October 3, 2014
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Announcement:
Good Jobs Summit
“The Good Jobs Summit is a national dialogue between workers, students, governments, employers and community organizations, with the goal of finding solutions and new approaches to jobs and the economy.”
When: October 03, 2014 at 7pm - October 05, 2014 at 12pm
Where: Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens), 50 Carlton St., Toronto, ON M5B 1J2, Canada
The participant discussion guides is now available for download.
Click here for registration information.
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2014-2015
- Are Temporary Foreign Worker Program Figures Accurate?
- Blitz Finds Nearly Half of Companies with Interns Break Law
- 2014 Mandate Letter to the Ontario Minister of Labour Released
- The Effect of Labour Relations Laws on Union Density Rates
- Capitalism vs. the Climate
- The Smartest Job Perk You've Never Heard Of
- What Was It like to Work for Steve Jobs?
- From Misery to Joy: How to Be Happy At Work
- On the Future of Work: Talent and HR Leadership
- The Rise of the Robots
- Industrial Competitiveness in the EU
- Looming Talent Crisis?
- The OECD's New Long-Term Report on Global Well-Being
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2014-2015
"The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2014-2015 powered by Thomson Reuters are the only global university performance tables to judge world class universities across all of their core missions - teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.”
"The top universities rankings employ 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons available, which are trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments."
"You can view the full World University Rankings 2014-2015 top 400 ... and explore the criteria used to assess the world’s greatest universities, while our in-depth analysis of the results shines more light on the data.”
Times Higher Education, October 1, 2014: “World University Rankings 2014-2015”
World Rank 2014-2015: University of Toronto #20
"All the universities that had made the top 200 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings last year, with the exception of the University of Toronto, moved down the table. The results are surprising, given how much Canada spends on higher education, and raise questions about the structure of that funding, said Phil Baty, the editor of the rankings. Spending per student in college or university in Canada is one of the highest in the OECD and countries that invest heavily in higher education tend to rank high in the tables, Mr. Baty said.”
The big three: Canada’s elite-ranked universities
"Canada’s top three universities, according to position on the annual Times Higher Education World University Rankings."
University of Toronto 20th
University of British Columbia 32nd
McGill University 39th
The Globe and Mail, October 1, 2014: “Canadian Universities Slide Down World Ranking Scale,” by Simona Chiose
"The University of Phoenix was the most searched for university in the world over the past 12 months."
The ranking of the 20 most searched universities in the world on Google “reveals a very different picture to other global league tables, such as those produced by Times Higher Education, with institutions that offer a strong online offering appearing in the upper echelons.”
Times Higher Education, September 24, 2014: “The 20 most searched universities in the world on Google,” by Chris Parr
Are Temporary Foreign Worker Program Figures Accurate?
"The list of employers, produced by the federal Employment Department and released to The Globe and Mail through access-to-information legislation, includes some prominent business players, such as Calgary-based Shaw Cablesystems and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, State Street Trust Company Canada and the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee in Toronto, where the jobless rate was 10 per cent in December, 2013. But six employers contacted by The Globe on Thursday contended the information is inaccurate, raising questions about the accuracy of some of the data the government used to support its case for sweeping reforms to the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program."
The Globe and Mail, September 26, 2014: “Employers say temporary foreign worker figures are not accurate,” by Renata D’Aliesio and Joe Friesen
The Globe and Mail, September 29, 2014: “Ottawa overestimates Pan Am temporary foreign worker totals,” by Renata D’Aliesio, Ann Hui, and Jill Mahoney
The Globe and Mail, October 1, 2014: “Retract miscount of temporary foreign workers, employers tell Harper government,” by Joe Friesen
The Globe and Mail, May 2, 2014: “Everything you need to know about temporary foreign workers,” by Bill Curry
Blitz Finds Nearly Half of Companies with Interns Break Law
"Nearly 42 per cent of businesses with internships were found to be breaking the law in a recent inspection blitz, according to Ontario Ministry of Labour documents obtained by the Star.”
"This spring, the ministry inspected 56 businesses in the GTA, issued 37 compliance orders and demanded the businesses pay $48,543 in back pay, the documents say."
"The most common violations were for not paying minimum wage or not providing vacation or public-holiday pay. Inspectors also found that businesses weren’t keeping proper records of their interns’ hours and remuneration."
"Exploitation of unpaid interns has been growing across Canada, critics say, fuelled by outdated labour laws that don’t even include the word ‘intern.’ Because the government keeps no statistics on internships there’s no certainty on the scope of the problem. Over the last year, however, several high-profile internship programs have been shut down.”
