Work In UK Research Articles

The changing importance of lifetime jobs in the United Kingdom

AbstractLifetime jobs are generally considered to be a central feature of the post‐war labour market. This article aims to provide more precise data on the prevalence of lifetime jobs in the workforce. It presents a novel method to estimate with cross‐sectional data the probability that workers in different birth cohorts will hold a lifetime job. It finds that the share of UK workers who held such jobs in the post‐war period was low, with variations across socio‐demographic groups. The prevalence of long‐term jobs, but not lifetime jobs, has decreased among men born between 1947 and 1966, partly driven by decreasing job stability during youth.

How Microsoft Teams is Evolving

Abstract When the pandemic caused chaos across our working lives, Microsoft Teams, along with other collaboration tools, helped to keep the UK working. Nick Hedderman, Director, Modern Work & Security Business Group, Microsoft UK, spoke to Johanna Hamilton AMBCS about this new normal.

NEWS in focus

New research reveals uncertainties about the future and concerns about personal finances are the leading causes of stress among UK workers

Cyberthreats are going mobile and it's time to take action

The world recently experienced an accelerated shift towards a remote working environment under Covid-19. Before the pandemic, workforces primarily relied on desktops and corporate network servers, with only 5% of UK workers operating from home. 1 That number is now 72%. As many of us continue to work away from the office and try to juggle personal responsibilities, we are finding new ways to stay productive – this includes using our mobile devices more.

Cross-Sectional Study to Estimate the Prevalence of AD and Identify the Risk Factors Associated with its Development in the Rural Community of India

Introduction: Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory, relapsing dermatological disorder with onset at an early age. Objective: This study was done to estimate the prevalence of AD in a rural community setting in North Indian population using UK Working Party criteria for AD and to assess the association of risk factors with AD by comparing with a non-AD subgroup in the study population. Materials and methods: Consecutive patients with a diagnosis of AD (as assessed using Hanifin and Rajka criteria) were pooled out from 495 participating children from the Fatehgarh district of Punjab (30.6435°N, 76.3970°E). Various clinical and epidemiological features were considered and the significantly associated risk factors were evaluated by comparing the AD and non-AD subgroups. Results: Out of 495 participants, seventeen participants (3.4%) were diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. Sixteen (3.2%), participants were in the age group ≤ 1 year, 118(23.8%) between 1 to 5 years and 361(72.9%) were >5 years of age respectively. Male to female ratio in these age groups was 1:1.06 in less than 1 year age group, 0.8: 1 in 1 to 5 year age groups and 1.06:1 in the 6 to 18 years age group. In our study, various risk factors were assessed with respect to their association with AD using univariable and multi variable regression analysis. The regression coefficient was significant for daycare centers, early use of antibiotics and tendency for cutaneous infection, in both univariable and multivariable analysis while use of curd during first two years of life was protective in the univarible regression analysis. Conclusion: There are only a few studies from India on the prevalence of AD but none from a community setting. We observed a lower prevalence of AD in the rural community. An early exposure to antibiotics and attendance at day care centers (Anganwaris) was seen to be associated with the development of AD. More epidemiological studies on childhood and adulthood AD in different areas of the country are needed to see the real burden of disease.

Status report on the atopic dermatitis registry TREATgermany.

Background: The TREATgermany registry collects data from children, adolescents, and adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in Germany. For this purpose, clinical and patient-reported outcomes, the course of the disease, and applied therapies are observed. Methods: TREATgermany recruits patients with moderate-to-severe AD according to the diagnostic criteria of the UK Working Party, an “Objective Scoring for Atopic Dermatitis” (oSCORAD) > 20 and/or currently antiinflammatory systemic treatment for AD or previous anti-inflammatory systemic treatment for AD within past 24 months before inclusion. No study related interventions will be performed. Currently, 59 dermatological practices, clinics, and university hospitals are participating in TREATgermany (as of May 2021). Based on the interim analysis of October 13, 2020, patient characteristics were described from 4,373 documented visits of adult participants (n = 1,025). Results: The mean age at inclusion in TREATgermany was 42 years, 57.7% of patients were men (n = 591) and 42.3% were women (n = 434). According to oSCORAD, 85.8% of those included suffered from moderate-to-severe AD. At baseline visit, 744 patients had already received one or more systemic treatments for AD (glucocorticosteroids n = 600, ciclosporin A (CSA) n = 307, dupilumab n = 98). 597 patients received dupilumab during their participation in TREATgermany, 134 patients received CSA. Conclusion: With the increasing number of recruitment centers (October 2020: 38 centers; May 2021: 59 centers), TREATgermany can continue to make an important contribution to health services research for patients with moderate-to-severe AD. The registry fulfills the methodological requirements of IQWiG for the collection and processing of healthcare-related data. With the successful and expected approval of further systemic treatments, these can be compared in terms of efficacy and safety in the future. In addition, with the recruitment of children and adolescents started in 2021, this patient group can also be observed.

A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of the Usefulness of the Minor Features of Hanifin and Rajka Diagnostic Criteria for the Diagnosis of Atopic Dermatitis in the Pediatric Population.

Background:Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory skin disease. Hanifin and Rajka's criteria is the most common diagnostic criteria used for the clinical diagnosis of this condition. However, many find that it is too exhaustive to be used in routine practice, and the specificity of many of the minor criteria poses challenges, particularly from Asian countries with type III, IV, and V skin.Aims and Objectives:The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the minor features of the Hanifin and Rajka criteria for AD in comparison to the UK working party's diagnostic criteria in pediatric populations of India.Methodology:A hospital-based cross-sectional study of 100 patients in the pediatric age group (3 months–12 years) with AD was conducted based on history, clinical, and laboratory evaluation. An age-matched control group of 100 pediatric patients who did not have a personal or family history of atopic dermatitis was included after obtaining informed consent to find out the prevalence of minor criteria among the control group.Results:Mean of the number of minor clinical criteria found positive in our study population in the infantile and toddler (below 2 years) and childhood groups (2–12 years) was (4.72 ± 1.75) and (5.67 ± 1.78), respectively. Early-onset of disease was the most consistent feature among the minor criteria found in 83% of patients, followed by xerosis (71%), hyperlinearity of palm (56%), pityriasis alba (54%), Denny Morgan fold (52%), elevated serum IgE (47%), perifollicular accentuation (37%), and tendency toward cutaneous infections (37%).Conclusion:We found that though some of the minor criteria are highly sensitive and specific to the diagnosis of AD (xerosis, ichthyosis, palmar hyperlinearity, tendency of cutaneous infections, Dennie–Morgan infraorbital fold, pityriasis alba, and perifollicular accentuation), some other criteria were either very rare or nonspecific for AD. We suggest that many of the minor criteria of Hanifin and Rajka may not have much significance for Indian patients and a multicentric nationwide study with a larger patient pool is required to create a trimmed and improved version of Hanifin and Rajka criteria.

McStrike! Framing, (Political) Opportunity and the Development of a Collective Identity: McDonald’s and the UK Fast-Food Rights Campaign

This article examines the development of the UK ‘Fast-Food Rights Campaign’ and the formation of a collective identity amongst McDonald’s UK workers. It illustrates how, despite an acquiescent and fragmented workforce, workers diagnostically frame (recognize, articulate and attribute) perceived injustices relating to their pay and working conditions. However, the main focus is on prognostic framing which brings people ‘together’ to find a ‘consensus’ for a solution to perceived injustices. Prognostic framing also requires the ability to process and interpret information in a holistic way and to reach out for support to external stakeholders such as trade unions. The article applies Bourdieu’s theory of capital and the concept of political opportunity to help us ‘unpick’ prognostic framing. In this context, it examines the cultural and social capital of worker leaders, in particular their personal characteristics, and their perceptions about the level of support in the external environment.

Evaluation of lens clarity in children with atopic dermatitis: A densitometric analysis with Pentacam.

The association of atopic dermatitis (AD) with a wide variety of ocular complications is known; however, there is no study in the literature that measured lens densitometry in pediatric patients with AD. This study aimed to investigate lens densitometry in children with AD. In order to examine ocular complications in AD, 31 pediatric patients (13 males, 18 females; mean age 12 ± 3 years) with AD and 20 healthy children (9 males, 11 females; mean age 12 ± 2 years), who presented to the dermatology clinic of Istanbul Medipol Mega University between December 2018 and May 2019 were included in this study. The diagnosis of AD was based on the UK Working Party's Diagnostic Criteria for AD. Patients receiving inhaler and systemic steroids were excluded from the study. All children were examined by the same dermatologist and ophthalmologist. The mean values of best-corrected visual acuity, refractive error, and axial length were similar between both groups (P > .05). The lens densitometry values of zone 1, zone 2, and zone 3, as well as the average lens densitometry measurements were found statistically significantly higher in children with AD compared to the controls (P < .05 for all). This is the first study to demonstrate an increase in treatment-independent lens densitometry in children with AD.

Directive 2019/1158 on work-life balance for parents and carers in the UK: the Brexit effect

The directive on Work Life Balance will be one of the EU social policy measures not applicable in the UK in the post Brexit environment. In this field, UK workers already benefit from a number of rights found in the new EU instrument however, or even more generous entitlements. Some of the EU directive provisions would nevertheless constitute new and welcome developments the UK workplace.

Beware the politically skilled maverick: political skill interacts with maverickism to predict unethical decision-making

PurposeAcross two studies, the current research investigates whether individuals high in maverickism, which incorporates tendencies of creativity, risk-taking, goal-orientation and disruption are likely to make poorer ethical decisions and whether political skill promotes or hinders good ethical judgment.Design/methodology/approachParticipants completed an online questionnaire and an ethical dilemma.FindingsResults with UK (Study 1, N = 300) and Australian workers (Study 2, N = 217) revealed that political skill significantly moderated the maverickism-unethical decision-making relationship. Unethical decision-making was highest for those high in maverickism and political skill.Research limitations/implicationsResults highlight that for individuals high in maverickism, political skill facilitates rather than reduces the breaching of ethical norms.Practical implicationsResults show that while political skill has traditionally been seen as adaptive in organizations, being politically skilled can contribute to engaging in unethical behavior.Originality/valueThis research provides a new and interesting view of how being politically skilled can negatively impact ethical behavior and identifies another individual difference variable, maverickism, which predicts unethical behavior.

Association Between Maternal Perceived Stress in All Trimesters of Pregnancy and Infant Atopic Dermatitis: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study.

Background: Currently, most studies indicate that there is a potential link between maternal psychologic stress and the risk of atopic dermatitis (AD) in offspring. However, it is unknown which trimester of pregnancy is most sensitive to maternal stress in terms of risk of infant AD and whether the changes of maternal stress level in different trimesters of pregnancy may be associated with infant AD. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between maternal perceived stress across three trimesters of pregnancy and AD in infants at 6 months.Methods: A total of 1,638 pregnant women participated in the population-based birth cohort study. Maternal prenatal stress was assessed by self-report questionnaires during each trimester. Infant AD was diagnosed at age 6 months, according to the UK Working Party diagnostic criteria. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between maternal prenatal stress in each trimester of pregnancy and infant AD.Results: Maternal perceived stress in the 2nd trimester was associated with AD in infants at 6 months (aOR 1.56; 95% CI 1.08–2.25, P = 0.019). Furthermore, increased level of perceived stress from the 1st to the 2nd trimester (aOR 2.05, 95% CI 1.33–3.15, P = 0.001) and from the 1st to the 3rd trimester (aOR 1.92, 95% CI 1.22–3.00, P = 0.004) were also associated with the risk of infant AD at 6 months.Conclusion: A high level of maternal perceived stress in the 2nd trimester and increased level of perceived stress from the 1st to the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy may increase the risk of offspring developing AD at 6 months.

