in the level of unemployment and competition, the lack of qualified personnel and the demand for higher wages from the current employees. It is proposed to recognize the improvement of old and the development and implementation of new business practices as a priority direction for the development of the labor market.

"Virtual" human capital and professional adaptation of young people

The subject of the study is the process of reproduction of human capital and consumer choice of young people. The object of the study is the human capital system, taking into account the consumer choices of young people. The authors study in detail such aspects of the topic as the differentiation of employment among young people, the social and labor values of youth in the conditions of consumer society and exposure as a system of expectations and requirements imposed on the individual regarding the norms of her social roles. Special attention is paid to the analysis of official statistics describing youth employment as a social group. Attention is drawn to the interest of young people in new technologies that provide a full production cycle, which meets the expectations of this age group of human capital. The main conclusions of the study are: - the active phase of the formation of the labor market of young professionals involves ensuring a balanced supply and demand. Of particular importance are measures to coordinate the volume and structure of training specialists with the needs of the labor market. This is achieved by streamlining information about available vacancies, as well as encouraging employers to create additional jobs for young people; - as part of the change in the employment structure, it is planned to create new types of youth employment. At the same time, one of the key areas of the state's activity is seen in stimulating the development of entrepreneurial activity among young people, credit benefits, and deepening institutional reforms. A special contribution of the author to the research of the topic is to determine the directions that correspond to the expectations of youth as the most active resource of human capital. The novelty of the research lies in the concretization of the process of human capital formation in Russian society, taking into account the professional adaptation of young people.

The Skills Wastage of Contract Court Clerks in China: Assessment and Countermeasures.

Skills wastage among contract court clerks in China is becoming a concern for the court system, as it raises the turnover of essential personnel. This article explores how and why highly educated recruits ('talents') are attracted to, and often leave, this job through interviews with 79 newly recruited clerks of two courts of a provincial capital. The interviews reveal that underemployment-a common cause of dissatisfaction-reflects rigid recruitment policies, an inefficient talent allocation mechanism, and fundamental institutional changes to career progression in this specific occupation. To alleviate the problem, the data collected suggest encouraging employers to adjust their recruitment policies and provide more employment and career guidance. As many of the new recruits leave provincial towns to seek fortune in the capital, and this raises the incidence of under-employment among newly appointed court clerks through fiercer job competition, skills wastage among court clerks could also be reduced by narrowing the gap among cities to make talents evenly distributed across space.

Social integration of youth as a form of social protection of youth

The article examines the concept of integration to achieve the process of inclusion of youth in the development of civil society, taking into account the socio-cultural context, taking into account the historical patterns of the country's development. Current legislation in the field of social protection of youth, in the field of employment, provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine regarding the legal regulation of the process of labor integration of youth are analyzed. The works of theorists of labor law and social security law O.M. Yaroshenka, Yu.M. Shchotova, P.M. Rossokhatskgo, T.A. Kolyady were studied. etc. on the subject of the problems of youth implementation of the right to work, as a guarantee of the development of spiritual, creative potential and economic independence. The article draws attention to the problems and obstacles faced by young people in the process of realizing their labor rights. Emphasis is placed on the importance of professional training that a young person can undergo to increase their competitiveness in the labor market. Just as professional training is the process of acquiring or improving professional knowledge, abilities and skills by a person in accordance with his vocation and abilities, which ensures the appropriate level of professional qualification for professional activity and competitiveness in the labor market. The experience of such highly developed countries as Great Britain, Germany, Japan, France, and the USA was studied. Measures taken by countries to limit youth unemployment are noteworthy. The example of Bulgaria is given, where the practice of developing age-differentiated employment programs for young people is widespread; Germany, where there is professional selection and career guidance at an early age; the combination of professional training and production activities at the expense of specially created government funds by local authorities takes place in Denmark; encouraging employers to employ young people aged 16 to 26 in the form of reduced amounts of social contributions for them as a kind of tax benefits is actively used in France and Spain; the active practice of involving young people in six-month internships with at least the minimum wage has a positive effect on the further employment of young people in Australia. Proposals are given for the introduction of advanced foreign experience.