The Toronto Star, September 30, 2014: “Blitz finds nearly half of companies with interns break law,” by Marco Chown Oved
Ontario Ministry of Labour, September 30, 2014: “Blitz Results: Internships”
McCarthy Tetrault, September 30, 2014: “Ministry of Labour Goes After Unpaid Internships,” by Daniel Pugen
Interns aren’t the only ones at risk, co-op students are unprotected, too.
"Adam Keunen, 17, hadn’t even finished his first week at his co-op placement at Plazek Auto Recyclers in West Lincoln when he was crushed under a front-end loader on Friday [September 26, 2014]."
"Last fall, a Star report revealed that co-op students and interns aren’t covered by workplace health and safety laws. In December [2013], the Liberal government introduced legislation that would close the loophole, but when the legislature was dissolved in May [2014] for an election, the bill died before being passed into law.”
"A new bill has now been tabled, but interns still aren’t covered almost a year after the loophole was first exposed."
The Toronto Star, October 1, 2014: “High school co-op student dies at work placement,” by Marco Chown Oved
2014 Mandate Letter to the Ontario Minister of Labour Released
"As Minister of Labour, you will advance safe, fair and respectful workplace practices that are essential to the social and economic well-being of the people of Ontario."
"Your ministry’s specific priorities include:
- Reflecting the Changing Workplace
- Developing a Wage Gap Strategy
- Protecting Vulnerable Workers
- Promoting Occupational Health and Safety
- Working with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
- Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace
- Collaborating on Collective Bargaining”
Government of Ontario, September 25, 2014: “2014 Mandate letter: Labour,” by Premier Kathleen Wynne
"With civil service contract talks looming, [Treasury Board President Deb Matthews] was ordered to make sure ‘any modest wage increases negotiated are absorbed by employers ... through efficiency and productivity gains or other trade-offs.’"
The Toronto Star, September 25, 2014: “Kathleen Wynne releases ministers’ mandate letters,” by Rob Ferguson
The Effect of Labour Relations Laws on Union Density Rates
"We provide evidence on the potential for reforms in labour law to reverse deunionization trends by relating an index of the favorability to unions of Canadian provincial labour relations statutes to changes in provincial union density rates between 1981 and 2012... The effects of reform are largest for women, particularly university-educated women employed as professionals in public services. Overall, the results suggest a limited potential for labour relations reforms to address growing concerns about labour market inequality."
CLRSN, September 2014: “The Effect of Labour Relations Laws on Union Density Rates: Evidence from Canadian Provinces,” by Scott Legree, Tammy Schirle, and Mikal Skuterud
Capitalism vs. the Climate
"Ever since she released her the anti-globalization manifesto, No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies, 15 years ago, Naomi Klein has been progressivism’s most visible, most charmingly articulate spokesperson. In her gripping and dramatic new book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate, Klein turns to climate change, writes of a decisive battle for the fate of the earth in which we either take back control of the planet from the capitalists who are destroying it or watch it all burn. We caught up with her near her home in Toronto to discuss the challenges ahead and how she has willed herself to be optimistic about the fate of the planet.”
RollingStone, September 22, 2014: “‘We Need Hope and Fear in Equal Measure’: An Interview With Naomi Klein,” by Roy Scranton
The Work and Climate Change Report
The Work and Climate Change Report is a part of the Work in a Warming World (W3) Project based at York University, Toronto, Canada. W3 is a 5 year research programme clustering a number of projects and grants. It is a research partnership among academics and community partners to bring work back into Canadian focus in the struggle to slow global warming. The cluster of W3 projects bridge two solitudes: between environmental and labour market organisations, and between academic and practitioner research. W3 brings together more than 50 organisations and researchers in 10 universities and 4 countries.” Visit the W3 website at http://www.workinawarmingworld.yorku.ca/
W3, York University, Work and Climate Change Report: Monthly updates on research and new developments in green transition for the economy, the workplace and public policy
Subscribe to receive the Work and Climate Change Report via email.
Ceres, June 30, 2014: “New Web Tool Provides Easy Access to SEC Climate Change Disclosure from 3,000 Public Companies”
The Smartest Job Perk You've Never Heard Of
"Jason Freedman [co-founder and CEO of 42Floors, a San Francisco-based commercial real estate search engine] was looking to hire a new employee at his startup, and he knew just the applicant he wanted for the job. The only problem was that the candidate’s current gig had left him frustrated and exhausted to the point of burnout, which was why he was on the market."
"Freedman wanted the guy, but he didn’t want him coming in haggard and beleaguered. So he made him a job offer with one stipulation: The candidate had to take a two-week paid vacation -- before his first day. Delighted and relieved, the candidate accepted.”
“‘We called it a pre-cation,’ Freedman says.”
"It’s the perfect job perk for our overworked times. Americans work longer days and take less vacation than anyone else in the developed world. Worker productivity has increased by 80 percent since 1973. Meanwhile, 40 percent of Americans get less than seven hours of sleep per night. We deserve a break."
Slate, September 30, 2014: “You Deserve a Pre-cation,” by Will Oremus
ValleyWag, September 30, 2014: “Startups Offer ‘Pre-cations’ to Pre-emptively Burned Out Employees,” by Kevin Montgomery
The Globe and Mail Topic: Worklife Balance
Take this quiz from the Canadian Mental Health Association to see if you’re in balance.
What Was It like to Work for Steve Jobs?
"While reminiscing on the Debug 47 podcast, former Apple directors Nitin Ganatra and Don Melton dished on all the drawbacks of working at the world’s wealthiest corporation: having to work until late into the night, never being able to take real vacations, and being expected to respond to email instantly at all hours."
"According to Melton, ‘Sunday is a work night for everybody at Apple.’ Employees are expected to be sitting at their computer, ready to quickly respond to emails from executives getting ready for Monday meetings. Breaks only come when the executives’ favorite television shows are airing."
“And I said it’s a lot like working in a nuclear power plant, but you don’t get one of those protective suits. It’s a lot of radiation and you either learn to survive it or you die. ‘Cause they’re not mean people, they’re not spiteful people, they’re not trying to trip you up, They’re just very intense and, you know, things emanate from them, right?”
ValleyWag, Gawker, October 1, 2014: “All Email and No Play Makes Apple an Awful Place to Work,” by Kevin Montgomery
From Misery to Joy: How to Be Happy At Work
"[Martin Bjergegaard] has co-edited a book, Winning without Losing, on succeeding in business while living a happy and balanced life, and recently shared six key ideas in a blog post:
1. Choose a mission that motivates you
2. Stand up for yourself
3. Optimize your time in flow
4. Make a Today List
5. Never write or respond to an emotional e-mail
6. Just go home”
The Globe and Mail, September 25, 2014: “How to get from misery to happiness at work,” by Harvey Schachter
"There’s a fine line between discernment and disdain -- between noticing a quality that doesn’t sit well with us, and rejecting it (along with the people we see as embodiments of that quality) wholesale... So whatever that quality is for you, I invite you to recognize it for what it is: fear. Whatever we disdain in others hides a gift for us -- a quality that, once we face and integrate it, will stop haunting us and make us more whole."
Quartz, September 25, 2014: “How to stop comparing yourself to everyone else at work,” by Lauren Bacon
On the Future of Work: Talent and HR Leadership
"Mike Ettling: Our findings illuminate some flaws in our current environment that need to be addressed to ensure successful business execution in today’s global, knowledge-based economy. Human resources is more important than ever -- CEOs say that talent is something that has been left unsolved and they are looking for partnership and expertise from HR leaders”
"Successful companies must invest more in learning, training, and development, and they must address the common as well as the different needs of the five generations currently in the workforce"
"And while we’re seeing older workers stay longer, the reality is we face a leadership cliff and talent gap that require companies to focus on succession planning to fill the voids from within their own ranks as the more experienced workers move on or retire."
"Another important finding that is incredibly instructive is that companies need to provide compensation, benefits, and feedback that actually matter to employees."
Forbes, September 29, 2014: “Mike Ettling: How You Can Prepare For The Future Of Work Today,” by Dan Schawbel
The Rise of the Robots
"For decades, people have been predicting how the rise of advanced computing and robotic technologies will affect our lives. On one side, there are warnings that robots will displace humans in the economy, destroying livelihoods, especially for low-skill workers. Others look forward to the vast economic opportunities that robots will present, claiming, for example, that they will improve productivity or take on undesirable jobs. The venture capitalist Peter Thiel, who recently joined the debate, falls into the latter camp, asserting that robots will save us from a future of high prices and low wages.”
"Thiel, for his part, refutes the argument -- often made by robot doomsayers -- that the impact of artificial intelligence and advanced robotics on the labor force will mirror globalization’s impact on advanced-country workers. Globalization hurt lower-skill workers in places like the United States, as it enabled people from faraway countries to compete for the leg-and-finger positions in the global division of labor. Given that these new competitors demanded lower wages, they were the obvious choice for many companies."
"According to Thiel, the key difference between this phenomenon and the rise of robots lies in consumption. Developing-country workers took advantage of the bargaining power that globalization afforded them to gain resources for their own consumption. Computers and robots, by contrast, do not consume anything except electricity, even as they complete leg, finger, and even brain activities faster and more efficiently than humans would."
