New Column: Equitable Work Transitions and Mobility

The aims of the Equitable Work Transitions and Mobility column are 1) to publish research and mobilize new knowledge innovations to promote equitable work transitions and equitable access to work mobility for individuals or groups of people that experience work disruptions, disadvantages, discrimination, oppression, employment and work inequities, work and social injustices, injustices preventing participation in work, labour disruptions, technological disruption, and work displacement, and 2) to promote evidence and knowledge on equitable work transitions and mobility that will advance Decent Work for all people. “Decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives. It involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for all, better prospects for personal development and social integration” (https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/decent-work/lang--en/index.htm).

Papers are welcome on population based and work organizational research that address solutions to system and structural inequities, and socio-political injustices that have the potential to advance opportunities for more equitable and inclusive access to decent work and employment for all persons experiencing work and work mobility transitions. This column will consider papers that support transactive, transformative and decolonizing approaches as well as papers founded on the principals of equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and accessibility to support the UN Sustainable goals of equitable access to Decent Work. Equitable access to work in the context of global issues of EDI, the era of pandemics, lack of human rights to occupation and participation, and climate change, require innovation and evolution to promote equitable access to work rehabilitation and equitable work mobility that can authentically advance human flourishing, promote health and wellbeing and Decent Work for all.

In this column work transitions refers to those unexpected, unanticipated, planned, and unplanned work transitions across the life span. Work mobility refers to an array of unexpected, unanticipated, planned, and unplanned changes to the type or nature of work available within geographical, geopolitical, and technological contexts that disrupts access to Decent Work across the lifespan. 

Column invites papers on:

• Research that elaborates on equitable work transitions, and mobility challenges and solutions for all groups of people including persons in equity deserving groups, who experience significant collective barriers, disadvantage and discrimination in participating in work and in society. This could include attitudinal, historic, social, and environmental barriers based on age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, nationality, race, sexual orientation and transgender status, etc. 
• Narratives of lived experience in challenging inequitable access to Decent Work that can advance knowledge and support people or groups of people or professionals in promoting change and transformation in education or policy toward equitable work transitions and mobility across the life span.
• Research that demonstrates new methods and concepts for examining equitable work transitions and work mobility across the life span.
• Research that forefronts new concepts, ways of knowing and innovations used in workplaces or in work rehabilitation that advance equitable access to work and work transitions for individuals or groups of persons.
• Research on strategies and programs that support Decent Work through equitable access to work, work transitions and work mobility for groups of persons experiencing disadvantages, or discrimination.
• The impact of knowledge transfer and knowledge mobilization (kMb) from research on system changes, policy development, and new programs to support equitable access to work transitions and access to services and resources that promote work mobility for all people.
   

Types of papers
Qualitative, program evaluation, and quantitative research (maximum 4000 words). Double blind peer reviewed. 

Narrative papers on lived experience (maximum 2000 words). Peer reviewed. 

For research papers, submit interest to the Column Editor (leshaw@uwo.ca) prior to submission.

Final submissions should be submitted to the journal’s submission platform: work.editorialmanager.com. 

For narrative papers, submit interest to the Column Editor (leshaw@uwo.ca) prior to submission and for guidance and support. Headings for narrative papers should include: Title, Background (Describe the injustices or problem and context experienced), Approach (steps or efforts taken to try to address the situation or context or problem include people or systems involved and concepts that guided actions toward change), Reflections ( What was learned, what was changed or transformed and how might this support others or organizations to learn and change, provide 2-3 questions that can be used to promote learning  and reflection by others), and References.

Final decisions on papers accepted for the column rest with the Column Editor and are subject to alignment of the aims of the column, quality of the paper, and the Column Editor.

Column Editor 
Lynn Shaw, BScOT, MScOT, PhD 
leshaw@uwo.ca