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ILR Outreach

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ILR Outreach builds bridges between academic knowledge and challenges large and small, in workplaces and communities, from our own backyard to around the globe. Outreach requires an open and constant exchange of ideas and information. We blend experience and learning; research and practice; service and education. We strive to improve workplace decision-making, inform public policy, and elevate public discourse. This digital collection brings together research and insights by faculty from a number of centers, institutes and programs that make up ILR Outreach.

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 254
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    New York at Work 2021: Annual Report
    Cornell University ILR School (2021)
    We are pleased to release the first edition of New York at Work from Cornell University’s New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR). The report provides ILR expertise, research-based data and policy analysis on a broad range of key issues impacting New York state’s workers, unions and employers. It is intended to serve as an informative, accessible and relevant resource for New York’s policy and decision makers. We hope you find it useful. For further assistance, please see the list of ILR Outreach institutes and programs with contact information at the end of the report.
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    Bottom-Up Organizing in the Trades: An Interview with Mike Lucas, IBEW Director of Organizing
    Grabelsky, Jeffrey (1988-09-01)
    [Excerpt] Union membership in all but a few of the 15 affiliates of the AFL-CIO's Building and Construction Trades (B&CT) Department has fallen precipitously For many years B&CT unions have relied primarily on internal apprenticeship training programs to increase their numbers, and as a result, they have not established an enduring tradition of organizing the unorganized. Without such a tradition, most B&CT unionists have been at a loss to explain their continued decline or to project creative new paths for renewal. Michael D. Lucas, Director of Organizing for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), is an exception to that rule. Lucas offers a provocative analysis of the problem, including a biting critique of the trades past practice, and has initiated an ambitious organizing effort to reverse the decline.
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    Disability in the Workplace in China: Situation Assessment
    The Conference Board; Bruyere, Susanne M. Dr. (2018-12-01)
    A compelling argument can be made that employment of people with disabilities should be gaining recognition as an underutilized weapon in the talent wars of Asia. One has only to look at the proportion of people with disabilities that make up our communities, the continuing employment disparities that people with disabilities continue to face and the resulting high levels of poverty for this population – up against the talent shortages in fast-growth markets across the region. As China’s skewed demographic dynamics become increasingly apparent, resulting in a rapidly aging population and a diminishing supply of workforce entrants, an increasing share of the workforce will include older employees with disabilities, necessitating a fundamental change in workplace practices involving people with disabilities, as well as a greater need to look at persons with disabilities as a potential source of talent. Although China has created a broad legislative framework to protect the right to work for persons with disabilities, it lacks specificity and clear measures of enforcement, as evidenced in continued employment marginalization, poor educational outcomes, and thus higher poverty levels of persons with disabilities. To further understanding of workforce inclusion of persons with disabilities in China, and to identify practical ways forward for employers, The Conference Board China Center and the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (YTI) at Cornell University’s ILR School partnered to explore how companies can tap the talent pool of people with disabilities and improve their employment outcomes. The scope of the research encompassed a series of interviews with disability rights-focused NGOs in China, a detailed literature review, a comprehensive review of China’s regulatory framework supporting employment for persons with disabilities, and a detailed assessment of the demographics of disability and the status of people with disabilities in China such as prevalence rates, access to education, employment disparities and resulting poverty and household income rates. This report draws from the broader research findings and provides business practitioners with an overview of the current situation, challenges, and root causes of employment barriers for persons with disabilities in China. To complement this work, The China Center and YTI convened a practitioner roundtable in Beijing in September 2018. Participants explored in detail how the official, publicly available data on living and working conditions of persons with disabilities compare to actual experiences of employers in China, whether companies are actively recruiting disabled workers, what the internal and external obstacles are to recruitment, and what the impact of the government quota system is, for good or for bad. A separate report on this roundtable is also available
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    Disability in the Workplace in China: Current Realities and Ways Forward (Roundtable Summary Report)
    The Conference Board; Bruyere, Susanne M. Dr. (2018-12-01)
    According to official statistics, there are an estimated 85 million persons living with a disability in China. Due to stigma, discrimination, and a lack of successful government strategies, they are economically and socially marginalized, with limited access to education, training programs, and work opportunities. The quota system currently in place in is not effective in enabling labor market participation for persons with disabilities in China. In 2015, a mere 0.3 percent of China’s total urban employment consisted of persons with a disability–a far cry from the mandated 1.5 percent. Further analysis and subsequent discussions with employers suggest that the quota system rarely encourages real employment opportunities. Instead, employers tend to view hiring persons with disabilities as part of regulatory compliance or charitable programs rather than as an element of their talent acquisition strategies. To move the disability discussion from compliance to competitive advantage, The Conference Board China Center collaborated with the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (YTI) at Cornell University’s ILR School to convene a groundbreaking roundtable on September 19, 2018 in Beijing. The event was part of a broader research collaboration between The Conference Board China Center and YTI to increase understanding of workforce inclusion of persons with disabilities in China, and to identify practical ways forward for employers. A dozen large multinational companies and NGOs gathered in person to share current approaches and challenges to hiring persons with a disability in China, including recruitment practices, accessibility and accommodation in the workplace and training and skills development. Participants also shared experiences with partnerships, on-the-job training, and retention programs. Senior managers attending included leaders from human resources, operations, corporate communications and government relations. Key learnings from the workshop’s expert presentations and group discussions are summarized.
