Labour Social Security Research Articles

The ICOH Code of Ethics: a set of norms for professional conduct

Although ethical codes for medical practitioners were already existing for many years in many countries, the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) has committed itself in the development of an International Code of Ethics for Occupational Health Professionals. Main reason for this Code are the complex and sometimes competing responsibilities of occupational health (OH) and safety professionals towards the workers, the employers, the public, public health and labour authorities, social security and judicial authorities. The Code applies to OH professionals and OH services regardless of whether they operate in a free market context or within the framework of public sector health services.

MI Double Feature: Multiple Imputation to Address Nonresponse and Rounding Errors in Income Questions

Obtaining reliable income information in surveys is difficult for two reasons. On the one hand, many survey respondents consider income to be sensitive information and thus are reluctant to answer questions regarding their income. If those survey participants that do not provide information on their income are systematically different from the respondents - and there is ample of research indicating that they are - results based only on the observed income values will be misleading. On the other hand, respondents tend to round their income. Especially this second source of error is usually ignored when analyzing the income information.In a recent paper, Drechsler and Kiesl (2014) illustrated that inferences based on the collected information can be biased if the rounding is ignored and suggested a multiple imputation strategy to account for the rounding in reported income. In this paper we extend their approach to also address the nonresponse problem. We illustrate the approach using the household income variable from the German panel study "Labor Market and Social Security''.

Insurance experience as a category of labor law and social security law

The article investigates insurance experience as a category of labor law and social security law. Defined as the period specified concept, process, legal fact and inter-Law Institute, and the main features of insurance, the insurance value is set and seniority.

Pension benefits outside of the pension system

In this paper we review a special pension scheme established by the Government of Iceland for elderly workers that foreseeably would not enjoy any significant pension benefits from the pension system founded on the basis of the general labour agreements of 1969. This pension scheme that was run alongside the private labour market pension system and social security was conceived as a temporary measure but extended over a longer time period than originally envisaged. Based on unpublished data we seek answers to questions on the financing of the scheme and its impact in terms of the relative share of its pension payments.

The Legal Construction of Personal Work Relations and Gender

The rigid divide between a standard employment contract and other work relations has always presented particular difficulties for women. There is a fundamental mismatch between the binary divide that is inscribed in law and many women’s experience, in which the boundaries between paid and unpaid work, between public and private, and between the labor market and social security are permeable and shifting. The effects of this mismatch are particularly felt among those women who predominate among “non-standard” workers, who find themselves characterized as “independent” or “quasi-independent” despite the reality of their lack of real autonomy or self-sufficiency in the market.1 But this mismatch also has serious effects for those women at any one time employed under an employment contract because of the incentives created by the law for employers to cut costs by re-characterizing their relationship as falling on the far side of the binary divide. Freedland and Kountouris’s extraordinarily perceptive book, The Legal Construction of Personal Work Relations, not only allows us to escape from this rigid legal typology, it sheds light on the complex interactions between the many different personal work relations and labor market statuses that women engage in throughout their lives, pointing the way to a system of legal entitlements which better reflects these realities.

The economic record of the 1997-2010 Labour government: an assessment

We consider the economic record of the 1997–2010 Labour government in the UK. Following a brief review of the government’s inheritance from its predecessor, we review the assessments made in the other papers in this issue of the Oxford Review of Economic Policy : the change in the macroeconomic policy framework (which apparently worked well for a decade but was then struck by the global financial crisis); labour market, social security, and education policies and inequality; public investment and public service delivery (especially health); and corporate taxation. We discuss the constraints under which the government operated, how much it broke with the past, and the new frameworks it introduced. We identify strengths and weaknesses and draw lessons from the government’s record about the need to remain receptive to other and critical ideas, on the one hand, and the need for Labour to spell out the kind of economy and society it wants to see develop, on the other. Copyright 2013, Oxford University Press.

A study into the factors affecting suicides among weavers in Andhra Pradesh

This paper mainly highlights the reasons for suicides among the handloom and power loom weavers in Karimnagar district in Andhra Pradesh. The study mainly pointed out the fact that there was uncertainty in weaving industry and weavers employment security, low wage rate, long working hours, ignoring the labor social security measures and poor living conditions were the main reasons for weavers suicides in Andhra Pradesh. The study envisaged that there is a need of weaver appropriate policy to improve the socio-economic conditions of backward Andhra Pradesh weavers in order to check the suicides.