Study Protocol: Randomised Control Trial of Lunchtime Walk and Nature Awareness for UK Workers

Study Protocol: Randomised Control Trial of Lunchtime Walk and Nature Awareness for UK Workers

The Effects of Health on the Extensive and Intensive Margins of Labour Supply

AbstractUsing the first seven waves of the Understanding Society data, this study estimates the effects of health on the extensive and intensive margins of the labour supply of the UK workers. Earlier studies on the effects of health on labour supply tend to focus on a binary measure of labour force participation or early retirement. The results show that health affects both the margins of labour supply for both males and females. From the preferred model, the results indicate that the effects of health on both the margins of labour supply are larger for females than for males. Furthermore, the results show that while at the extensive margin there does not appear to be a difference in the effect of health between the old and the young for both genders, for males the effect of health on hours worked, conditional on being employed, is larger for the old than for the young, but for females the effect on hours worked is larger for the young than for the old. The results also show that inadequately exploiting the longitudinal features of panel data might have led to bias estimates.

Naming Rights? Analysing Child Surname Disputes in Australian Courts Through a Gendered Lens

Despite major advances in gender equality, patrilineal naming—children being granted their father’s surname—persists as a largely unquestioned norm in those Western countries with predominantly Anglo traditions, even in families where mothers retain their birth names. In Australia, when parents cannot agree on the child’s surname, the issue will go to a court or tribunal, to be decided by a judicial decision-maker. Apart from Jonathan Herring’s (2009) work in the UK, such cases have been little examined by scholars. This paper explores the question of whether child surnames chosen by Australian courts—a supposedly neutral and objective third party—uphold patriarchal logic or provide more equitable outcomes. Using a feminist critical discourse framework, we examine five recent court judgments about child surname disputes, and six news articles about these types of cases. While these cases are not a representative sample, we find that, despite the existence of specific legal principles relating to children’s surnames, decision-makers’ judgments were inconsistent and subjective. Furthermore, mothers’ names tended to be granted to children when fathers were deemed to be ‘bad dads.’

Neil Douglas: sleep researcher and co-founder of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management

In an early job interview Neil Douglas was asked by a professor what his career plans were “when all this sleep business is over.” Douglas, who has died at the...

Cough reflex testing in acute stroke: A survey of current UK service provision and speech and language therapist perceptions.

Silent aspiration (SA)-airway entry of food, drink or other material without a cough response-is common post-stroke. Clinical swallowing examination misses up to 40% of dysphagic patients with SA. This may put these patients at risk of aspiration pneumonia, prolonged length of hospital stay and increased healthcare costs. After stroke, the laryngeal cough reflex is frequently impaired with significant relationships between pneumonia rates and reduced cough strength and sensitivity. There has been a significant amount of recent interest in cough reflex testing (CRT) as a potential means to improve clinical identification of patients at risk of SA. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding the methodology and protocols for use of CRT with widely varying outcomes reported in the literature. To provide an overview of current practice in the UK with regards to clinical use of CRT by speech and language therapists (SLTs) in acute stroke settings and to explore the perceptions regarding its potential application in clinical dysphagia management and the barriers and facilitators associated with adopting CRT in clinical practice. A cross-sectional web-based survey was developed, piloted and delivered. The survey targeted all UK-based SLTs working in acute stroke settings. A total of 129 SLTs with varying levels of experience of CRT from all regions of the UK responded. Only four SLT services in the UK were reported to be currently using CRT clinically with acute stroke patients. A total of 29% of respondents who were not using CRT were considering introducing CRT into their service's dysphagia protocol. Variation was reported in the procedures and protocols. Overall, users reported improved confidence in the clinical detection of SA and felt that the introduction of CRT had improved their patient-related outcomes. Issues included difficulties procuring citric acid, implications for SLT time (including service set-up and delivery of CRT) and restricted access to instrumental assessments. This survey gives valuable insight into the current practice and perceptions of SLTs in the UK working in acute stroke settings in relation to CRT. It highlights discrepancies between reported approaches and recommendations from existing guidelines and validation studies. The variation in responses indicates a need to develop a consensus statement and further research to guide practice. What this study adds What is already known on the subject CRT is gaining popularity as a screening tool for the clinical identification of SA with acute stroke patients. However, there is a lack of consensus in the literature regarding the methodology and protocols with widely varying outcomes. Further work needs to be done to standardize its use, especially if it is to be incorporated into dysphagia protocols for use in the acute stroke setting. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This survey of SLTs working in acute stroke settings highlights variability in practice in CRT service delivery in the UK, reflecting findings from the existing CRT literature. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The findings of this study support the need for further research relating to clinical screening tests for SA and standardization of methodology and protocols for CRT use if its use is to be continued clinically.

