Week 3: Employment as a SDH

Question 1

In the article “Fragmentation in the future of work,” what defines the future of work and what are the implications of this?

Answer 1

The future of work is predicted to include a lot of technological advancements which will in turn disrupt the jobs of many people and the jobs that are available

Question 2

What are vulnerable workers?

Answer 2

Vulnerable workers are exposed to structural factors (ex: racism, ableism, sexism) that may contribute to adverse working conditions that have a detrimental impact on their health. These work conditions could be precarious work, low-wage employment and hazardous conditions

Question 3

1. T/F: Vulnerable workers are represented in the union

2. T/F: Vulnerable workers have enough regulatory protection provided by the larger institution they are under

Answer 3

1. F - not represented by the union

2. F - lack regulatory protection –> why they are in adverse conditions

Question 4

1. Research shows that working conditions are directly related to the ______ and _______ health of workers
2. working conditions contribute to _____ inequities in the workplace
3. Why is employment income a crucial SDH?

Answer 4

1. physical, mental health
2. health
3. Income is tied to other SDH like safe housing, education, food security, social services, health care. It is the foundation of one’s ability to have other SDH

Question 5

What type of study was conducted in the article called “Fragmentation in the future of work?”

Answer 5

Horizon scan = systematically identify and and gather evidence from academic literature and social media

Question 6

What is NOT a future of work trend listed in the “fragmentation of the future of work article”

a) technological
b) economic
c) political
d) environmental
e) urbanization
f) social

Answer 6

e)

Question 7

T/F: workers in certain occupations that are reliant on soft skills may be less likely to be disrupted by technological or automated systems

Answer 7

True

Question 8

1. What are the 3 most common health effects from job stress?
2. T/F: work-related stressors can lead to fatal conditions, but are not as deadly as diabetes, Alzheimer’s or Influenza because only about 10,000 people each year are killed.

Answer 8

1. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, decreased mental health
2. FALSE: they are even more deadly than those diseases killing more than 120,000 people each year!

Question 9

Explain each of the most common work-related stressors:

a) Lack of health insurance
b) erratic schedules
c) fear of downsizing

Answer 9

a) lack of health insurance leads to financial stress. Not having access to health care can delay treatment for serious health issues which can cause mortality
b) working long hours in precarious work environments can lead to hypertension and other injuries. Lack of sleep, decreased mental health and being over worked can lead to bad health decisions or burn out
c) employees reported getting more sick/ cardiovascular disease from the fear of downsizing

Question 10

Answer the following about the Maquiladoras documentary:
1. What is a promotora? What impact have they had?

2. List the most common health effects from the factories reported from the employees
3. Identify the statement that is TRUE. Correct the false statements:
   a) in the factory, the colour of your smock (shirt) determined your ranking as an employee
   b) women represent less than half of the workforce in the Maquiladoras industry
   c) Union factories are very common and many employees know about them
   d) in 2001, the American countries were booming which led to an economic downfall
4. Explain the idea of “women as commodities” in relation to globalization

Answer 10

1. Promotoras are women in the factories working towards change in their communities and in the traditional norms of the workplace. They learn about their rights as women and workers and spread the word to defend their violated rights
2. exposed to chemicals (cancer causing), pollution in the water, burns on feet from the water, breathing problems, factories burned plastic, chemicals etc and people would get the remittance in their eyes and on their clothes, kids being electrocuted, kids being born with birth defects from the pollution
3. a) is true
   b) women represent 80% because it is cheap and they have little hands
   c) union factories are described as “ghost factories” because employees don’t know they exist. Many employees are not allowed to form unions
   d) the Asian countries were booming
4. From globalization, women are treated as commodities (objects). when this commodity is not attractive to globalization if they defend their rights, then companies will just find another woman to work

Question 11

What defines a good job?

Answer 11

• job security
• safety
• adequate conditions
• good hours
• opportunities for self-expression and development in one’s role
• feeling worthy and valued as an employee
• WORK-LIFE BALANCE!

