Three hundred employers in a suburban area of the Pacific Northwest were surveyed for their perceptions of older (ages 50 and over) and younger (aged 49 and under) workers on 12 attributes. In contrast to previous research, this study found more favorable ratings for older workers overall, including categories such as attendance and salary…

Analysis of a sample of 306 workers shows that neither the gender nor racial composition of the workplace is associated with productivity. An alternative explanation for lower wages of women and minorities is social closure--the monopolizing of desirable positions by advantaged workers. (SK)

Interviews with 50 public service employees with disabilities show that employers are reluctant to modify work because of their need to contain costs and maintain control. They often discourage requests for reasonable accommodation and deny one in three. (SK)

Data on information technology employment in Britain and interviews in four companies depicted experiences of women in computing. Gender disparities in numbers and distribution, salaries, division of labor, and career progression were found. Masculine values in computing culture, gender differences in working style, and attitudes toward computers…

Since there are not enough Generation Xers to replace retiring Baby Boomers and job hopping is rampant, there is concern about the inevitable labor shortage. Recruitment and retention strategies that motivate workers regardless of age as well as an array of flexible benefits are needed. (JOW)

The effectiveness of the Americans with Disabilities Act has been limited because its definition of disability is open ended and other terms such as reasonable accommodation are vague. The courts must settle test cases before it will be known if the law is meeting its goal. (SK)

Interviews with 12 employers participating in the Virginia Initiative for Employment, Not Work identified factors affecting welfare recipients' work force entry: skills, work experience, education/training, support system, childcare, transportation, and clothing. They are wiling to hire if supported by extension, social services, and government…

Describes some of the efforts colleges have undertaken to ensure that clothing with college logos is not produced in sweatshops. Outlines work by the Fair Labor Association and the Workers Rights Consortium, organizations to which many colleges belong, to set up programs to monitor factories in the United States and other countries. (SLD)

A literature review and survey of Irish ISO 9000 organizations employing nonstandard workers found that the growing adoption of numerical flexibility (use of part-time, temporary, and contract workers) benefits organizations more than individuals. Nonstandard workers receive limited training, which makes the validity of the ISO [International…

A study of the effects of veterans' preference on women's careers in the federal civil service between 1975 and 1995 reveals diminishing effects of the preferences and disadvantages to veterans. One can expect little change in federal women's status if veterans' preference is eliminated. (Author)

Boston University (Massachusetts) has devised an alternative form of faculty-tenure appointment offering a six-year probationary period, traditional performance and peer-review standards, salary premium from the first day of employment, ten-year renewable contract with one-year notice, same privileges and voting status as traditionally tenured…

For decades it has been happening everywhere in academe, but nowhere in particular. The sweeping shift toward non-tenure-track academic labor has been one of the most worried-over trends in American higher education. But it has been charted mostly with broad-brush data, which give little indication of the trend's progress at the institutional…

A 7-month research project was conducted by graduate students at a garment manufacturing plant in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to gain information about high employee turnover. Information also was gathered about the employment situation in northwest Arkansas in general, union-labor relationships, and how other companies handled turnover. Data were…

This SPEC Kit and Flyer focus on the extent to which Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries engage in formal or organized customer service programs. Seventy-five out of the 121 member libraries responded to the customer service program survey (61%). The SPEC Flyer discusses results in terms of customer service program characteristics,…

A common mistake made by job seekers is to discuss salary before receiving a job offer. This paper offers two basic rules for discussing compensation: (1) Do not mention salary in an interview if the employer does not broach the subject; and (2) when negotiating a pay rate, never give the first figure. Although a job's salary is usually paramount…