Who bears labour taxes and social contributions? A meta-analysis approach

In this paper we apply the meta-regression technique to survey the empirical literature on the economic incidence of labour taxes and social security contributions. In particular, we focus on the effects of taxation on wages to test the conventional view that employees bear the burden due to lower net wages. Based on 52 empirical papers, we find that economic institutions, the tax wedge definition, and the temporal focus significantly affect the results. In the long run, workers bear between two thirds of the tax burden in Continental and Anglo-Saxon economies, and nearly 90 % in the Nordic economies. However, despite the numerous set of controlling variables, a significant part of the variability of the empirical literature remains unexplained.

Book Review: Labour and the law in Europe – A Satellite View on Labour Law and Social Security Law in Europe, by Antoine Jacobs. (Oisterwijk: Wolf Legal Publishers, 2011)

Book Review: <i>Labour and the law in Europe – A Satellite View on Labour Law and Social Security Law in Europe</i>, by Antoine Jacobs. (Oisterwijk: Wolf Legal Publishers, 2011)

Los contratos temporales: exposición y crítica

El contrato a término o plazo fijo o de duración determinada constituye una de las modalidades más frecuentes de la llamada contratación atípica.Efrén Córdova, en su célebre ponencia en el XI Congreso Mundial de la Sociedad Internacional de Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social (Caracas 1985), señaló que, siendo típico el contrato celebrado entre un empleador y un trabajador, para ser ejecutado a jornada completa en el centro de trabajo de aquel y por tiempo indefinido, atípico viene a ser aquél quecarece de alguno de esos atributos, esto es: (i) en el que participa más de un empleador, o (ii) la jornada es parcial o no se ajusta a los parámetros clásicos de ocho horas por día y cuarenta y ocho a la semana como máximo, o (iii) se desempeña fuera del local habitual, o (iv) es por tiempo definido.Es a estosúltimos que está dedicado el presente artículo.

Labour Migration and Social Security Coordination: Effects on Welfare in Countries of Origin and Destination - The Cases of Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo

This paper discusses the mutual effects of labour migration, social security coordination arrangements and the welfare states. It analyses country cases outside of the European Union’s coordination rules, but with a tradition of relatively functional social security coordination regimes. The assessment emphasises the importance of social security coordination. Apart from the obvious advantages for migrant workers, it shows clear advantages for both the countries of origin and destination. In that, the content of the social security agreements is equally important. It further identifies key points that require improvement. Finally, the assessment shows that reforms of the national social systems will affect the future of the social security coordination arrangements. The conclusion offers recommendations for policymakers in the region and the EU on how to improve governance of social security coordination.

Conflict of Interest between Labor and Controlling Shareholders: International Evidence from the Cost of Equity Capital

In this study, we examine international differences in firms’ cost of equity capital around the world. Specifically, we investigate whether the effectiveness of labor protection regulations is systematically related to firms’ cost of equity capital and how the presence of controlling shareholders affects the relationship between labor protection institutions and the cost of equity. Our analysis exploits cross-sectional variations in labor market regulations, employment laws, and social security laws. Both firm- and country-level analyses reveal that firms in countries where labor rights are well protected have a significantly higher equity cost, after controlling for investor protection environments and firm- and country-level risk factors. However, the positive effect of labor regulations on the equity cost is significantly mitigated in the presence of controlling shareholders, especially in the case of a family controlling owner. The economic magnitude of such effect is substantial: a one-unit increase in labor market regulation index increases the annual cost of equity by 0.713% in widely held firms, while it increases by only 0.352% in firms with controlling shareholders. Our evidence sheds light on the role of labor regulations in shaping the corporate governance structure and the conflict of interest between employees and controlling shareholders.

Los seguros de salud mexicanos: cobertura universal incierta

The Mexican health system is comprised of the Department of Health, state labor social security and the private sector. It is undergoing a reform process initiated in 1995 to achieve universal coverage and separate the regulation, financing and service functions; a reform that after fifteen years is incomplete and problematic. The scope of this paper is to assess the problems that underlie the successive reforms. Special emphasis is given to the last reform stage with the introduction of the "Insurance of the People" aimed at the population without labor social security. In the analysis, health reform is seen as part of the Reform of the State in the context of neoliberal reorganization of society. Unlike other Latin American countries, this process did not include a new Constitution. The study is based on official documents and a systematic review of the process of the implementation of the System of Social Health Protection and its impact on coverage and access to health services. The analysis concludes that it is unlikely that universal population coverage will be accomplished much less universal access to services. However, reforms are leading to the commodification of the health system even in the context of a weak private sector.

