Workplace Committees Research Articles

MultiTex RCT \u2013 a multifaceted intervention package for protection against cotton dust exposure among textile workers \u2013 a cluster randomized controlled trial in Pakistan: study protocol

BackgroundIn the Pakistani textile industry the prevalence of workplace respiratory illnesses, including byssinosis, is high. The MultiTex RCT study aims to determine the effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention package in reducing dust levels in cotton mills, decreasing the frequency of respiratory symptoms among cotton textile workers, and improving their lung function.Methods/designWe will conduct a cluster-randomized controlled trial at 28 textile mills in Karachi. The intervention will comprise: training in occupational health for all workers and managers reinforced by regular refresher sessions; the formation of workplace committees to draw up, agree and promote a health and safety plan that includes wet mopping, safe disposal of cotton dust, and the use of simple face-masks, as well as further publicity about the risks from cotton dust; and provision of adequate supplies of face-masks to support the health and safety plan. Participating mills will be randomized to intervention and control arms following a baseline survey. The impact of the intervention will be determined through follow-up surveys conducted at 3, 12 and 18 months. Data collection in the surveys will include spirometry, questionnaire-based interviews and cotton-dust measurements.DiscussionIf successful, the study may pave the way for simple, low-cost interventions that can help reduce cotton-dust levels in textile mills, and improve the respiratory health of textile workers in developing countries such as Pakistan.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT03738202. Registered on 12 November 2018.

Successful Leadership in Medicine

<p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><em>Leaders remain as visible, influential and controversial in today’s society and media as ever. Twenty-first century doctors are called to be inherent leaders, dependent and determined by their surrounding team of staff, organizational hierarchy and health care system structure. This paper examines today’s clinician as leader: through differing leadership styles, workplaces, function, how they relate to (and are constrained by) the practice of medicine under the Australian health care system and asks what makes a good medical leader. The unique setting of General Practice and a woman’s perspective are also considered. Sections on Medical Leadership’s Contribution to Change, Risk-taking and Tolerating Chaos cover the concepts of unpredictability in medicine and if and how doctors as medical leaders attempt to cope with this eventuality. Each assertion raised is supported by current business and medical literature referenced data. The reader is encouraged to ponder their own workplace committee practices, leadership style and consider areas which they may wish to address and improve upon.</em><br /></span></p>

Evaluation of HIV and AIDS workplace programs in government-owned secondary schools in Tanzania

BACKGROUND
 The government of Tanzania mandated HIV/AIDS workplace interventions in 2006, with the objective of reducing the spread of HIV and supporting workers living with HIV/AIDS. The policy directs public institutions to design and implement workplace programs covering HIV prevention, care and treatment. This study evaluated implementation of the program in Morogoro Municipal Council and its effects among secondary school teachers.
 METHODS
 We conducted in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with key informants purposively selected from the Morogoro Municipal Council and secondary schools, and a review of relevant documents.
 RESULTS
 The structures through which HIV/AIDS workplace activities were to be assessed and implemented, including a situation assessment, HIV/AIDS workplace committees and resource allocation, had not been put in place or had been given insufficient resources or priority. Therefore, very few HIV/AIDS activities had been implemented, and almost all of those at the Morogoro Municipal headquarters. The few activities that had been implemented, such as awareness sessions and peer education, had minimal reach and effectiveness.
 CONCLUSION
 Teachers are a high-risk group for HIV/AIDS in Tanzania, and the HIV/AIDS workplace program was conceived as a strategy to prevent and mitigate the adverse effects of HIV/AIDS among teachers and other workers. We found that the HIV/AIDS workplace programs had not been implemented sufficiently in Morogoro Municipal secondary schools to make an impact on workers. We recommend better dissemination of the guidelines, stronger leadership and accountability, and representation by workers living with HIV to improve implementation of HIV/AIDS workplace activities.

Are Mandated Health and Safety Committees Substitutes or Supplements for Labor Unions?

A recurring debate in the academic and applied world is whether workplace committees and other forms of employee participation are substitutes or supplements to labor unions. This study addresses this question by examining the effect of workplace committees on the enforcement of public policies. A number of empirical studies demonstrate a positive relation between unionization and enforcement of government labor policies such as OSHA. Mandatory employee committees may similarly improve the implementation of public policies by acting as collective agents for employees in the workplace, thereby increasing the probability that workers will exercise rights granted them under labor regulations. The paper tests this hypothesized committee effect on the exercise of rights by examining the state of Oregon's experience with mandated safety and health committees. By comparing OSHA inspection records for the two years preceding and following the implementation of committee mandates in 1991, it shows that mandated committees significantly increase the differences between OSHA enforcement in union and nonunion workplaces following passage of committee mandates. As a result, the predominant effect of committees is that of a supplement rather than substitute for labor unions in the realm of public policies directed towards safety and health.

