Read news releases and research updates from the June 2017 newsletter.
Research update: physical and verbal abuse at work
Clara Cantal and Geoff Plimmer.
In September 2014, a masked gunman walked into the Work and Income offices in Ashburton, and killed two staff members. The gunman was a client of that office who had previously had issues with staff. This tragedy shocked those working in the public sector, particularly those working in frontline, client service positions. In particular, it raised the issue of the safety and security of frontline staff who deal with vulnerable and stressed clients.
Following on from increased awareness of client abuse, two questions focused on this issue were included in the 2016 Workplace Dynamics survey. The survey, commissioned by the PSA to the Centre for Labour, Employment and Work at Victoria University of Wellington, and including 14,125 PSA members, questioned participants about the frequency in which they had been 1) physically and 2) verbally abused by clients in the previous year.
Toward a new employment classification for workers in the gig economy
Esme Cleave, PhD Candidate, Victoria Business School.
The perceived desire for flexibility drives the gig economy – an economy structured around networks rather than traditional institutions (Sundararajan, 2016), and this disrupts our traditional understandings of organisational accountabilities. Companies that operate in the gig economy ensure most of their flexibility by relying on independent contractors for the provision of their on-demand services (Friedman, 2014). While there are undoubted benefits for the owners of the services and the users of the services what of those who work in providing the service?
The inherent flexibility of independent contracting does benefit workers in some circumstances. Proponents of the gig economy argue that gig workers are ‘micro-entrepreneurs’ that can essentially be their own boss with flexible hours (to an extent), and free from the explicit control of an ‘employer’ (Carboni, 2016). Although this works for some, those who are financially precarious, or who have few alternatives are vulnerable.
Esme Cleave explores some of the writing on this subject to look at what a future direction could be.
New Chair in Ethical Leadership at Victoria Business School
Professor Karin Lasthuizen, the inaugural Brian Picot Chair in Ethical Leadership at Victoria University of Wellington, is highly regarded in Europe for her research and consultancy work in ethical leadership and ethics management, as well as her innovative research in the methodology of corruption and organisational misbehaviour.
The Chair has been established to improve ethical practices in business, government and community organisations and will work towards facilitating a transparent and ethically sound business sector across New Zealand. The Chair’s initial research project, The Ethical Leadership Challenge in New Zealand, aims to explore the meaning of ethical leadership and its role in addressing the main ethical issues in New Zealand, and tries to identify the potential role for the Chair and University to contribute in this area.
‘Achieving pay equity’ seminar—dealing with a complex issue
Sue Ryall, Centre Manager at the Centre for Labour Employment, and Work (CLEW) organised a seminar on Pay Equity for 28 April 2017, not knowing that the settlement for the workers who took that case to court and the draft legislation would be announced in the same week. “It was perfect timing and the range of speakers, all of whom have been closely involved with this issue, provided an excellent overview of both the case and what needs to happen in the workplace to achieve pay equity.”
Sue has compiled notes on the presentations in the first part of the seminar. They outline the work of the Joint Working Group on Pay Equity and the principles for pay equity established by the group as well as the implications for the draft legislation and the future work in the workplace. A summary of Izi Sin’s presentation on her research on measuring the gender pay gap is also included.