Diritto del lavoro e crisi economica: lezioni della storia europea

- In this lecture, given at the University of Bari on the occasion of the ceremony for the conferral of ad honoris causa degree in law, Bob Hepple suggests lessons that we can draw from the history of labour law in Europe. The most serious economic crisis in the last 70 years is at the center of his analysis. In the author's view, the deep recession, following the banking crisis, presents us with a number of major problems, threatening for the survival of labour law and of social protection developed in Europe since 1945. The author touches upon four of these problems: the growth of mass unemployment; the accelerated expansion of informal, deregulated forms of work outside the scope of labour law and social security; increasing inequality in the labour market; the dangers of nationalism and protectionism.

Assessing Flexicurity Policy - Case Study for Romania

In recent years, European countries have faced a number of challenges like, for example, the technological change, the acceleration of globalisation, the considerable ageing of European societies. In this context, a more flexible labour market combined with satisfactory levels of security is necessary to meet the needs of both employers and employees. “Flexicurity” could be the right solution. Flexicurity has to be seen as an integrated strategy that employs political choices between various aspects of flexibility and security. An optimal balance between the two dimensions differs a lot between countries and each country has to choose its best combination. In Romania, the concept of flexicurity was included for the first time in the National Reforms Programme - Lisbon Strategy 2006. In our paper we have calculated the index of EPL strictness using the provisions at the date the new Labour Code came into force and after the successive amendments of the law. Also we have tried to analyse all four of the policy components - flexibility of the labour law, lifelong learning policies, active labour market policies and social security system - in an integrated manner.

Social Rights of Non-European Illegal Immigrants in France

Non-European immigrants in an illegal situation in France1 – sans papiers – are considered very differently under labour law and social security legislation. In labour law, they are treated, at least partially, like legally-employed workers. However, the extreme vulnerability of these workers in dealings with their employers can only be remedied by the recognition of residency rights based on their actual employment situation. This is not a controversial legal issue at present in France. As far as social coverage is concerned (health, maternity, disablement, and retirement), illegal immigrants were excluded from the scope of application of social security legislation in 1993 and relegated to social assistance, with all the perverse effects that entailed. The radical change in French legislative policy on the right to social protection for foreigners since 1993, initially by imposing legal residence as a condition for access to social security systems and benefits, then instituting a minimum, continuous residency requirement for access to a reduced ‘selection of care, obviously raises the issue of the incompatibility between national positive law and international laws adopted by France.

Do Brazilian Judges Favor the Weak Party?

This article discusses the theoretical foundations of the concept of jurisdictional uncertainty, which means, the uncertainties associated to the settlement of contracts in the Brazilian jurisdiction, and that manifests itself predominantly as an anti-saver and anti-creditor bias. According to Arida et al (2005), Brazilian judges tend to favor the weak part in the claim, not the just, as a form of social justice and redistribution of income in favor of the poor people. The article shows that there is no point for the judge in deciding against the law to favor the poor. A utility function is discussed, taking into account the advantages the judge could gain from this behavior, outweighed by the penalties such as professional criticism and the reversal by a higher court. As a result, its predicted that the judge will refrain itself from deciding disregarding the original tenor of legislation, and this behavior could favor the wealthy and politically powerful. An empirical test was conducted, analyzing 181 judicial decisions, and the results were supportive to the main ideas, showing that a contract has 45% more of chances of being maintained if it is beneficial to the richer. The judiciary disregards the contract only in the areas that the Legislative decided to protect the weaker part, such as in labor contracts, social security and environment. In areas like financial contracts, commercial law and landlord-tenant relations, the judges do not interfere.

How well do Industrial Relations and Social Policy Interact? Labour Law and Social Security Law in the Social Protection of Sole Parents

How well do Industrial Relations and Social Policy Interact? Labour Law and Social Security Law in the Social Protection of Sole Parents

Experiences of Participation Citizenship: A Bottom-up Analysis of the Social Rights and Obligations of Work-Disabled Employees in Denmark and the Netherlands

This article analyses the integration of labour market policy and social security in terms of the new kinds of citizenship regimes that it epitomizes. By means of a qualitative bottom-up analysis focusing on the experiences of re-integrated partially work-disabled employees in Denmark and the Netherlands, the article reveals significant differences in the experiences of social rights relating to labour market participation in the two countries.

International labor migration and social security: Analysis of the transition path

This paper numerically simulates a two-country overlapping-generations model to study international labor migration when the two countries are characterized by different social-security systems. The present analysis extends previous work beyond steady-state considerations. The most striking result is that in all cases considered, dynamically efficient and inefficient economies in autarkic steady-state, migration leads to temporary welfare losses in both countries. In all cases, the transition path is characterized by temporary dynamic inefficiency in one country.