СОЦІАЛЬНА ВІДПОВІДАЛЬНІСТЬ У КОНТЕКСТІ УПРАВЛІННЯ КОНКУРЕНТОЗДАТНИМ ТРУДОВИМ ПОТЕНЦІАЛОМ

It is possible to carry out a deep modernization of the economy and raise it to a level that will ensure the opportunity for domestic manufacturers to compete decently on foreign markets with highly developed countries of the world only if there is a corresponding competitive labor potential of the country. The purpose of the article is to determine the mechanisms contributing to the increase of social responsibility of the participants in the process of managing competitive labor potential. The methodological basis of the research was logical methods of information processing, methods of system analysis, abstract-logical method for formulating conclusions. The main hypothesis of the research is that when building an effective labor potential management system, the basis for building the competitiveness of Ukrainian enterprises is formed. The organization of the relevant risk management information system should be based on a process approach. Presenting main material. The main aspects of social responsibility at various stages of labor potential formation are considered. An assessment of the degree of state social responsibility and the responsibility of business representatives to society is given. The essence of the concept of competitive labor potential of regions, centers and mechanisms of strengthening social responsibility in the regions of Ukraine are defined. Originality and practical significance of the research. The competitive labor potential of the region is understood as a set of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the able-bodied population living in the given territory, which determine the maximum capabilities of the region for the production of high-quality competitive products and the provision of services in accordance with the demand of regional, national and international commodity markets; development of infrastructure, the sphere of education and art, activation of innovative activities. Conclusions and prospects for further research. Increasing social responsibility in the context of the management of competitive labor potential requires the introduction of new bills aimed at the detinization of incomes and relations in the sphere of public employment, encouraging employers to comply with the norms of labor legislation, which will ensure the protection of the constitutional right of citizens to adequate remuneration for work regardless of the place of residence and field of activity.

The consequences of being myself: Understanding authenticity and psychological safety for LGB employees

AbstractAlthough workplace authenticity has gained interest by researchers and the popular press, the construct's conceptualization as enacting only positive effects as informed by self‐verification theory may not represent the experiences of workers of marginalized identities. Acknowledging that individuals deciding to disclose a stigmatized identity at work face potential prejudice, we investigated whether the benefits of authentic expression on employees' organizational commitment and job involvement depend on psychological safety. Via a time‐lagged survey of sexual‐minority employees, we found evidence for a model explicating the conditional indirect effects of identity disclosure and authenticity on outcomes, as moderated by perceived workgroup psychological safety. Such findings theoretically challenge the literature's present assumption of authenticity's uniform benefits via exploration of important contextual boundary conditions. Practically, this research underscores the need for psychologically safe work environments, encouraging employers to maximize psychological safety where possible to see the full benefit of employees' workplace authenticity.

The associations of physical incapacity and wealth with remaining in paid employment after age 60 in five middle-income and high-income countries.

Previous studies on health and socioeconomic determinants of later-life labour force participation have mainly come from high-income European countries and the United States of America (USA). Findings vary between studies due to different measures of socioeconomic status and labour force outcomes. This study investigated longitudinal associations of physical incapacity and wealth with remaining in paid employment after age 60 in middle- and high-income countries. Using harmonised cohort data in the USA, England, Japan, Mexico and China (N=32,132), multilevel logistic regression was applied for main associations. The age-related probabilities of remaining in paid employment by physical incapacity and wealth were estimated using marginal effects. This study found that physical incapacity predicted lower odds of remaining in paid employment in each country. Wealth was associated with higher odds of remaining in paid employment in the USA, England, and Japan, but not in Mexico. Probabilities of remaining in paid employment were high in Mexico but low in China. The absolute difference in the probability of remaining in paid employment between the richest and the poorest groups was greater in the USA than that in any other country. In the USA, England and Japan, the inverse association between physical incapacity and remaining in paid employment could be partially compensated by wealth only when physical incapacity was not severe. National policies, including considering older adults' changing capacities for job placement and prioritising the provision of supportive services for socioeconomically disadvantaged older adults, developing pathways for informal workers to access social security and pension coverage, and encouraging employers to hire socioeconomically disadvantaged older workers and enhancing their employability, could be facilitated. Future studies, such as exploring health and socioeconomic determinants of remaining in part-time and full-time paid employment separately in more countries, and the moderating effects of relevant policies on these associations, are needed.