Question 12

what defines job security?

Answer 12

Security is one’s ability to have control over their own life and development because they feel safe and as if they have the resources to succeed. Job security then is having a job that will allow you to feel secure and protected. It is the definer of what makes a job more or less stressful and is essential in the workplace

Question 13

Explain how jobs have shifted in Canada in relation to these factors:

a) non-standard work
b) unionized jobs
c) factory work
d) service sector jobs
e) downsizing

Answer 13

a) rise in non-standard work meaning part time, contract
b) unionized jobs, which provide workers with jobs for life and pensions are no longer as common
c) factor work has migrated to places where employees are not protected and are forced to work in adverse conditions. This is because it costs less for companies and the labour is cheap
d) service sector jobs are underpaid and having irregular hours
e) secure jobs always have the risk of downsizing which is an insecurity

Question 14

what is gig work? What are the impacts

Answer 14

reduced time work, part-time, casual work. This means lower earnings and higher job insecurity because it is an atmosphere of uncertainty

Question 15

Answer the questions about intensification:

a) what is intensification and where is this trend most common today?
b) __/__ Canadians work more than 45 hours per week and this has been the trend for the last 30 years

Answer 15

a) a trend with increased deadlines for better work and faster paced schedules. It is a trend in US, Europe and Canada
b) 2/3

Question 16

__% of North Americans who had vacations as part of their employee contract had not taken it

Answer 16

70%

Question 17

What is the definition of objective, subjective and contextual employment conditions and trends. Give an example

Answer 17

Objective: can be observed and are measurable. Ex: being unemployed objectively reduces one’s income and ability to secure resources and may objectively limit one’s own or children’s ability to participate fully in society

subjective: different individuals experience objective conditions of employment but in different ways. Ex: being unemployed has a different subjective impact on different people; how we respond to each objective condition is subjective
contextual: the working conditions faced are socially determined and engrained from society. ex: the individual differences are the result of our social circumstances and status

Question 18

Explain the objective, subjective and contextual part of this situation:

An electronic company is downsizing and will get rid of about 10% of employees within the manufacturing sector. Mary works in this sector and is facing a lot of stress due to the potential of her losing her job. She is already struggling financially to afford resources for her children as well as to pay for her rent

Answer 18

objective: the electronic company is downsizing which will objectively affect all the people who lose their jobs.
subjective: Mary feels a lot of stress due to the potential of her losing her job. She fears for her own life as well as for her children. How she feels may be different than how another person who also loses their job feels
contextual: her position in society and social environment is different than someone else’s status who may lose their job too

Question 19

answer the questions about injury caused from working conditions:

1. __ in ___ injuries requiring medical attention in Canada occur at work
2. manufacturing and construction jobs make up __% of employment in Canada but are composed of __% of work related injuries
3. people are commonly exposed to ______
4. an example of an injury is _________

Answer 19

1. 1 in 6
2. 20%, 40% (just below 1/2)
3. chemicals
4. repetitive strain injuries

Question 20

Answer the questions about stress induced physiological changes?

1. what is stress induced physiological changes? Explain the impact on health
2. approx __ in __ find their work days are always stressful
3. Explain the impact of physiological changes on cortisol levels

Answer 20

1. It is the changes that occur to the body’s levels of cortisol production and is linked to burnout and unhealthy coping behaviours
2. 1 in 3
3. Cortisol levels are decreased which causes fatigue, insomnia and depression. This is due to mental exhaustion

Question 21

What is allostatic overload? What is it caused by?

Answer 21

The buildup of chronic stress effects throughout a person’s life that causes them to go into a state of burnout and mental exhaustion.
caused by a person’s work life and lack of access to other SDH that can induce long term stress

Question 22

Allostatic overload is when the (personal/environmental) challenges ______ the individuals ability to cope.

Answer 22

environmental, exceed

Question 23

What physiological regulatory system below is NOT affected by work stressors:

a) hypothalamic pituitary
b) adrenal axis
c) endocrine system
d) sympathetic nervous system
e) immune inflammatory system
f) cardiovascular and metabolic system

Answer 23

c)

Question 24

What is epigenetics?