Spatial Creaming and Parking?: the Case of the UK Work Programme

Public policies are inherently spatial in nature yet their geographical dimensions remain frequently underdeveloped and marginalised in policy practice and scholarship. This paper reflects critically on these common spatial blind spots, using as its case study example the UK’s Work Programme employment support policy. Whilst social ‘creaming’ (i.e. deliberate prioritisation) and ‘parking’ (i.e. deliberate neglect) by providers of differently placed service users within public policies is widely acknowledged and researched, this paper introduces to the literature equivalent but neglected risks around spatial creaming and parking of differently positioned local areas. The paper’s framing identifies that the Work Programme’s particular treatment of place exposes areas to high risks of spatial creaming and parking. Building on these critical spatial foundations, the paper moves on to present sophisticated statistical analyses of official and comprehensive Work Programme data. These original analyses demonstrate systematic spatial inequality in outcomes and financial resource that are at the expense of already more deprived geographies and that are consistent with our spatial creaming and parking hypotheses. The paper highlights the need to consider more fully the role of place within public policy practice and scholarship.

Labour supply dynamics at the extensive and intensive margins of the UK men and women

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to enhance understanding labour supply dynamics of the UK workers by examining whether and to what extent there is state dependence in the labour supply at both the extensive and intensive margins.Design/methodology/approachA dynamic two-tiered Tobit model is applied to the first seven waves of Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study. The model used accounts for observed and unobserved individual heterogeneity and serially correlated transitory shocks to labour supply to draw inferences on state dependence.FindingsThe results show that both observed and unobserved individual heterogeneity contributes to observed inter-temporal persistence of the labour supply of the UK workers, and the persistence remains after these factors are controlled for, suggesting true state dependence at both the extensive and intensive margins of the labour supply. The study also finds that at both the margins, the state dependence of labour supply is larger for females than for males and that for both genders the state dependence is larger for people with low education, mature aged workers and people with long-standing illness or impairment. The results also show that estimates from a conventional Tobit model may produce misleading inferences regarding labour supply at the extensive and intensive margins.Originality/valueThis study adds to the international literature on labour supply dynamics by providing empirical evidence for both the extensive and intensive margins of labour supply, while previous studies tend to focus on the extensive margin of labour force participation only. Also, unlike earlier studies that often focus on females, this study compares labour supply dynamics between males and females. The study also compares the estimates from the more flexible two-tiered Tobit model with that from the conventional Tobit model.

‘Barrier dysfunction in Atopic newBorns studY’ (BABY): protocol of a Danish prospective birth cohort study

IntroductionSkin barrier development and dysfunction in premature and mature newborns is important for the risk of atopic dermatitis (AD).Methods and analysisThe Barrier dysfunction in Atopic newBorns studY (BABY) Cohort is...