Abstract With the technological advances of the last few decades the face of the workplace has changed significantly. It is important for students to be educated in the direction of being able to enter the 21st century workplace with a solid understanding of technology and need. This paper identifies what elements are important to the 21st century workplace and how students can be prepared to succeed in such an environment. The paper also discusses why it is important to do so and some of the aspects of that preparation from both the school arena and the workplace arena.
From the Paper "The technological boom over the last few decades has taken mankind to heights never before imagined. Today with the click of a mouse one can plan and purchase trip tickets, manage their stocks and chat with others around the world. The technological boom has significantly changed the work world as well.
Whereas things used to be manually logged onto ledgers and into memos, they are not collected on online data bases, and discussed through email. The preparation of the students for the workplace in the 21st century has become an importance focus point for school systems worldwide. "
Abstract Recent reports highlight how the gender gap in wages affects women's retirement as well. According to a report from the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER), older women are twice as likely as men to be poor after retiring. Compared to their male counterparts, older women have to make do with less Social Security benefits, fewer and smaller pensions and less individual savings. This paper examines the growing fiscal health problem many women face upon retirement. Instead of having a nest egg to live upon, many women face the real possibility of poverty, even after retiring from a lifetime of hard work.
The first part of the paper presents a general picture of the fiscal resources available to and problems faced by women upon their retirement. In addition to this general picture, the paper pays special attention to the problems faced by minorities like Hispanic and African-American women. The next part of the paper looks at the factors behind these problems, such as divorce, widowhood and women's care- giving duties. The main factor behind many women's inability to save for retirement, however, remains the gender gap that continues to plague much of the working world. The third part of the paper thus explores the effects of gender on the pay scales of men and women across disparate fields, from academia to management to blue-collar operations. It also looks at how these unequal pay scales continue, despite legislation that mandates equity in pay. The fourth part of the paper examines the link between the gender gap in wages to the phenomenon of women's poverty upon retirement. It shows how pay inequity means that women work more, earn less and as a result, often have less money for their retirement. Finally, the paper looks at the steps women can take to address these issues and prepare for their retirement.
From the Paper "In a study of wage differentials across the service professions, Margaret Gibelman found that the median salary for both sexes is higher in service occupations that are predominantly male, such as construction and surveying. Conversely, the mean wages for both sexes is significantly lower in occupations where women comprise more than 75 percent of the workforce, such as nursing and receptionists (Gibelman). Gibelman's study implies that women suffer from two forms of discrimination in the service and sales industries. First is discrimination on an individual level, where women get paid less than their male counterparts for the same work. Second, there is a marked discrimination against occupations that have a large female employee base and could therefore be labeled as ?women's occupations.? It is difficult to make comparisons between occupations like cashiers, 90 percent of whom are women, and janitors, 70 percent of whom are men. However, the fact remains that even male-dominated professions that utilize unskilled labor generally still command higher median incomes."
Abstract This paper discusses how sexual harassment continues to be a problem in the workplace, for women as well as a growing number of men. The first part of this paper examines the reasons behind the persistence of sexual harassment and looks at its deleterious effects on the workplace. The second part of the paper then recommends measures to address this problem.
From the Paper "In 1998, following a class action lawsuit for sexual harassment, Salomon Smith Barney agreed to set aside $15 million to enact policy changes aimed at making the company a more hospitable environment for women. This landmark settlement resulted from investigations showing that the brokerage firm was guilty of practices like intimidation, explicit sexual talk, excluding them from meetings and hiring strippers for company entertainment parties held at the firm's infamous "boom boom room" (Antilla 28). Salomon Smith Barney is by no means the only high-profile sexual harassment case drawing attention. Mitsubishi recently settled $34 million sexual harassment lawsuit involving female workers at its manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois. The soap-manufacturing company of Dial settled a similar $10 million lawsuit, after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged them with violating sexual harassment statutes at their plant in Aurora, Illinois. Many experts believe that thousands of other cases in smaller, lower-profile companies simply go unreported."
Abstract Following several decades of having it in place, the affirmative action policies that have been hotly debated since their inception have been dismantled across the nation. This paper presents an examination of affirmative action and its elements. The writer develops the argument that affirmative action is a positive tool by which to level the playing field for minority populations in the job market and the educational environment.
From the Paper "Affirmative action is a program designed to remedy the past acts of discrimination against minorities and females in America. For more than 200 years Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, females and others have been held back through non admittance to colleges, being passed over not only for jobs but for promotions within their companies. This practice had become so firmly ingrained and accepted that it was commonly accepted to pay women and minorities less money for the same job that their white counter parts were being paid. Affirmative action programs were put into place to remedy those situations and provide opportunities to level the playing field in the future. One of the things affirmative action did was to encourage the recruitment, training , and retention of minority and female employees. Affirmative action also sought to level the playing field in institutions of higher education such as colleges".
Abstract This paper looks at how the 35-hour work week law, passed in 1998, has effected the labor economy of France. It discusses whether it has had positive or negative impacts on business and companies and whether it did indeed reduce unemployment as was its main goal.