Answer 24

gene expression is not predetermined but rather depends on one’s social environment and life conditions/experiences.
Whether the genes are expressed is effected by working conditions and the SUBJECTIVE response in relation to their makeup.

Question 25

1. What is work-family conflict?
2. Is work-family conflict dynamic or static?
3. who is impacted by this conflict?

Answer 25

1. The strains (time and attention based) that arise for parents when work and family demands are colliding
2. It is dynamic and can change
3. both the working individual and their family

Question 26

What are the 2 theories of work family conflict? Explain both

Answer 26

1. the long arm of the job: the idea that one’s job extends into their life and heavily shapes their home life. The extent that a person is involved within their workplace is a burden (light/heavy)
   - however, the actions from the job are sometimes replicated at home–> ex: a person in a socially isolating job may replicate this at home
2. scarcity hypothesis: we only have so many resources of time and energy that we can produce and when these become used up, it is overload and we become tired, emotionally distancing and absense from home. This scarcity hypothesis is said to be the norm in the workplace

Question 27

Answer the questions based on the “Dinh et al.” Report on work-family conflict:

1. what was the purpose of the study?
2. what were the 4 reported elements (CWPM)
3. what were the findings in relation to the 4 reported elements?
4. what type of resources were affected?

Answer 27

1. The purpose was to interview parents to examine the various effects of work-family conflict on family (children, marriage)
2. Children’s mental health, work-family conflict experiences, parent’s mental health, marriage satisfaction
3. Children’s mental health was lower and there was a strain between the kids and their parent, work family conflict induced stress on the parents, marriages were being strained which also affects the kids as well–> problems in development, fear and withdrawal in adolescence.
4. the resources lost were not always material. time and energy were lost too

Question 28

answer the questions about the gendered differences observed from the Dinh et al. report:

1. the trend was that children suffered more when the work family conflict involved the _____
2. when _____ had work family conflict, but the conflict was resolved, the children recovered very quickly and regained levels of normal wellbeing again
3. when ______ had work family conflict, the children’s recovery was much slower and some children remained affected up to __ years after the conflict.
4. the differences in the children’s ability to recover is rooted in _____ norms. Therefore, _____ will face more stress due to this norm

Answer 28

1. mother
2. fathers
3. mothers, 2
4. gender, women

Question 29

1. working conditions leading to work family conflict will be ________ identical for 2 employees however, their ______ response or experience will be different depending on how they deal/feel about the conflict and its impact.
2. the impacts of ______ poor working conditions will be more detrimental for more vulnerable groups

Answer 29

1. objectively, subjective

2. objectively

Question 30

1. what is health equity?

2. causes of health inequities are related to social and environmental factors (determinants) such as:

Answer 30

1. health equity is when individuals are given the resources they need to reach their fullest health potential. Some individuals may require more resources than others to reach full health potential.
2. race, education, physical environment, gender, social status, income

Question 31

1. what is the 4th industrial revolution?
2. How will this revolution deepen social and health inequities?
3. What are some trends in society within the work sector right now? (3)

Answer 31

1. rising digitization and automation in the workplace. Increased gig work and for those who are tech savvy
2. Some people may not be able to afford electronics to learn how to properly be skilled for a specific job. Lack of income can lead to health inequalities
3. increased gig work, AI facilitated job recruitment rather than person to person, digital skilled people needed

Question 32

Answer the questions about gig work:

1. what are gig workers. Give an example?
2. approx ___% of Canadian workers were gig workers in 2016
3. T/F: gig work increases job security
4. what are some gig work conditions?

Answer 32

1. gig workers are self-employed freelancers, day labourers with part-time hours. Like an Uber eats workers or baby sitters
2. 8-10%
3. F decreases job security
4. unstable flow of income, ineligible for employment insurance to to low income, privatized responsibility for safety