Perceptions of Job Security in Europe’s Ageing Workforce

Using data from the 2004 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, this paper investigates older workers’ perceptions of job security in eleven countries. We describe cross-national patterns and estimate multilevel models to analyse individual and societal determinants of self-perceived job security in the older labour force. While there are considerable cross-country variations around a median value of 23% of workers aged 50 or older ranking their job security as poor, none of our suggested macro-level variables – labour force participation rate, employment protection legislation, mean level of general social trust, and proportion disapproving of working beyond age 70 – bears statistically significant associations with individuals’ job security. Future research should aim at identifying statistically more powerful indicators of the supposed multilevel relationship between social context and older workers’ perceptions of job security. Moreover, supplementary findings indicate that further attention should be paid to the gender dimension of job insecurity.

Tree collections of Auckland : biodiversity and management : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Landscape Management at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Appendix 1: Personal Communications Contact List. Page 182 has been removed. Please consult the print copy held in the Library.Recent developments in New Zealand environmental legislation and government policies are based on an economic world-view where landscape is portrayed as a 'natural' resource. This paradigm largely ignores the human-made urban landscape where the highest proportion of population live. Our national legislation pays little attention to urban vegetation in general and exotic tree collections in particular. Research therefore has a vital role in highlighting the character and values of urban vegetation, and in analysing the current models used to manage its continued existence. This study examines the importance of charting and managing biodiversity and focuses on managed amenity and scientific tree collections in the Auckland region. This regional study seeks to characterise the biodiversity of tree collections in Auckland, and describe how landscape management can best contribute to their biological and human-use values. The literature review establishes the importance and values of trees and urban vegetation as critical to the fabric of human lifestyles and the ecology of the city. It then reviews the basis for the preservation of biodiversity in managed plant collections. Management principles and systems are reviewed along with the legislative context in Auckland. No mandate is established for exotic plant collection managment under the Resource Management Act, 1991 (RMA1991). Management of this resource is found to lack the focus and funding from which natural and rural biodiversity benefit under the RMA and other national legislation. A biodiversity survey of thirty-eight collections of trees characterises the biodiversity in the collections, and a survey of twelve tree collection managers provides data about the goals, practices and tools used in the management of those collections. Results reveal the diverse and unique flora of Auckland tree collections, and establish a baseline for comparison over time. The regional mix of native and exotic species found in Auckland collections is compared with other national plant surveys, and demonstrates differences consistent with regional climatic character and a differing research focus. The largest collection of trees and the most specialist genera collections were found at the Auckland Regional Botanic Garden, while the university of Auckland provides the most extensive range of scientific plant-collection facilities. There is evidence of sequential open space acquisition for tree collections in the Auckland region. Comparison of best management practices put forward in current literature with current practices of collection managers in Auckland reveals some significant issues. There is little evidence found to suggest strategic plant acquisition goal setting. It is also of concern that only half the collection managers used computerised plant record systems such as inventories and specialised database systems. Only one third of the managers had management plans, and therefore documented collection goals. There was no significant difference in the use of best management practices between the private and publicly owned collections. Well-managed collections are characterised by high or specialist tree species diversity, clear strategic goal setting and management planning, computerised plant record systems, adequate resources, appropriate staffing and the use of monitoring tools. Discussion of these research results leads to three recommendations. Firstly, the management of specific sites is discussed in light of a proposed model for plant collection management. Secondly, management policy for the regional urban Forest is recommended. Lastly, the finding that Auckland's exotic tree collections are a valuable resource worthy of protection, currently having little status under the law, leads to the recommendation for the empowering of a national body (central agency) with a mandate for the national coordination of botanic gardens and plant collections. This research therefore charts aspects of Auckland's urban biodiversity with reference to current legislation and management models. Its findings and recommendations are of importance to reviewers of national environmental legislation, regional policymakers and tree collection managers

