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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Jean F. McGuire, PhD¹, Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, PhD², and Kaitlyn Kenney, MA¹. (1) Department of Health Sciences, Bouve College, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Dockser 100, Boston, MA 02118, 617-373-7729, j.mcguire@neu.edu, (2) Department of Social Work, Boston College, Commonwealth Ave., Brookline, MA 02467

The health and public health –related impacts of inflexible work places are increasingly being documented by disciplines as diverse as psychology, sociology, epidemiology and health services research. Lack of access to job-protected time off is impacting child and adult preventive care and appropriate management of episodic illness. Infectious disease spread in workplaces, school, and day care settings has been related to lack of paid sick leave and other workplace accommodations. Lack of control over work hours and schedules had been linked to worker and family member stress and related cardiac and mental health issues, child development problems, child and elder dependent care and respite management, and disabled worker retention. Inadequate access to quality part time work options impacts insurance access and continuity and work opportunities for adults in life transitions, including older workers. Additionally, lack of flexible work options is limiting worker participation in voluntary sector support, further exacerbating the health-related capacity of those settings. Finally, corporations have begun to attribute costs to lost productivity, absences, health care utilization and other workplace impacts of inflexible work circumstances. Private voluntary efforts have begun to respond with alternative work models; public policy development will be needed to further address this emerging public health concern. This presentation will in part review the work of the current Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Workplace Flexibility Initiative.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participants will be able to

• Identify components of and the need for workplace flexibility.
• Describe the current evidence supporting the links between workplace flexibility and health / public health.
• Identify the respective roles of private voluntary and public policy efforts to improve workplace flexibility.
• Characterize the outstanding research needs in this arena.

Keywords: Workplace Stressors, Worksite

Related Web page: www.law.georgetown.edu/workplaceflexibility2010/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation