inst/app/www/content/EN/policies/policy-employment.md

In WHESRi/whesApp: Builds shiny app for the Welsh Health Equity Solutions Platform

Employment and Working Conditions

Policies that improve the health impact of employment and working conditions, including availability, accessibility, security, wages, physical and mental demands, and exposure to unsafe work.

Scoping overview: search criteria for the identification of key legislation and policies

Policy themes and related key words and phrases have been identified by scanning the data indicators, in addition to the terms and definitions highlighted in the chapter ‘Employment and Working Conditions’ in the WHO Health Equity Policy Tool, and by looking at synonyms or descriptions of the data and policy indicators. The result of this exercise is shown in table 9.

| Policy Themes | Key words/phrases | | ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | | Unemployment | Long-term involuntary unemployment (three years or more), % population receiving unemployment benefits, poverty, employability, deprivation, % population seeking employment | | Working conditions | Work related stress, job strain, fatal incidents, non-fatal accidents, working hours, long working hours (40+), labour inspections, non-financial benefits, sickness absence rates, working environment, health and safety, well-being, work-life balance, Minimum wages, average wages, collective bargaining/agreement, low pay, European working conditions and discretion index | | Job security | Redundancy pay, lost earnings, downsize work force, collective agreements, temporary employment, % temporary contracts, % GDP of public expenditure on labour market | | General labour market policies | Active labour market policies (e.g. apprenticeships, job-seeking training, peer monitoring, on the job-training), lifelong learning, discrimination in the labour market (between sexes, due to disabilities, ethnicity etc.), labour force participation |

Focus on key indicators

One component of the policy analysis for employment and working conditions is to focus on unemployment, labour force participation, temporary employment and in-work poverty. These four key policy indicators closely align with the five data indicators as shown in table 10. Combined they have been identified as playing an important role in equity in relation to employment and working conditions in Wales.

| HESR Policy indicators | Link to HESR Data Indicator | Data indicator number | | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------- | | Unemployment | Difference in employment rates between disabled and non-disabled people aged 16+ years (age adjusted) | 60 | | | Percentage of unemployed persons aged 15+ years in the labour force | 63 | | Labour force participation | Percentage of the population aged 15+ years either working or looking for work | 64 | | Temporarilyemployment | Temporary employees as percentage of the total number of employees aged 20-64 years | 69 | | Possible new indicator ‘In-work poverty’ | Percentage of employed persons aged 18+ years with income below 60% of median equivalised disposable income (after social transfers) | 74 |

The policy indicators and their link to health equity (including the data indicators they align with):

1. Unemployment Unemployment is directly associated with increased self-reported poor health and lower scoring on the WHO 5-point mental health scale. Long-term involuntary unemployment (three years or more) is a predictor of more frequent heavy drinking, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and more frequent behaviours risky to health, such as accidents, crime and violence. 2. Labour force participation Many individuals who are out of work are not counted as unemployed because they are not actively seeking work in the labour market. These individuals face Health equity policy action areas and indicators similar or greater health risks compared with unemployed people. If their exit from the labour market was due to poor long-term employment prospects and discouragement, then they may also be more vulnerable to poor mental health and have reduced access to social protection systems, including health services and pensions. 3. Temporary employment A high prevalence of temporary employment leads to health inequity because this type of employment is more common among vulnerable groups, such as young people, migrants, women and individuals from lower-income and lower-education backgrounds. 4. ‘In-work poverty’ (possible new indicator) In-work poverty is a combination of low hourly pay and low work intensity. Women’s engagement with the labour market is crucial. Roles more likely to be played by women are disproportionately associated with in-work poverty.

WHESRi/whesApp documentation built on Dec. 18, 2021, 6:21 p.m.