Fundraising in Europe: A Decade of Change

This report was produced by the European Fundraising Association (EFA) in 2013 as a survey of national fundraising associations. It highlights the resilience of not-for-profit income over the financial crisis, with levels of giving maintaining a steady flow. It details the importance of traditional sources of fundraising despite the grows of many new forms and technologies. The report also discusses the changes in the role of government over the last decade: the evolution of tax incentives for charitable giving, VAT relief and data protection legislation. Respondents to the study were also asked about the development of the philanthropy sector, citing its professional development as a particular positive in the industry. Concerns about he potential for growth and meeting the demands of transparency, accoutnability and public trust in the sector, are both challenges that will continue into the next decade

Protection of Geographical Indication Products from Different States of India

Geographical Indication protection is becoming an increasingly important issue for producers who consider that one of their main challenges is to secure a better legal protection for their product at the national and the international level. The purpose of this article is to assess and analyse the weaknesses in the protection system available for GIs in India, including difficulties in protection and enforcement of GI rights.The article further gives an analysis of data collected in a survey by the researcher relating to GIs in India and interaction with stakeholders. An analysis of the legal framework, data relating to GIs in India and interaction with stakeholders indicate that the legal framework available for the protection of GIs is quite insignificant in terms of scope, effect and protection. There is a loss of producers’ revenues caused by selling counterfeit products. In order to strengthen the existing system of GI protection, there is a need of creating awareness about protection of geographical indication products across India. Although national legislation has paved its way in protecting geographical Indications, the government requires the producers and the stakeholders to realize their responsibilities and come up for the registration of their products under the GI Act

The Economics of Prozac (Do Employees Really Gain from Employment Protection?)

Unlike many other contracts, employment contracts are subject to various external administrative procedures governing separations, ranging from compulsory severance payments and advance notice periods (usually seniority based), to collective layoff procedures (usually depending on the firm’s size), and other forms of protections against arbitrary dismissal. These external constraints may raise the wellbeing of workers if everything remains constant, but may fail to do so once other economic channels are accounted for. Here, we explore the effect of such legislation on the firm’s attitude towards insiders (i.e. protected workers), notably worker monitoring, working environment, and ultimately what we could term harassment. We show that during downturns, harassing workers in order to induce a quit is a substitute for greater dismissal freedom, and that intense monitoring and depreciated working conditions will occur. Thus, a more protected workforce may loose more than it gains from non-pecuniary pressures exerted by the firm. We test these mechanisms using data from a panel of Canadian individuals (the National Public Health Survey) including details on work-related stress and the consumption of various medications, including anti-depressants. By exploiting cross-province differences in employment protection legislation (EPL), we cannot reject the theoretical hypothesis: we even find positive links between individual employment protection and some dimensions of stress, and weaker but positive links between employment protection, depression and the consumption of various psychotropic drugs. Tenure and firm size information from another dataset is then used to generate further variance in EPL by imputation. This confirms the previous results, as well as falsification exercises: family stress for instance is not correlated with regional EPL, while financial stress is negatively correlated with EPL

Training and Employment of People with Disabilities: India 2002

[Excerpt] Training and Employment of People with Disabilities: India 2002 is descriptive in nature. When the ILO commissioned the researchers for the Country Study Series, each was asked to follow the comprehensive research protocol appended to this document. The resulting report therefore includes country background information, statistics about people with disabilities and their organizations, a description of relevant legislation and policies and their official implementing structures, as well as the education, training and employment options available to people with disabilities. While few countries have such information readily available, researchers were asked to note the existence or lack of specific data points and to report data when it did exist. Since the lack of information about people with disabilities contributes to their invisibility and social exclusion, the information itself is important. The protocol called for limited analysis and did not specifically ask for the researchers recommendations, however, researchers were asked to report on existing plans and recommendations of significant national stakeholders

Data sensitivity: proposals for resolving the conundrum

The EU Directive 95/46/EC specifically demarcates categories of sensitive data meriting special protection. It is important to review the continuing relevance of existing categories of sensitive data in the light of changes in societal structures and advances in technology. This paper draws on interviews with privacy and data protection experts from a range of countries and disciplines and findings from the Information Commissioner’s annual telephone survey of the British public in order to explore satisfaction with the current categories of sensitive data. It will be shown that the current classification of sensitive data appears somewhat outdated and thus ineffective for determining the conditions of data processing. Finally, possible reform proposals will be reviewed, including a purpose-based approach and context-based approach