From Ludlow to Chattanooga and beyond

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of employee representation systems in the USA from the Ludlow Massacre of 1914 up to the events in 2015 at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The study begins with the strike at the Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation which led to the deaths of several women and children. In the aftermath of Ludlow, John D. Rockefeller, Jr, visited the mines in 1915 and persuaded workers that an internal employee representation plan would serve their interests better than an outside trade union. Rockefeller’s influence shaped American industrial relations until the passage of the National Labor Relations (Wagner) Act in 1935, when company unions were outlawed. The ongoing decline of unions and collective bargaining has prompted academic speculation that a return to internal workplace committees might lead to a rejuvenated labor movement in the USA. Design/methodology/approach The study uses both archival materials and secondary sources to construct a narrative of one important element of industrial relations. It explains Wagner’s ban on company unions as a component of his economic agenda. Company unions provided a voice for a firm’s workers, but Wagner believed they were powerless to redistribute corporate wealth. The decline of American unions is so profound that they no longer serve an economic role in our capitalist system, but workers’ voice in the workplace remains an important consideration. Findings The key finding of this paper is that employee representation plans are not merely an industrial relations anachronism but continue to be relevant to today’s workplace. The paper compares an influential representation plan developed in 1914 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr, to current schemes of representation and argues that labor law should be modified to permit modern versions of the older “company unions”. Researchlimitations/implications Works councils play a crucial role in European labor relations, and they could do so in America if labor laws were modified to permit it. An exposition of the deep historical context of representation helps to legitimate the concept. Future research into specific cases, including an international perspective, would add to an understanding of the benefits and costs of representation. Originality/value The originality of this paper is its combination of a historical event and a contemporary case study that brings together a theme present in managerial history for over a century. By emphasizing the aims of Rockefeller, Jr. in 1914 and the objectives of the Volkswagen Company in 2014 in establishing a participatory workplace, we gain a long-term framework through which to evaluate a particular managerial technique. The paper also suggests ways to bring our labor laws into conformance with the idea of employee representation.

Development and implementation of healthy workplace model in a selected industry of Puducherry, South India.

Background:The workplace is increasingly being used as a setting for health promotion and preventive health activities; not only to prevent occupational injury, but to assess and improve people's overall health.Objective:This study aims at developing and implementing a healthy workplace model in a software industry of Puducherry.Methods:Operations research was carried out in a purposively selected industry in Puducherry. The study was planned in four phases-baseline assessment and risk profiling, intervention, final evaluation and dissemination of results. Baseline evaluation of employees (n = 907) was done by a self-administered questionnaire to collect sociodemographic variables and risk factor profile using noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) LITE Proforma.Results:Healthy workplace committee comprising of several stakeholders was formed, and a formal launch of the health awareness campaign was organized. Broad themes for health education sessions and support activities were identified. Risk profiling of employees showed high levels of risk factors and morbidity-more than 15% were found to be hypertensive and around 55% were obese. Stress and back ache were reported by almost half of the respondents. Modifications in the workplace targeting physical and psychosocial work environment were suggested to the committee, as part of the initiative. This study has demonstrated the feasibility of developing and implementing a healthy workplace model in South India. This model can be replicated or adapted in other industries for health promotion and prevention of NCDs.Conclusion:Dedicated and concerted efforts of the management consistent with the requirements of safety, health and environment at work place with appropriate support from the health system can improve the quality of work and working life.

Orchestrating care: nursing practice with hospitalised older adults.

The increased incidence of health challenges with aging means that nurses are increasingly caring for older adults, often in hospital settings. Research about the complexity of nursing practice with this population remains limited. To seek an explanation of nursing practice with hospitalised older adults. Design. A grounded theory study guided by symbolic interactionism was used to explore nursing practice with hospitalised older adults from a nursing perspective. Glaserian grounded theory methods were used to develop a mid-range theory after analysis of 375hours of participant observation, 35 interviews with 24 participants and review of selected documents. The theory of orchestrating care was developed to explain how nurses are continuously trying to manage their work environments by understanding the status of the patients, their unit, mobilising the assistance of others and stretching available resources to resolve their problem of providing their older patients with what they perceived as 'good care' while sustaining themselves as 'good' nurses. They described their practice environments as hard and under-resourced. Orchestrating care is comprised of two subprocesses: building synergy and minimising strain. These two processes both facilitated and constrained each other and nurses' abilities to orchestrate care. Although system issues presented serious constraints to nursing practice, the ways in which nurses were making meaning of their work environment both aided them in managing their challenges and constrained their agency. Nurses need to be encouraged to share their important perspective about older adult care. Administrators have a role to play in giving nurses voice in workplace committees and in forums. Further research is needed to better understand how multidisciplinary teams influence care of hospitalized older adults.

