Individuals and Work - Changing Work Patterns
Social Factors Leading to Changing Work Patterns
Note:
Social Factors Leading to Changing Work Patterns = (PEGFEETcar)
Perceptions of gender (P)
Economics (E)
Government policy (G)
Family circumstances (F)
Education/retraining (E)
Employment/unemployment (E)
Technology (T)
Computers (c)
Automation/robotics (a)
Research and development (r)
Social Factors Leading to Changing Work Patterns = (PEGFEETcar)
Perceptions of gender (P)
Economics (E)
Government policy (G)
Family circumstances (F)
Education/retraining (E)
Employment/unemployment (E)
Technology (T)
Computers (c)
Automation/robotics (a)
Research and development (r)
Education/retraining
- The levels of individuals completing the HSC and then attending higher education has risen as the competition for employment has grown and, consequently, those with no post-school qualifications or HSC non-completion has declined This has decreased unemployment and therefore increased the full time employment for people with qualifications, though those with no post-school qualifications are entering into other work patterns e.g. part time, casual, contract work, etc.
- To handle this increase in higher skilled workers and decrease in lower skilled workers, high schools now offer vocational training to open up the options available to students and direct some who are suited towards TAFE education to enter into the vocational area of work This has contributed to a rise in contractual work as tradespeople primarily work in this pattern
- To handle this increase in higher skilled workers and decrease in lower skilled workers, high schools now offer vocational training to open up the options available to students and direct some who are suited towards TAFE education to enter into the vocational area of work This has contributed to a rise in contractual work as tradespeople primarily work in this pattern
Technology
Computers
- Reduced the number of laborious jobs in some industries while creating some in others This has increased the availability of full time work for IT specialists to cope with the computing area of industries
- Computing technology has both helped and created different industries This opens up the opportunity to work in any pattern as the creation of a new industry means the creation of jobs and helping an industry expand does the same thing
- Computing technology has both helped and created different industries This opens up the opportunity to work in any pattern as the creation of a new industry means the creation of jobs and helping an industry expand does the same thing
Automation/robotics
- Automation has displaced both skilled and unskilled workers, such as those in the food industry where many products can be created solely by machine with few unskilled quality control workers standing by This has decreased the people working in full time positions from perhaps six cooks working shift work around the clock to three quality controllers working around the clock
- Robots are, however, used to complete jobs not safe for humans such as mining, rescue operations and bomb detonation. This means there is a decrease in the shift work opportunities in this industry as they are being replaced by machinery
- Robots are, however, used to complete jobs not safe for humans such as mining, rescue operations and bomb detonation. This means there is a decrease in the shift work opportunities in this industry as they are being replaced by machinery
Research and development
- Industries such as textiles, science, automotive and medicine are constantly in a state of research and development such as creating wrinkle-free fabric to reduce ironing time, research in aeronautical engineering has led to cutting the cost of travel, and new diseases and viruses are always evolving and require medicine and science to do the same
- This opens up jobs for those in the scientific fields able to assist in these industries working in full time research work
- This however decreases the amount of people in contractual positions such as cleaners and ironing ladies as they have less work to do because of this research
- This opens up jobs for those in the scientific fields able to assist in these industries working in full time research work
- This however decreases the amount of people in contractual positions such as cleaners and ironing ladies as they have less work to do because of this research
Employment/unemployment
- The hours of employment having changed from the typical 9-5 it once was has benefited families in some ways, allowing for more flexibility to work around children or other commitments, however it is also detrimental as less time is spent at home This is the case for most full time workers but is also for shift-work, self-employed and some part time positions
- There are less and less full time and permanent jobs available and there is therefore an increase in those available for part-time and casual positions, which many people must take to try and hold their financial life together, despite the wages not being nearly enough to feed a family or pay numerous bills See in point (part-time and casual availability increase)
- There are less and less full time and permanent jobs available and there is therefore an increase in those available for part-time and casual positions, which many people must take to try and hold their financial life together, despite the wages not being nearly enough to feed a family or pay numerous bills See in point (part-time and casual availability increase)
Perceptions of gender
- Previously, a man would start working at 15 and continue to work until he passed away, retired or became disabled with only slight interruptions such as military service or unemployment. Women, however, would start working at 15 and stop work once they married or had their first child. This means men don't have to work in full time to provide for the family as women can assist in this role in full time, allowing men to take up part time or casual work
- Over the years these expectations have changed due to several factors (including feminism) and allow women to remain working when married and return to the workforce after children, not forcing them to rely on their partner, and are males no longer required to be the working breadwinner This allows women to work in more financially beneficial positions in full time work etc.
- Over the years these expectations have changed due to several factors (including feminism) and allow women to remain working when married and return to the workforce after children, not forcing them to rely on their partner, and are males no longer required to be the working breadwinner This allows women to work in more financially beneficial positions in full time work etc.
Family circumstances, including structural change
- To loose or gain a family member alters the requirements of employment and the extent of the financial needs of the household This means if one parent in a family passed away or there was a divorce, the other parent, if they aren't already, may need to get a full time job or a second job, depending on the circumstance
- For families not meeting economic needs, their children of the right age may have to get a job themselves This means more children are entering into casual and part time jobs to assist their household finances
- For families not meeting economic needs, their children of the right age may have to get a job themselves This means more children are entering into casual and part time jobs to assist their household finances
Government policy
- The anti-discrimination act 1977 has removed barriers for many looking for work This means more and more people are looking for full and part time work to financially sustain themselves
- Parents have access to formal support such as childcare to enable them to return to the workforce sooner This would be most suitable for parents in full time work as they would need more days of child care to ensure their children have someone supervising them at all times
- Parents have access to formal support such as childcare to enable them to return to the workforce sooner This would be most suitable for parents in full time work as they would need more days of child care to ensure their children have someone supervising them at all times