From the Paper "France has embarked on an economic and social experiment that is changing the face of employment in that country. The country has instituted a law requiring 35-hour work weeks, believing that it will stimulate the economy by decreasing unemployment and creating new jobs. It was also expected that such a law would encourage innovation in labor negotiation contracts (Trumbull, 2001). Now that the law has been in force for four years, it makes sense to consider what effects the law has had on French employment."
Abstract For nearly 100 years, the system of Worker's Compensation has been used in the United States. This is a legislated system, administered at the state level. This paper looks at the history of worker's compensation in the United States, showing how it has evolved into an effective system that protects the employee should he/she become injured or incapacitated during work hours. The paper discusses who exactly is considered an employee and different types of benefits. The paper focuses, in particular on the rehabilitation benefits (Vocational Rehabilitation Plan). It also looks as the role of labor unions and worker's compensation fraud.
From the Paper "The legislature of each State determines the type and amount of benefits which are payable under workers' compensation. Generally speaking, workers' compensation payments are not taxable to the employee as income. Based upon the laws enacted in each State, insurance companies that provide worker's compensation insurance coverage determine the probabilities of injury for different occupational categories and establish their premium rates. This is the amount charged to employers for their workers' compensation insurance. (Pennsylvania)."
Abstract This paper argues that women who dress immodestly and provocatively are partly to blame if they are sexually harassed. The writer claims that judges need to take the way a women is dressed into account when dealing with charges of sexual harassment.
From the Paper "Countless men are losing their jobs and families because of erroneous claims of sexual harassment. Nowadays, women press charges of sexual harassment in the workplace without taking responsibility for the way they act, speak, and dress. However, when deciding sexual harassment cases, judges and juries take into account the complainant's dress because it is a factor in determining guilt. Charging a man with sexual harassment because he made a pass at a woman in a tight blouse and a mini skirt is like convicting him for being alive. Heterosexual men are attracted to women and are generally expected to take the initiative in a new relationship. Women, on the other hand, do not act with honesty and integrity when they show up to work in skimpy outfits. Dressing provocatively sends a message about sexuality; women dress to express themselves. Women wear skimpy clothing mainly to attract attention, to gain approval based on their looks, and to garner affection from men. Women want to be found attractive, and yet when a man acknowledges her beauty, she will often retaliate with a lawsuit. The situation has become totally unfair. Women who dress provocatively pray on the weaknesses of the opposite sex and neglect the responsibility they have in sexual harassment cases. Either women should dress differently, or they should take come-ons with a grain of salt."
Abstract This paper examines how temporary labor programs have long been utilized as mechanisms to assist businesses accomplish long term goals and help fill temporary labor needs resulting from absent employees or busy employment cycles. It looks at how many youths can benefit from youth employment programs, gaining valuable skills and practical experience that will teach them how to turn classroom skills into lifelong lessons. It proposes a project to teach youths of approximately high school ages 16-18 how to establish a stable career outlook by investing in a temporary employment program.
Outline
Statement of Purpose
Setting of the Problem
History and Background of the Problem
Scope of the Proposed Research Project
Literature Review
Research Method/Design
Data Collection Plan
Data Analysis Plan
From the Paper "Temporary employment programs are put into place to help young people gain ?practical experience working for agencies.? As early as 1960 a temporary labor program was established on public lands to employ youths in maintenance and administrative positions in New York City. The assistance of youth labor not only helped youths find practical uses for classroom learned skills, it also facilitated the completion of many outstanding projects. The Mound City Group National Monument utilized temporary employment in 1967 to enhance the existing administrative and maintenance staffs (Hopewell, 2002). Use of temporary employment became much more widespread in the 1970?s, when Manpower, Inc. came about. The temporary agency augmented maintenance operations for organizations such as Mound City Group by as much as 2,871 man-hours (Hopewell, 2002)."
Abstract This paper is a research design in the area of rewards, benefits, employee performance, and business strategy as they are all related to create unique reward environments in organizations of all shapes and sizes. The research demonstrates that reward systems are most successful when they are aligned with business strategy and are directly tied to employee performance. The study uses ten distinct organizations in a localized geographic area and focuses on the compensation and benefits manager at each organization.
Contents:
Executive Summary
Introduction
Problem Statement
Literature Review
Methodology
Research Design
Data Collection
Sample Design
Fieldwork
Data Analysis
Results
Timeline and Budget
Limitations of the Research
Bibliography
Appendices
From the Paper "Reward and incentive programs are a popular component of employee benefit packages. Many employees value such offerings as flexible scheduling, tuition assistance, and child care in order to satisfy personal needs and professional development. In today's society, it is becoming increasingly common to align these reward systems with the overall business strategy of an organization in order to satisfy business needs and to improve shareholder value. In addition, many organizations are developing or restructuring their rewards programs based on employee performance. This trend is likely to continue as costs continue to increase and competition continues to thrive in a highly volatile economy."