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    NYS PROMISE Case Management: A Field Guide for Case Managers and Family Coaches
    Podolec, Michelle; Golden, Thomas P. (2018-04-01)
    Case management services under NYS PROMISE are provided by a robust and diverse network of case managers and family coaches. Case managers work predominantly with youth in the research demonstration sites, while family coaches work exclusively with the families of intervention group youth enrolled in NYS PROMISE through regional Parent Training Centers. Regardless of the title of the practitioner, or their organizational placement, they provide similar critical care, coordination and access to the core services and supports provided under the NYS PROMISE intervention, as well as information and referral for other needed services and supports. In addition, they provide intermittent “light touch” data gathering on control group youth and families. While “field guides” have traditionally been employed in the study of plants and fauna, they have increasingly been created to support practitioners in an array of professional fields as they face the obstacles and challenges that can arise while accomplishing specific tasks. The NYS PROMISE Case Management Field Guide was designed for the express purpose of assisting case managers and family coaches in navigating their day-to-day roles, functions, and expectations, while adhering to high quality standards, and managing the impact of their work on their own health and wellbeing. The aim is to ensure that all NYS PROMISE case managers and family coaches (case management practitioners) are equipped to perform their job in a manner that leads to the expected youth and family outcomes of the NYS PROMISE intervention—holding to a common measure of fidelity. While the aim for each case management practitioner will employ different strategies, based on the heterogeneity of the NYS PROMISE population, they will draw from a common set of strategies to ensure consistency in delivery of services and supports. This field guide is presented in modules and is indexed to assist case management practitioners in easily accessing the information they need, when they need it. Following is a summary of the specific modules included in this field guide:
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    Leveraging Employer Practices in Global Regulatory Frameworks to Improve Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities
    Saleh, Matthew C.; Bruyere, Susanne M. Dr. (2018-01-01)
    Work is an important part of life, providing both economic security and a forum to contribute one’s talents and skills to society, thereby anchoring the individual in a social role. However, access to work is not equally available to people with disabilities globally. Regulatory environments that prohibit discrimination and support vocational training and educational opportunities constitute a critical first step toward economic independence. However, they have not proven sufficient in themselves. In this article, we aim to infuse deeper consideration of employer practice and demand-side policy reforms into global policy discussions of the right to work for people with disabilities. We begin by documenting the employment and economic disparities existing for people with disabilities globally, followed by a description of the international, regional, and local regulatory contexts aiming to improve labor market outcomes for people with disabilities. Next, we examine how policies can leverage employer interests to further address inequalities. We discuss employer policies and practices demonstrated in the research to facilitate recruitment, hiring, career development, retention, and meaningful workplace inclusion. The goal of the article is to synthesize existing international literature on employment rights for people with disabilities with the employer perspective.
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    What Works? How Federal Contractors are Implementing Section 503: Survey Report
    von Schrader, Sarah; Bruyere, Susanne M. Dr. (2018-01-01)
    In September 2013, The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published the final rule making changes to the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Section 503). In March 2014, new regulations went into effect, setting new requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors, related to non-discrimination and affirmative action in the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities. For example, contractors now are required to offer applicants and employees the opportunity to self-identify as a person with a disability and further to use the data collected to understand their progress toward a 7% utilization goal for employment of individuals with disabilities.1 This survey is part of a larger project entitled Initial Impact of Section 503 Rules: Identifying Effective Employer Practices and Trends in Disability Violations among Federal Contractors funded by the US Department of Labor, Chief Evaluation Office. The overall goal of this project is to understand the initial impact of these regulations on employer practices and consequently on the employment environment for individuals with disabilities. The purpose of the survey summarized in this report is to build an understanding of contractor disability-inclusive policy and practice in initially responding to Section 503 regulations. The survey is titled: What Works? How Federal Contractors Are Implementing Section 503, and is referred to as Section 503 Survey in this report.
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    What Works? How Federal Contractors are Implementing Section 503: Executive Summary
    von Schrader, Sarah; Bruyere, Susanne M. Dr. (2018-01-01)
    This survey is part of a larger project entitled “Initial Impact of Section 503 Rules: Identifying Effective Employer Practices and Trends in Disability Violations among Federal Contractors” funded by the US Department of Labor, Chief Evaluation Office. The overall goal of this proposed project is to understand the initial impact of these regulations on employer practices and consequently on the employment environment for individuals with disabilities. The purpose of the survey summarized in this report is to build an understanding of contractor disability inclusive policy/practice in initially responding to Section 503 regulations. The survey is titled: What Works? How Federal Contractors Are Implementing Section 503, and is referred to as Section 503 Survey in this report.
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    Research Brief: Facilitating Self-Identification in Federal Contractor Workplaces
    von Schrader, Sarah; Bruyere, Susanne M. Dr. (2018-01-01)
    In a survey of federal contractor representatives conducted in fall 2017 by Cornell University, self-identification was the most frequently mentioned challenge in implementing Section 503 regulations for respondent organizations (n=235). This informational brief describes the efforts of survey respondents to promote self-identification.
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    What Works? Implementing Section 503. Survey Text and Flow
    von Schrader, Sarah; Bruyere, Susanne M. Dr.; Erickson, William; Strobel Gower, Wendy; VanLooy, Sara; MacDowell, Katherine (2017-09-01)
    This survey was fielded to representatives of organizations that are federal contractors. Desired respondents were specifically human resources, compliance, or legal professionals who know about their organization's efforts to implement the recent regulations for Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. The survey asked respondents to anonymously provide information about organizational characteristics, affirmative action goals related to disability, use of the Voluntary Self ID form to collect disability status information, and internal practices and procedures their organization had found helpful or challenging.