ЛУЧШИЕ КОРПОРАТИВНЫЕ ПРАКТИКИ КАК ОСНОВА РЕФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ДЕЙСТВУЮЩИХ НОРМАТИВНЫХ ПРАВОВЫХ АКТОВ В СФЕРЕ ПРОИЗВОДСТВЕННОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ И ОХРАНЫ ТРУДА

Today, attitudes towards occupational health and safety are undergoing a major transformation: engineering knowledge, industrial hygiene knowledge, knowledge of behavioral science and management science are beginning to come together to create an integrated safety system. In accordance with Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 833-r dated April 26, 2019, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Russia is implementing a set of measures to encourage employers and employees to improve working conditions and preserve the health of employees, as well as motivate citizens to lead a healthy lifestyle, including improving mechanisms for preventing industrial injuries and occupational morbidity; encouraging employers and employees to improve working conditions and preserve the health of employees; implementing monitoring activities. According to paragraph 11 of this decree, the collection, analysis and dissemination of the best corporate and regional practices are carried out. With regards to this, the aim of this study is to identify and analyze existing practices to improve occupational health and safety in organizations. The relevance and scientific novelty of the research lie in the fact that according to the presented samples of the best corporate practices, it is possible to form recommendations for making changes to the existing regulatory legal acts. A comprehensive, statistical, mathematical and comparative analysis of the data obtained during the survey of organizations was used as a methodological basis of the study. The results and conclusions of the paper are to identify the most optimal measures and recommendations for introduction into the current regulatory legal acts.

PERLINDUNGAN HUKUM BAGI PEKERJA YANG TERKENA PEMUTUSAN HUBUNGAN KERJA DIMASA PANDEMI COVID-19 (Studi Penelitian Supermarket Brastagi Kota Medan Provinsi Sumatera Utara)

Now, all countries including Indonesia are being hit by the Covid-19 virus, this can be seen by many companies experiencing financial difficulties, then encouraging employers to issue several policies that are detrimental to their workers, namely Termination of Employment to improve the efficiency of their companies on the grounds of Covid-19 . However, workers affected by this layoff do not get their rights (salary, severance pay) as happened at the Berastagi Supermarket, Medan City. The purpose of this research is to find out how to apply the legal protection provided to workers who have been laid off, the obstacles that are a barrier to obtaining workers' rights, and what efforts must be taken. The type of research method used in this research is using empirical juridical or sociological juridical research methods, namely research procedures that aim to obtain legal knowledge empirically by going directly to the object. Legal protection for workers aims for justice so that employers do not arbitrarily do something, there were 60 workers who were laid off during the covid pandemic at the Brastagi Supermarket, field results show that legal protection for these workers has not been going well, there should be clarity regarding this matter in accordance with Law no. 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation Articles 151 to 154 where employers may perform layoffs without agreement and reasons, because it is clearly regulated in article 154(A). Suggestions for employers should not make decisions unilaterally, it is also recommended for the Manpower Office to more often supervise companies that do not follow the rules, and suggestions for workers to be more concerned about the rights and obligations of workers. Keywords: Legal Protection, Termination of Labor, Covid-19 Pandemic

STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF MEASURES OF THE HIERARCHY OF CONTROL ON OCCUPATIONAL RISK

The article analyzes the international and domestic experience in building a safety and hygiene management system. It is noted that the priorities in the process of ensuring safe and harmless working conditions for many developed countries are: revision and improvement of the legal framework for occupational safety and health, encouraging employers to ensure proper working conditions, and raising awareness of managers and employees on occupational safety and health. Recommendations for planning measures depending on the hazards present in enterprises and the results of risk assessment are contained in the documents of the International Labor Organization. Methods and methods of detection and assessment of risk factors can be chosen according to the characteristics of the workplace. Effective occupational risk reduction activities involve the implementation of a certain sequence of tools and management methods (control hierarchy), as specified in the international standard ISO 45001. It is proposed to use the following priorities for risk reduction: elimination of hazards, replacement of processes, operations, materials or equipment for less dangerous, the use of technical means and methods of management, reorganization of work and training of employees, administrative control of hazards, personal protective equipment. According to the results of the research, in the absence of resources for the implementation of measures of the highest priorities, the most effective approach was the combination of technical means and management methods, reorganization of work and training, as well as administrative control of hazards. To implement occupational health and safety management systems based on a risk-based approach, it is necessary, first of all, to develop and approve a methodology that determines the procedure for calculating occupational risk and ensure that the results of risk assessment are taken into account when planning preventive measures.

