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 23, 2023
Research Summary

Compliance Challenges of Ban the Box

Ban the Box policies, intended to promote equitable hiring practices for those with criminal records, face challenges due to employer noncompliance. Clear legislation, communication, and enforcement are crucial for effective policy adherence.

Oluwasekemi Odumosu

August 23, 2023
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.

Enaya Saleh

August 16, 2023
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…

Gillian Gaynair

July 26, 2023
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.

John Sankofa

July 18, 2023

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.

Carl E. Van Horn, Ronald Quincy, Jessica Starace, Anton House

Grantee Research

June 26, 2023
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.

Samuel L. Bradley, Jr., Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Kathleen Christensen

Grantee Research

December 10, 2022
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.

Samuel L. Bradley, Jr., Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Kathleen Christensen

Grantee Research

December 10, 2022
Worker voice, representation, and power Report July 28, 2022

Worker Power and Economic Mobility: A Landscape Report

This landscape report summarizes empirical evidence on two main pathways for workers to exercise their power in the labor market: the ability to exit their current job for  better outside options and organizations and institutions that build worker voice within firms.  

Ioana Marinescu, Jake Rosenfeld

WorkRise Research

July 28, 2022
Job search and matching Report July 20, 2022

Search and Matching in Modern Labor Markets: A Landscape Report

This landscape report synthesizes research on how job seekers find work and how employers post and fill open positions in the labor market. It also explores frictions experienced by both parties and implications for workers’ economic mobility.

Alexander W. Bartik, Bryan A. Stuart

WorkRise Research

July 20, 2022

Upcoming Events

Oct

04

US Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Talent Forward

View Event Details

Oct

30 - 01

SHRM

Inclusion 2023

View Event Details


Share your ideas for research, topics, or events to be featured on Working Knowledge by emailing workingknowledge@urban.org