Organizing for the Long Haul: Colonizing to the Rescue?

In the U.S. labor movement, politically committed young people have chosen to work in the service, retail, hospitality, and telecom sectors to aid union recruitment drives from the inside. Known as “colonizers” in the past, they are now commonly referred to as “salts.” Their organizing experience, in unorganized workplaces, is different from that of full‐time union staff members assisting unionization efforts from the outside. The union that recruits, trains, deploys, and supports “salts” gains adherents who help launch and sustain strategic organizing efforts measured in years, not weeks or months. This account of inside organizing experiences in several different industries illustrates the importance of building workplace committees strong enough to survive antiunion campaigning by private sector management. Several of these case studies also reveal the tensions that can arise between the goals and directives of organizing unions, and the priorities of rank‐and‐file workers, some who may not even know that a fellow organizing committee member is acting, undercover, as a union agent.

戦前国鉄における現業委員会の構成と運営

戦前国鉄における現業委員会の構成と運営

Integrated healthy workplace model: An experience from North Indian industry

Background:Keeping in view of rapid industrialization and growing Indian economy, there has been a substantial increase in the workforce in India. Currently there is no organized workplace model for promoting health of industrial workers in India.Objective:To develop and implement a healthy workplace model in three industrial settings of North India.Materials and Methods:An operations research was conducted for 12 months in purposively selected three industries of Chandigarh. In phase I, a multi-stakeholder workshop was conducted to finalize the components and tools for the healthy workplace model. NCD risk factors were assessed in 947 employees in these three industries. In phase II, the healthy workplace model was implemented on pilot basis for a period of 12 months in these three industries to finalize the model.Findings:Healthy workplace committee with involvement of representatives of management, labor union and research organization was formed in three industries. Various tools like comprehensive and rapid healthy workplace assessment forms, NCD work-lite format for risk factors surveillance and monitoring and evaluation format were developed. The prevalence of tobacco use, ever alcoholics was found to be 17.8% and 47%, respectively. Around one-third (28%) of employees complained of back pain in the past 12 months. Healthy workplace model with focus on three key components (physical environment, psychosocial work environment, and promoting healthy habits) was developed, implemented on pilot basis, and finalized based on experience in participating industries. A stepwise approach for model with a core, expanded, and optional components were also suggested. An accreditation system is also required for promoting healthy workplace program.Conclusion:Integrated healthy workplace model is feasible, could be implemented in industrial setting in northern India and needs to be pilot tested in other parts of the country.

Audiology Assistant Welcomes Program

You have accessThe ASHA LeaderSpeaking of Associates1 Aug 2011Audiology Assistant Welcomes Program Steven Wright Steven Wright Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.SOA3.16082011.np SectionsAbout ToolsAdd to favorites ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2011/110705/Audiology-Assistant-Welcomes-Program.htm I have been an employee of Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System since June 2002. My first position was a nursing assistant in the surgical intensive and post-anesthesia care units, where I learned to demonstrate my skills and abilities. I learned to work with and without supervision and how to prioritize and handle concurrent assignments. I have carried these skills into my job as an audiology assistant, which I have had for just over three years. I have worked in the health care field for more than 20 years, and I have relatives and a friend who use assistive listening devices. A position became available in this field, providing me an opportunity—an open door for me to learn. I completed an online course for audiology assistants, and I’m now pursuing an associate of arts (AA) degree. I work in a department with 10 audiologists and two other assistants. My duties include taking earmold impressions, modifying hearing aids, checking scopes for expiration, and stocking supplies. I am also involved with three workplace committees: Civility, Respect, and Engagement in the Workforce (CREW), which promotes and addresses issues and concerns with co-workers; the Diversity Advisory Committee, which observes and highlights the capabilities of minorities and women, creates an awareness of cultural diversity, and emphasizes the unique contributions of minority groups; and a quality management effort on hand-hygiene practices. I also am a mentor in one of our educational leadership programs, Success Through Employee Preparation (STEP), which educates employees on general VA practices, operations, and processes. The most rewarding part of my job is showing care for our veterans. I am thankful that I have the skills—a positive attitude, a caring heart, and the ability to listen—to help them. I consider my greatest strength the ability to serve others, and I am grateful to work with a staff that includes four audiologists who have more than 30 years of experience in the field and who are well-educated on the latest technology. I have attended several health tech/assistant workshops, and have learned a lot, but there is always more to learn! Some of the challenges I face as an audiology assistant are the variety and quantity of very demanding tasks I carry out to meet the needs of our veterans. My education, including my online audiology assistant program, workshops, and on-the-job training, have helped me immensely. I would like to see a licensure requirement for audiology assistants in every state, similar to the requirement for licensed practical nurses (LPNs), who often assist registered nurses. My current AA coursework will enhance my abilities to become more advanced in the field of audiology. It should be very beneficial to me to become an affiliate of ASHA because of the educational opportunities the Associates Program will provide, the possible mentoring programs, and opportunities to share information with other audiology assistants and audiologists. Author Notes is a health technician and audiology assistant for the Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System. He also has completed the VA’s Success Through Employee Preparation program and the Emerging VA Leaders program. Contact him at [email protected]. Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Additional Resources FiguresSourcesRelatedDetails Volume 16Issue 8August 2011 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library History Published in print: Aug 1, 2011 Metrics Current downloads: 90 Topicsasha-topicsleader_do_tagasha-article-typesleader-topicsCopyright & Permissions© 2011 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationLoading ...