Prospects for the development of labor protection legislation in the digital economy

The article highlights the main directions of development of legislation on labor protection in the Russian Federation. It draws attention to the fact that in the digital economy there is a change in approaches to the regulation of labor protection. In particular, there is a gradual departure from strict regulation of relations in the field of labor protection and the transition to more flexible forms. The author concludes that in the future legislation on labor protection will develop in the direction of expanding understanding of labor protection, providing flexibility to respond to the emergence of new areas of professional activity while individualizing approaches to preserving the health of workers. Among the priorities will remain such areas as improving the mechanisms for preventing occupational injuries and occupational morbidity, encouraging employers and workers to improve working conditions and maintaining health, motivating workers to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Persons of Pre-Retirement Age in the Labour Market: Employment Problems and Support Measures

The problem of age discrimination in the labour sector has become even more relevant, as the increase in the retirement age and the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia reinforce ageism. The article aims to assess the incidence of age discrimination in the labour market of the Sverdlovsk Region and examine employers’ behaviour towards people nearing retirement. The mixed methodology includes quantitative (analysis of statistics, questionnaire survey, content analysis) and qualitative (in-depth interviews with employers) research methods. While in the 1990s age discrimination was evident and expressed in the exclusion of older workers from the employment sector, now age discrimination is latent and has different manifestations. The results showed that people aged over 45 have less job opportunities in the labour market. Thus, most of them choose to maintain employment. This strategy, however, does not protect against other discriminatory practices such as displacement to less paid positions, reduced pay rate, etc. This situation leads to the decrease in the average wage of workers aged 50-55 by approximately 25%. We can conclude that employers did not change their behaviour and continue using discriminatory practices to maximise the return on human capital, shifting the risks of pension reform to employees. The government is trying to smooth over the differences between the effectiveness of the regional economic system, focused on maximising the use of regional human resources, and the effectiveness of individual organisations by protecting labour rights and promoting the employment of people nearing retirement. However, the government support measures mainly focus on training or retraining of people aged over 50, while employers lack economic incentives to reconsider their attitude towards older workers. Thus, we recommend developing governmental mechanisms for encouraging employers to change their personnel policy concerning employees aged over 50.

Factors influencing individuals’ take-up of tax-subsidized private health insurance: a cross-sectional study in China

Aims: To identify factors influencing individuals’ take-up of tax-subsidized private health insurance.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data in Hangzhou, China. A logistic regression analysis was applied to find factors influencing individuals’ take-up of tax-subsidized private health insurance.Results: A total of 1,610 participants joined the survey, and 1,543 valid cases were obtained. The logistic regression results showed that educational level, marital status, the number of elderly people to support, types of basic medical insurance covered, disease history, reimbursement rate of outpatient visits, reimbursement rate of inpatient visits, knowledge of tax-subsidized private health insurance, and ratio of the deduction to income influenced individuals’ take-up of tax-subsidized private health insurance.Limitations: Sample representativeness may be sacrificed by the fact that the data were collected from one city (Hangzhou) in a cross-sectional investigation.Conclusions: Demographic variables, such as educational level, marital status, and the number of elderly people to support, have an impact on individuals’ take-up of tax-subsidized private health insurance, while age and gender are not significant. People with disease history are more likely to take out tax-subsidized private health insurance. The ratio of deduction to income is positively correlated with the take-up of tax-subsidized private health insurance. Suggestions, such as strengthening the publicity of tax-subsidized private health insurance, increasing the deduction amount, and encouraging employers to provide tax-subsidized private health insurance for employees’ families are provided with the hope to promote the development of tax-subsidized private health insurance in China.

Developing Technician Skills for Innovative Industries: Theory, Evidence from the UK Life Sciences Industry, and Policy Implications

AbstractThis article explores how innovative firms attempt to acquire the skilled technicians needed to deploy new technologies. Interviews with 40 employers from the UK life sciences sector reveal that shortages of technicians, an awareness of the importance of practical skills best acquired through work‐based learning, and increasing dissatisfaction with the use of graduates, are encouraging employers to turn towards apprenticeship training. However, the rules governing the funding of various kinds of education and training discourage providers from offering the kinds of apprenticeships increasingly sought by employers, giving rise to a ‘system failure’ that manifests itself in shortages of technicians and the use of over‐qualified graduates in technician roles.

Noncompetes and Other Post-Employment Restraints on Competition: Empirical Evidence from Trade Secret Litigation

Noncompete clauses in employment agreements are both common and controversial. An estimated 28 million Americans—nearly 20% of the U.S. workforce—are currently bound by a noncompete. The traditional view that noncompete agreements can facilitate increased productivity by encouraging employers to invest in employee training has been challenged by numerous legal and economics scholars, who contend noncompetes hinder employment options for skilled workers and limit information spillovers, which are both vital drivers of innovation. Based on these claims, several states have recently limited the enforcement of noncompetes, and similar legislation is pending at the federal level. Despite their widespread use, empirical research regarding noncompetes is fragmented and incomplete. In particular, there have been few empirical studies based on actual employment agreements. This paper helps fill an important gap in the existing literature. Using a novel dataset of over 500 employment agreements that have been publicly disclosed in trade secret litigation in federal court, it finds that noncompetes are more frequently enforced against technical and sales personnel than high-ranking corporate executives. In addition, it finds that noncompetes are common for employees with a base salary below $100,000 per year and that California-based employees are significantly less likely to be bound by a noncompete. The implications of these and other findings from the dataset are discussed in the final section of the paper.