Abstract Unions first caught the national imagination in 1869 with the foundation of three important unions: The Black National Labor Union, the first local Knights of Labor (in Philadelphia), and the Daughters of St. Crispin (first national female union). The paper shows, however, that organized labor had existed before that. Even before America was founded, powerful "guilds" protected skilled laborers. The paper questions why organized labor exists and what kind of power it wields. The paper shows that the answer to that question is in many ways ever-evolving and changing. The nature and needs for organized labor are constantly changing, as is the degree of power that they wield. About 70 years ago, for example, unions were relatively powerful and their interests mainly revolved around safe working places, living wages and so forth. They organized because they had to, for their own protection, because of the severity of working environments. The paper shows, however that unions today have far less power and though in many cases they organize for the same reasons, they are also concerned with globalization, privacy and advancement or investment rights and other concerns. Perhaps the simplest explanation for why labor becomes organized is that they are responding to the innate organization of the bosses and that their political clout is in direct reverse proportion to their expandability.
From the Paper "There are varying degrees of resistance which have been employed by labor, and the threat of which creates what political clout exists for labor. There is complete revolution, like that which has passed in many communist/socialist countries and is aimed at overthrowing both the capitalist system and the capitalist government. Additionally, labor can threaten active civil disobedience and striking by workers, even armed resistance. The third sort of threat is that of legal striking (organized or unorganized) and other legal pressures such as boycotting, which while less frightening are none the less debilitating. The fourth sort is purely political pressure, based in voting and other passive means to an end. The threat of these four sorts of resistance are enough to give labor some bargaining power when they come to the table."
Abstract The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether or not an ergonomically designed office or workstation will reduce the number of work related injury time off and thereby increase productivity in such work places. The study is geared to determine how much of an impact ergonomically designed work stations have on the bottom line through the measurement of productivity. The writer believes that the study can also be used as a tool for future decision making needs. Ergonomics has been a popular buzzword in recent years and this study determines that bottom line value of ergonomic design in the workplace.
From the Paper "Recently there has been an explosion of ergonomic designing of workstations for the purpose of providing a more conducive and productive work environment. The buzzwords are all around including ergonomic, RTS, carpal tunnel and others. These words go along with the general idea that it is important to design workstations ergonomically for the most positive impact on the workers as well as the bottom line. The need for the ergonomically designed workstation has provided opportunities for profits in the way of ergonomic furniture."
Abstract The paper shows that although the Industrial Revolution brought along many economic opportunities, this age is still associated with the decadence of social values and the sharp division of people into various social classes. The world was suddenly divided into working class, the rising middle-class and the business class, with each social class bearing unique characteristics. This paper first presents an overview of this era before discussing class struggle in detail. It shows that the Industrial Revolution as a major phenomenon took over most parts of the world, especially European countries, in the late 18th century and continued until the middle of the 20th century. While many would like to believe that this age is responsible for huge economic changes and some political ones too, the paper suggests that we should not forget that it is this particular period which brought the sharpest social problems and class divisions into effect.
From the Paper "Working classes or urban poor were hit the hardest with industrialization. The emerging new class of urban poor in European countries was in a state of utter misery, while the business class cashed in on their adversity. In working classes, lack of enough economic resources became the major cause of concern, as their small income was not sufficient to support large families, which led to a rise in child and women labor. While previously only men were working, now even the entire family was unable to put sufficient food on the table. But these people couldn?t go back as agriculture was no longer as feasible as it used to be. Secondly, most villages bore a completely deserted look and thus it was impossible to return to countryside and engage in old profession."
Abstract This research paper provides an account of working as a flight attendant. The paper includes a look at the nature of work, training requirements, qualifications, procedures, employment rate and earning rate as well as merits and demerits of the service occupation of flight attendants. The writer adds a number of current statistics, including salaries, size of workforce, breakdown of the workforce among others.
From the Paper "Almost all airlines provide their passengers with flight attendants in order to assist their customers travel comfortably. Since, the law demands airlines to hire flight attendants the individuals joining this occupation shoulder various responsibilities including making sure that passengers on board comply with the safety regulations and keeping a strict check pertaining to the availability of first aid kit and other safety equipment (Service Occupations: Flight Attendants). Moreover, flight attendants inform the flying public regarding the use of such emergency equipment, welcome their passengers on board, check their flying tickets as well as provide instructions to them regarding the placement of "carry-on items" ."
Abstract Bryant Simon examines the politics of South Carolina textile workers from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. He demonstrates how a group of southern laborers perceived the world, especially in the context of politics and public power. We see how these workers went through many transitions in their ideology, as their views of race and class changed throughout political developments, especially those that were brought on by the New Deal. The author examines the careers of Cole Blease and Olin Johnston to crystallize his themes. He analyzes the roots of the appeal of these popular South Carolina politicians to demonstrate his main arguments.
Abstract Given the economic realities of twenty-first century North American society, the traditional nuclear family model - working father, homemaker mother - is no longer a sustainable unit. Since the 1970s mothers have increasingly worked outside the home, both full-time and part-time, in order to provide their families with added income. However, as this paper will argue, the phenomenon of working mothers is a dilemma for modern women as they are torn between the demands of paid work and the demands of child care. Inadequate daycare services, and the continuation of traditional (sexist) models of the division of housework, have led to increased levels of dissatisfaction among working mothers.