The role of HIV/AIDS committees in effective workplace governance of HIV/AIDS in South African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

The primary purpose of this study was to assess the role, status and scope of workplace HIV/AIDS committees as a means of effective workplace governance of the HIV/AIDS impact, and their role in extending social protective HIV/AIDS-related rights to employees. In-depth qualitative case studies were conducted in five South African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that were actively implementing HIV/AIDS policies and programmes. Companies commonly implemented HIV/AIDS policies and programmes through a workplace committee dedicated to HIV/AIDS or a generic committee dealing with issues other than HIV/ AIDS. Management, through the human resources department and the occupational health practitioner often drove initial policy formulation, and had virtually sole control of the HIV/AIDS budget. Employee members of committees were mostly volunteers, and were often production or blue collar employees, while there was a notable lack of participation by white-collar employees, line management and trade unions. While the powers of workplace committees were largely consultative, employee committee members often managed in an indirect manner to secure and extend social protective rights on HIV/AIDS to employees, and monitor their effective implementation in practice. In the interim, workplace committees represented one of the best means to facilitate more effective workplace HIV/AIDS governance. However, the increased demands on collective bargaining as a result of an anticipated rises in AIDS-related morbidity and mortality might prove to be beyond the scope of such voluntary committees in the longer term.

The European company statute: employee involvement—and beyond

Employee representation in managerial decision-making in its broader sense has to distinguish between two basic forms. At the ’lower’ (or plant) level different forms exist across the European Union (ETUC 1998, EIRR 2001 a and b for details). Mostly we find works councils or workplace committees, in some cases also union delegates and/or shop stewards. At the ’upper’ (or company) level, Member States provisions on employees’ board-level involvement also differ to a considerable or even wider degree: There are so-called monistic as well as dualistic systems of corporate governance or, in another terminology, single-tier versus dual-tier systems of management structure and employee involvement on the board. In the latter variant, activities and performance of the management board are monitored and controlled by an additional organ, the supervisory board (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal). This basic distinction is missing within the first form, the socalled board (or board of directors) system (Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, also Italy and the UK). Some countries (such as Finland and France) are characterised by a combination of both systems (Timmesfeld, 1994; Group of Experts, 1997; Schulten et al., 1998 for details). All in all, differences in existing national regulations at the ’upper’ level are even greater than at the ’lower’ level as far as scope, management and supervisory structure, coverage, degree and intensity of employee involvement are concerned—not to mention the enormous variety of national ’customs and practices’ that have developed over time and are definitely going to persist (Carley, 1998). At the supranational level, this great diversity of ’joint regulation’ is of particular interest. The Directive ’On the establishment of a European Works Council or a procedure in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purposes of informing and consulting employees’ (94/95 EG) (hereafter

Are Mandated Health and Safety Committees Substitutes for or Supplements to Labor Unions?

A subject of recurring debate in both academia and the business world is whether workplace committees and other forms of employee participation are substitutes for or supplements to labor unions. One well-established effect of unionization is increased enforcement of government labor policies such as OSHA; this study investigates the enforcement effects of mandated safety and health committees. A comparison of OSHA inspection records for the two years preceding and following the implementation of committee mandates in Oregon in 1991 shows that mandated committees significantly increased the differences between union and nonunion workplaces in OSHA enforcement, with enforcement strengthening considerably in union workplaces but edging upward only slightly in nonunion workplaces. The committees thus appear to have acted more as supplements to than substitutes for labor unions.