Overview
Employer practices such as hiring, scheduling, promotion, supervision, and on-the-job training determine workers’ day-to-day reality and long-term prospects in the labor market. The growing prevalence of independent contractors and contingent workers underscores the continued fissuring of employer-employee relationships.
Working Knowledge
Employer practices
August 16, 2023
Research Summary
Agricultural Worker Shortage to Worsen without Wage Increases
Research finds that workers from Mexico are leaving farm work and are less inclined to participate in US agricultural work unless inflation-adjusted wages rise significantly, which in turn creates incentives for US farm employers to increase wages while seeking labor-saving technological solutions.
Employer practices
July 26, 2023
Changemaker Q&A
New Insights on Advancing Equity in the Workplace: A Q&A with Samuel Bradley, Jr
In an effort to reframe fundamental perspectives of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Work Equity, an initiative of the Center for Social…
Employer practices
July 18, 2023
Article
New Evidence to Advance the Moral and Business Case for DEI in the Workplace
Three takeaways from WorkRise’s recent virtual gathering of experts and advocates distill the latest evidence on the importance of DEI in the workplace and lift strategies for companies seeking to foster equity.
Skills and training
June 09, 2023
Changemaker Q&A
Shifting Narratives and Policies to Support Black Workers’ Advancement: A Q&A with Bill Spriggs
Shifting focus away from skills gaps and worker shortages requires business, policy, and academic leaders to consider different solutions a shift away from individual failings to systemic inequities.
Research
Employer practices
Executive Summary
December 13, 2023
Temporary Staffing Industry Testing Report
The temporary staffing industry is a $186 billion sector. The National Legal Advocacy Network team used matched-pair testing in Harris County, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee, to generate evidence on potentially unlawful employment practices in this industry and found widespread racial and gender discrimination in access to work. These tests showed that agencies offered fewer job opportunities, lower wages, and less frequent follow-ups to workers who were women and/or Black than they did to Latinx workers and men.
Grantee Research
Employer practices
Executive Summary
October 18, 2023
Who Has Access to Paid Sick and Safe Leave?
A new report by Family Values at Work and World Policy Analysis Center charts access to paid sick and safe leave in the US and identifies the most equitable policies in effect.
Grantee Research
Employer practices
Executive Summary
June 26, 2023
A Workplace Divided: Survey Research and Stakeholder Engagement to Advance Equitable Workplaces
A national survey by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University explores workers' perceptions of discrimination and unfair treatment based on race and ethnicity. The survey reveals significant percentages of Asian-American, Black, and Latino workers experience discrimination in private-sector and government workplaces. Black workers are more likely to view workplace discrimination as a significant problem than white workers, with Black female workers reporting the highest levels of discrimination. The study highlights the impact of discrimination on career advancement and the need for government and employer interventions to promote workplace equity.
Grantee Research
Employer practices
Report
December 10, 2022
The National Study of Workplace Equity
The National Study of Workplace Equity surveyed just over 1,000 workplaces to find that equity is inconsistently implemented across employment systems. Researchers from the Boston College School of Social Work and Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) find that equity is strongest in recruitment and hiring, compensation and benefits, and orientation and onboarding.
Grantee Research
Employer practices
Executive Summary
December 10, 2022
Executive Summary: The National Study of Workplace Equity
In a new study, researchers from Work Equity, an initiative at the Boston College School of Social Work, and SHRM find that much progress needs to be made on equity across the employment lifecycle. Based on a survey of just over 1,000 workplaces, researchers find that equity is implemented inconsistently across 10 discrete employment systems.
Grantee Research