Project Syndicate, September 29, 2014: “The Rise of the Robots,” by J. Bradford DeLong
Bloomberg, October 1, 2014: “What Jobs Will Survive the Robot Economy?” [video, 4:55 min.]
Harvard Business Review Blog Network, October 2, 2014: “How We’ll Stereotype Our Robot Coworkers,” by Taezoon Park
Brookings, July 2014: “How Humans Respond to Robots: Building Public Policy through Good Design,” by Heather Knight [click here for the PDF version, 20 pages]
Industrial Competitiveness in the EU
"The 2014 Member States’ Competitiveness Report ‘Reindustrialising Europe’ found that European firms fought hard to maintain their competitiveness during the crisis originating in 2008. However, despite these efforts, without appropriate action at EU and Member State level the severe legacy of the crisis cannot be overcome."
"The report indicates that many factors which hinder competiveness are common across Member States. Examples include lack of investment, limited access to finance and access to markets, in particular for SMEs; high energy prices, and the need for a more business friendly environment and a public administration."
Manufacturing and job creation:
"Overall, the reports finds that labour productivity has risen in many Member States, but sometimes this is due to reduced production having been outweighed by an even larger reduction of employees in manufacturing. Over the five years from 2007 to 2012, only Germany has managed to increase employment in manufacturing."
European Commission, September 11, 2014: “Progress in industrial competitiveness per EU country”
Member States’ Competitiveness Report 2014: Reindustrialising Europe (287 pages, PDF)
Executive Summary (4 pages, PDF)
Data sets (216 KB, Excel file)
Looming Talent Crisis?
“Oxford Economics and Hays Recruiting have collaborated for the third year running to produce the Hays Global Skills Index 2014. The index has proved invaluable for illuminating broad-based labour market trends while also revealing targeted insights about each country’s unique demand and supply drivers.”
Oxford Economics and Hays Recruiting, September 2014: “The Perfect Talent Storm: Hays Global Skills Index 2014: The changing dynamics of the global skills landscape” (25 pages, PDF)
"New Study by Oxford Economics and SAP finds companies lack strategy and solutions to engage and manage an increasingly global, diverse and contingent workforce."
Success Factors, September 10, 2014: “The Looming Talent Crisis: Research Shows Companies Unprepared for Future of Work”
The OECD's New Long-Term Report on Global Well-Being
"The new report How Was Life?... presents the first systematic evidence on long-term trends in global well-being since 1820 for 25 major countries and 8 regions in the world covering more than 80% of the world’s population. It not only shows the data but also discusses the underlying sources and their limitations, pays attention to country averages and inequality, and pinpoints avenues for further research."
OECD, October 2, 2014: “How Was Life? Global Well-being since 1820”
"Unemployment is much more damaging to society than moderate levels of inflation, making central bankers’ disproportionate focus on the level of consumer price growth misguided, a former Bank of England rate-setter now at Dartmouth College writes in a new paper."
"'In the Great Recession, unemployment has been a much bigger problem than inflation for ordinary people,' [David] Blanchflower says. 'Unemployment hurts more than inflation does.'"
The Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2014: “Unemployment Hurts Happiness More Than Modest Inflation, New Paper Says,” by Pedro Nicolaci da Costa
Book of the Week
The Glass Cage: Automation and Us, by Nicholas Carr. New York : W.W. Norton & Company, 2014. 276 p. ISBN 9780393240764 (hardcover)
From the publisher: "At once a celebration of technology and a warning about its misuse, The Glass Cage will change the way you think about the tools you use every day. In The Glass Cage, best-selling author Nicholas Carr digs behind the headlines about factory robots and self-driving cars, wearable computers and digitized medicine, as he explores the hidden costs of granting software dominion over our work and our leisure. Even as they bring ease to our lives, these programs are stealing something essential from us. Drawing on psychological and neurological studies that underscore how tightly people's happiness and satisfaction are tied to performing hard work in the real world, Carr reveals something we already suspect: shifting our attention to computer screens can leave us disengaged and discontented. From nineteenth-century textile mills to the cockpits of modern jets, from the frozen hunting grounds of Inuit tribes to the sterile landscapes of GPS maps, The Glass Cage explores the impact of automation from a deeply human perspective, examining the personal as well as the economic consequences of our growing dependence on computers. With a characteristic blend of history and philosophy, poetry and science, Carr takes us on a journey from the work and early theory of Adam Smith and Alfred North Whitehead to the latest research into human attention, memory, and happiness, culminating in a moving meditation on how we can use technology to expand the human experience."
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