Work in Canada: Future Prospects
Work is a term that refers to employment. It is true to state that nature through which work is done has changed over the years not only in Canada but also in the other countries of the world. By analyzing the issues of inequality, insecurity, post-industrialism, globalization, the impact of unions, and the working environment in Canada, this paper will argue that the future prospects for work in Canada will be those of not providing a reliable source of income to the Canadians, have an increased number of hours worked in a day, have high unemployment risks for those with less than a high school diploma and those in the goods producing sector, be characterized by gender segmentation, have bias in the work unions especially towards the racial minorities and the disabled. This paper will also argue that all the above-mentioned will have been caused by the poor organization of work, unhealthy work environments, and the poor representation of workers by the workers’ unions.
Insecurity
Temporary employment is a key form of work in Canada. This includes all forms of work that have predetermined end dates, for example, contracts, casual, seasonal, or term. It is expected that all the temporary workers through Government legislations are eligible to collect employment insurance having worked for the necessary hours to meet the set threshold. For all these temporal workers, the work year is divided into 2 seasons and these are that employment and unemployment. Therefore, during the season of unemployment, the employees are kept available through the provision of the unemployment insurance. However, temporal work in the entire world is far less predictable, hence, those in this type of employment cannot easily tell from one stretch to the other when they will be employed or unemployed. For a majority of these Canadians, the periods of unemployment are filled with efforts of trying to secure new employment, as well as, cover expenses with whatever might be available (Ashton, 1986). All this can be attributed to the fact that the employers have embraced temporary employment, as it enables them to hire, as well as, fire employees on a frequent basis as a way of managing their costs during the far less predictable work seasons. Another feature associated with temporary work is that of little pay. This form of unemployment is increasingly getting mediated through employment agencies who at times secure a commission from the employer or from the employee.
Long working hours
Some of those avoiding the frustrations and hustle of temporary employment often end up in self-employment. As a form of employment, many have praised it for being a means through which an individual can achieve freedom and flexibility. However, it is true to state that in a majority of cases, it is a route that leads to insecurity, long working hours, and low income. The self-employment market is divided into 2 main categories and these include; the primary and the secondary self-employment markets. In the primary market, the entrepreneur works on a full-time basis, has access to various benefits, and no employees. Such entrepreneurs enjoy a good flow of well-paid contracts as a majority of them are individuals that have transitioned into self-employment from a long period of employment and have in that period of time established good network clients. In the secondary market, on the other hand, the picture is different. Entrepreneurs in this market face 4 main challenges and these include; little protection from the regulatory bodies, uncertainty on whether the work they are doing will continue, inadequate incomes, and a lack of control over the labor processes. Instead of flexibility and freedom, entrepreneurs in this market end up facing the above-mentioned challenges and poverty.
Gender segmentation, unfair Work conditions for the racial minorities, as well as, those with disabilities
It can be acknowledged that women have played a significant role in the growth of the Canadian economy. However, the work that they do and have done is never accorded the status that work done by men is. By carefully examining women’s work, a lot can be established about the Canadian labor market. Since the WWII, the participation of women in the labor market has increased. However, women’s participation has never managed to equal that of men and that can be attributed to the uneven burden of domestic work and care. The Canadian workplace is designed in the model where the breadwinner is a male while the woman remains at home. Therefore, if women get employed, they are required to commit all their fulltime hours to work with at times being given overtime. Policies on work-life balance are less effective in helping women, thus, those with employment continue to carry the burdens of stress and work overload. The result of the above-stated challenges that women go through in the labor market is gender segmentation (Gunderson & Muszynski, 1990). This makes the places of work gender-stratified, hence, most positions in the labor market are occupied by men. Canadian women represent a majority of those having low-paying jobs. The higher an individual goes in analyzing the job hierarchy in an institution, the more they note that women are underrepresented in the top positions. The labor patterns for women and the racial minorities are almost the same. These Canadians experience low wages and high unemployment rates. It can also be acknowledged that they are less likely to be unionized as they are usually segregated into certain economic sectors and occupations, hence, experience a lot of difficulties climbing up the ladder (Galabuzi, 2006). The above-mentioned factors are further aggregated if the individual is a woman or has a form of disability. Women, racial minorities, and those with disabilities represent a majority of the low-income workers in Canada. It is also true to state that it is less likely for them to hold white-collar jobs. With this having been said, it can be established that Canada has a segmented labor market on the basis of gender, race, and disability. This is a form of inequality and it not only leads to economic exclusion but also social exclusion.
The poor organization of work
The poor organization of work is a factor that contributes to some of the future prospects of work in Canada that have been discussed in the above sections. The roles of managers are key to the organization of work in an institution. There are various types of management and some lead to the poor organization of work. For instance, the scientific management type that got widely adopted in the 20th century and is still in wide application in institutions across the globe. This type of management redesigns jobs and controls workers putting mass production technology and bureaucracy first. This type of management type, as well as, others treat workers as extensions of machinery within the institutions (Tufts, 2005). This is because they put little to no emphasis on making sure that human needs for the workers are met. For a period of time, workers have always tried to rebel against the harsh treatment they receive from their employees and the top management of institutions due to the adoption of such a style of management, however, the managers have always used coerciveness as a tool for achieving compliance from the workers. The scientific style of management, as well as, others like it, facilitate the segmentation that defines the future prospects of work in Canada. They leave no opportunities available for women, racial minorities, the disabled, and those with less than a high school diploma. Furthermore, through coercion, a lot of Canadians lose their jobs, thus, being plunged into a life of insecurity and low income.
Unhealthy Workplaces
It has been established that Canada’s work environment is filled with unhealthy spaces. This is bad because there is a close link between work and health. One of the major sources of risks in individuals' health is work. It can be acknowledged that the Country has legislation in place that is aimed at ensuring work safety is achieved, for example, 'The workplace health and safety legislation of workers', however, not much has been achieved by these legislations. This is a grave issue related to work, thus, it supports the thesis statement of this paper.
Conclusion
Employment is the only way an individual can generate income. It can take the form of self-employment or employment by another person. This paper argues that the future prospects of work in Canada will be bad and this is supported by the current levels of insecurity, inequality, poor organization of work, and unhealthy workplaces.
References
Ashton, D. N. (1986). Unemployment under capitalism: the sociology of British and American labour markets. Wheatsheaf Books.
Galabuzi, G. E. (2006). Canada's economic apartheid: The social exclusion of racialized groups in the new century. Canadian Scholars’ Press.
Gunderson, M., " Muszynski, L. (1990). Women and Labour Market Poverty (Ottawa: Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women).
Tufts, S. (2005). Jackson, Andrew. 2005. Work and Labour in Canada: Critical Issues. Toronto: Canadian Scholar’s Press. 252 pages, incl. illustrations. Just Labour.
