New Solutions-A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy最新文献

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have raised ethical concerns related to fairness, privacy, and trust. While AI may improve elements of the economy, its benefits will be unevenly experienced with more than half of jobs in the United States expected to become partially automated in the next 15 years. Workers at all levels could face disruptive changes and financial hardship as AI transforms work tasks. AI can bring about positive change, but systems must be built to utilize this technology responsibly and share the benefits equitably. Workers, their advocates and representatives, and members of the community should be included in the development and implementation of AI in the workplace. Guidance that considers equity, protection of vulnerable populations, and just outcomes is needed. Organizations may welcome these recommendations due to the challenges of using AI. This policy statement recommends four key approaches for implementing AI that focus on the workplace. First, more research is needed to determine and monitor the impact of AI. Second, training programs should be created to help those losing jobs to augmentation, support diverse leaders for the future of AI, and help people adapt to AI. Third, academic, labor, and community organizations with expertise in technology equity should engage with AI developers to offer practical tools, understand implications, and create equitable outcomes. Finally, programs that promote accessibility and inclusivity in AI should be developed, and there should be oingoing monitoring of AI applications for workers.

Editor's Note: In light of the current attack on DEI, NEW SOLUTIONS reproduces here its DEI statement first published online April 15, 2022, It appeared in Volume 32, Issue 1.

Public safety communicators are the first line of support for members of the public-facing emergency situations. Consequently, communicators are exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE) which are associated with an increase in the prevalence of mental health concerns. For communicators, PPTE exposure and the subsequent negative mental health consequences are exacerbated by low engagement in mental health help-seeking behavior. We surveyed (n = 361) Canadian public safety communicators, asking "What do you think stops people from getting help for their mental health" to identify, contextualize, and provide considerations about contributors to the lack of mental health help-seeking among communicators. Emergent theme analysis reveals 7 factors that circumvent help-seeking: access barriers; self-denial; consequences of seeking help; lack of knowledge; personal feelings; stigma and culture; and support. Discovering hindrances to help-seeking identifies how factors contribute to communications employee wellness and supports the creation of effective interventions and policy implementations to support communicator mental health.

Jim Howe's contribution to the worker safety movement was enormous. Jim worked in a factory in Chicago, where he was the union safety representative. This was followed by a career with the United Auto Worker health and Safety department. After that, he served as president of Safety Solutions consulting. During his long career, Jim had many accomplishments including collective bargaining victories and the creation of innovative training and incident investigation systems. Jim was an early leader in the COS Committee on Occupational Safety and Health] movement as chair of the first COSH group in Chicago, CaCOSH.

Employers sometimes hinder the appropriate reporting of claims to workers' compensation, a phenomenon termed claim suppression. While the magnitude of claim suppression is difficult to quantify, various reports have identified it as a significant concern. In response, several Canadian jurisdictions, such as Ontario in 2015, introduced legislation addressing claim suppression. This article first discusses the legislative and policy context that influences claim suppression in Ontario, including concerns concerning the scope, interpretation, and enforcement of the law. It then presents qualitative findings from a community-based study with members of the Toronto Bangladeshi immigrant community that documented varied forms of employer claim suppression in precarious work, as well as facilitators of claim suppression within the workers' compensation and health care systems. Our findings and those of other research suggest that the scope of claim suppression is broader than that contemplated by the legislation. Our article proposes recommendations for the conceptualization of claim suppression and for legislation, policies, practices, and interventions that are grounded in workers' lived experiences.

Editor's Note: About a year ago the organizers of the conference entitled Workers' Health and Return-to-Work in a Changing World of Work approached NEW SOLUTIONS about doing a special issue to publish research presented at the conference. We were happy to agree because of the alignment of our goals and values, specifically the use of community-engaged research to mobilize knowledge in the service of justice for workers. Now we are very happy to present this issue which is the result of our collaboration. We believe that NEW SOLUTIONS readers, especially those engaged with precarious and other vulnerable workers or with workers' compensation and/or return to work will find a lot of value in this issue.-Darius Sivin.

Return to work (RTW) after injury requires strong stakeholder coordination. Seafaring work is associated with high injury rates, but seafarers' RTW is understudied. As federally regulated workers, Canadian seafarers are protected by the Canadian Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability. Following a work-related injury or illness, seafarers are eligible for provincial workers' compensation benefits and RTW; however, RTW is also subject to federal regulations, including the requirement to have a valid marine medical certificate (MMC). This complex regulatory landscape may negatively influence seafarer RTW. Drawing upon a sociolegal study, we find that MMC-related human rights complaints against the federal government highlight the legal challenges seafarers face in the RTW process. Interview findings suggest that to ensure a valid MMC and employment eligibility, injured seafarers might avoid filing compensation claims or RTW before recovery. We recommend the federal-provincial agencies adopt more efficient coordination policies to support seafarers' RTW.

The therapeutic alliance is central to occupational rehabilitation, particularly for immigrant workers who face unique challenges of migration and of social and occupational integration. This study explores the development and maintenance of this alliance between immigrant workers with compensated work injuries and their care providers during work rehabilitation. Using ethnography, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups, the qualitative case study involved 7 injured immigrant workers and their interdisciplinary clinical team. The study identified several factors that weakened the alliance, including administrative complexity, conflicting views on pain and disability, cultural stereotypes, and interorganizational communication issues. Many of these challenges were systemic and structural, occurring outside the clinic, complicating the rehabilitation process, and potentially prolonging the duration of disability. This paper discusses these systemic issues and their implications for the rehabilitation of immigrant workers.