When Do Benevolent Capitalists Change Their Mind? Explaining the Retrenchment of Defined‐benefit Pensions in Britain

This paper explores the politics of welfare retrenchment, but differs from much of the current literature in this area by focusing not on the decisions of politicians but those of private sector employers. In countries with a large private welfare sector, employers are major social policy players with a significant influence on the generosity of welfare provision, but the rationale behind their actions is not well understood. To explore these issues, a case study is used of the recent fundamental change in UK occupational pension provision, involving a rapid shift from defined‐benefit to defined‐contribution pensions. The paper shows by means of a micro‐simulation of the relative performance of defined‐benefit, defined‐contribution and state pensions that this shift represents a significant retrenchment. It suggests, using historical material, interview data and insights from behavioural economics, that existing explanations for this change, while valuable, have important gaps because they are based on too narrow a conceptualization of business motives. In this regard, the paper highlights the importance of herd behaviour.     

Developing youth workers: Career ladders for sector stability

Youth development principles advocate for supporting young people, while the staff who work with them face chronic issues like heavy workloads and poor support which are linked to job turnover. Prior quantitative research has presented college-based training as a best practice to professionalize and stabilize the youth workforce. Career ladders that are credit-bearing offer youth workers a stackable credential, as well as an entrée into higher education for their personal and professional growth.     

论农民工职业病防治的现实困境与突破

农民工劳动群体是职业病高发群体,他们在得了职业病后往往不知道该如何维护自己的权利。通过分析我国目前农民工职业病防治存在的现实困境:农民工对职业病缺乏了解;农民工处于"双重体制外",劳动关系比较松散;用人单位缺乏责任意识、法律意识;行政机关监管不力等。据此提出相应的措施:加强职业病知识和法律法规的宣传;建立职业病救助基金;简化职业病鉴定程序;对不遵守《职业病防治法》的单位严惩不贷等,以期改善农民工劳动群体职业病防治现状。     

论现代事故损害赔偿责任的客观化和社会化

在人类社会进入到现代高度风险的社会后,事故损害赔偿责任的归责原则从过错责任到无过错责任演变。与此相应,责任保险制度和社会保障制度的出现,也反应出了事故损失承担出现了社会化的趋势。这个过程实现了事故损害赔偿责任上的“自己责任”到“群体责任”转变,体现了民法背后的社会伦理观念已经从矫正正义向分配正义的过渡。     

社会工作核心竞争力的培育路径研究

社会工作的核心竞争力是知识力、技术力和资源力的合力。本文分析了当前社会工作所面临的外部条件对社会工作核心竞争力提升的具体影响,结合核心竞争力的理论论述了社会工作的学科核心竞争力、专业核心竞争力和职业核心竞争力的培育路径。为社会工作核心竞争力的培育提升参照。     

机动车单车事故情形下的保险金给付责任——驾驶员被自己所停车辆溜压致死之情形

机动车单车事故乃指无加害人存在之机动车事故.在我国,由于机动车对人赔偿保险均采用责任保险方式,保险人给付保险金的前提乃被保险人承担损害赔偿责任,因此单车事故受害人无法得到保险保障.驾驶员被自己所停车辆溜压致死的为典型的单车事故,虽然受害人属于条款所约定的"第三者",但判断保险人是否承担责任时必须明确相关保险条款的制定目的及其相互间的内在逻辑关系,不能忽视任何一款规定之应有法律规范作用,在立法论的制度设计上需给予单车事故受害人应有的保护.     

Differential mortality risks from violent causes for foreign- and native-born residents of the USA

This paper examines the differences in adult violent causes (homicide, suicide, vehicle accidents, and otheraccidents) for mortality risks between the Americanforeign- and native-born adult populations, whileconsidering the length of time lived in the USA and the influences of other socio-demographic characteristics. Data came from the National Health InterviewSurvey-National Death Index linked file for the years1989--1995. Cox proportional hazards modelsestimate the association between nativity, length ofstay, and mortality risk for each violent cause. Theresults show that foreign-born persons differ in their risks of violent death vis-á-vis the native-bornpopulation by the amount of the time they have livedin the USA. In particular, recent immigrants (lessthan 15 years) display higher risks fromhomicide, lower risks from suicide, and lower risksfrom other accidents (not vehicle) than thenative-born individuals. This pattern is differentfor longer-term immigrants (15 or more years) whohave, for the most part, similar risks from othercauses of violent death compared to native-bornresidents. The findings suggest that there arecompositional differences between immigrants by length of stay and that the process of acculturation mayinclude the amplification or diminution of risks ofvarious causes of violent death.     

Ethnic differences in the labour market: a comparison of the samples of anonymized records and Labour Force Survey

The public use sample from the 1991 UK census makes it possible to conduct individual level analyses of ethnic minorities' educational and occupational attainments. Unfortunately, however, the census asked only about higher level qualifications obtained after reaching 18 years of age. A comparison with the Labour Force Surveys (LFSs) shows that the census gives in some respects a misleading impression of qualifications among the first-generation members of ethnic minorities: the LFS data show that ethnic minorities tend to be more polarized in their qualifications than the British-born whites, with relatively large proportions at the two extremes, either with degrees or with no qualifications at all. It follows that the census's treatment of qualifications may tend to exaggerate the scale of disadvantage of ethnic minorities in the labour market, and particularly in access to the salariat where qualifications play a particularly large role in recruitment. Regression analyses of sample of anonymized records and LFS data confirm these expectations although they indicate that the results of the census are not seriously misleading as regards the pattern of ethnic disadvantages in the competition to avoid unemployment. The LFS data also confirm earlier findings that the ethnic penalties are in general of similar magnitude among the second generation to those among the first generation, despite the substantial equalization of educational experience that has taken place. There is some evidence that disadvantages in access to the salariat may have been reduced, but this is counterbalanced by the evidence that disadvantages in the avoidance of unemployment may have deteriorated.     

职业学校实施职业资格证书制度的现状与对策

职业学校推行职业资格证书制度取得了可喜的成绩,但也不可避免地出现了一些问题。制定一系列政策,采取相应措施,调动职业教育机构、求职者和用工单位的积极性,共同加速推进职业资格证书制度的实施非常必要。     

职业学校实施职业资格证书制度的现状与对策

职业学校推行职业资格证书制度取得了可喜的成绩,但也不可避免地出现了一些问题。制定一系列政策,采取相应措施,调动职业教育机构、求职者和用工单位的积极性,共同加速推进职业资格证书制度的实施非常必要。