An Argument for Restricting the Blue Pencil Doctrine

When faced with an unreasonable noncompetition agreement, a court faces a choice. In some states, a court may simply refuse to enforce such an agreement. In other states, however, a court may use a legal doctrine called the blue pencil doctrine. Under the blue pencil doctrine, courts are permitted to cross out overbroad provisions that make a noncompetition agreement unenforceable. The blue pencil doctrine gives courts the authority to either (1) strike unreasonable clauses from a noncompetition agreement, leaving the rest to be enforced or (2) modify the agreement to reflect the terms that the parties could have—and probably should have—agreed to. In recent years, a number of courts have criticized the continued use of the blue pencil doctrine, noting that it incentivizes employer overreach. In 2015 and 2016, two state Supreme Courts explicitly rejected the use of the doctrine. These and other courts have noted the potential for harm to employees, employers, and the judicial system as a whole. Despite this critique, however, the doctrine survives, buoyed by courts eager to rescue employers from their overzealous drafting. Even worse, some state legislatures mandate the use of the blue pencil doctrine. In these states, legislatures have proved willing to encroach on judicial independence and discretion. These legislatures require courts to modify unreasonable agreements so as to make them reasonable. As I will discuss below, the blue pencil doctrine harms employees, employers, and ultimately, society as a whole. Use of the blue pencil doctrine upsets a balance in the system. Courts already use a test to determine enforceability and that balancing test is designed to recognize an employer’s interest in retention, while at the same time, encouraging employers to set reasonable restrictions. Reasonable restrictions prevent unfair competition while protecting employee mobility. Use of the blue pencil doctrine frees employers from the need to make difficult decisions, knowing they may rely on the court system to correct any contracting mistakes. In the first part of this article, I review the peculiar nature of the noncompetition agreement. The noncompetition agreement exists as a unique contractual agreement, one that is subject to requirements that go beyond that of an ordinary employment agreement. Next, I examine the blue pencil doctrine, a legal device that permits a court to disregard the express language of the agreement and modify the terms to make the agreement reasonable. The blue pencil doctrine permits a court to use its equitable powers to impose terms that neither employee nor employer agreed to. In the final section of the paper I review the many reasons that some courts have rejected the use of the blue pencil. I then conclude with the multiple reasons to restrict the use of the blue pencil doctrine.

The joint contribution of physical activity, insomnia symptoms, and smoking to the cost of short-term sickness absence.

Physical inactivity has been associated with both insomnia symptoms and smoking. Further, they are all independently associated with increased sickness absence (SA) from work. However, joint contribution of either physical activity (PA) with insomnia symptoms or with smoking to SA and, especially, their direct cost for the employer is poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to examine these joint associations with short-term (<15days) SA cost. The Helsinki Health Study is a cohort of midlife employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland (baseline n=8960, response rate 67%). During 2000-2002, the participants were mailed a survey questionnaire that gathered information on health behavior and sociodemographic characteristics. SA, salary, and time of employment were followed up through the employer's personnel register between 2002 and 2016 for those with a written consent to the use of their register data (78% of the participants). Individual salary data were used to calculate the direct cost of short-term SA. Data were analyzed with a two-part model. Inactive participants with frequent insomnia symptoms had 2526€ (95% CI 1736€-3915€) higher cost of short-term SA than vigorously active participants without insomnia symptoms. Furthermore, inactive smokers had 4166€ (95% CI 2737€-5595€) higher cost for the employer over the follow-up than vigorously active non-smokers. In conclusion, this study showed that PA and insomnia symptoms as well as PA and smoking are jointly associated with short-term SA cost. The results emphasize encouraging employers to improve work environments so that they promote active lifestyle, good sleep, and non-smoking in order to reduce the cost of SA.

Disability quotas: Past or future policy?

This article considers the issues associated with the use of quota systems for the employment of workers with a disability. It examines the use and experiences of such quotas in Italy, Russia and the United Kingdom. Italy has a long established quota system for the employment of such workers, whilst the modern Russian system is a more recent innovation. In contrast, the UK abandoned quotas in the 1990s. The article draws on the experiences of the three countries to consider generally whether the use of quotas is an acceptable means of encouraging employers to take on disabled workers, or necessary to achieve this objective.