CP State’s Post

Today's Albany Times Union includes an article (linked below) describing the emergency actions being taken by the Hochul Administration to attract new state workers to fill job vacancies in the public sector. This is an important effort. But with job vacancy rates hovering in the 20% range across the (mostly not for profit) community-based mental health and substance use disorder systems of care where agencies have been struggling for years to ensure continued access to care for New Yorkers seeking services through New York's mental hygiene system, why are we not included in this effort? Community-based organizations are the safety net for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and yet we are too often left to fend for ourselves as we struggle to recruit and attract the staff we need. How is it different from the struggle the state faces? Waiving the state exam that is required before new workers can join the state workforce is a smart strategy but with starting salaries already significantly higher than those we can pay for comparable work, this effort will inevitably drain our workforce as staff seek better pay and benefits. And who can blame them? This should not be a competition but it will be. We need workforce solutions that go beyond a COLA and loan forgiveness. We need laser-focused leadership from the Administration that addresses the core barriers we face. And we need a commitment from all state leaders to prioritize our needs, to acknowledge and reward our outcomes and the efficient and effective manner in which we perform our work each day. Let's make the work less stressful and care for the mental health of those who work for us. Let's engage in a time-limited exercise to deliver meaningful regulatory relief so our staff can focus on the person in front of them rather than the paper or a computer. Let's address rigid scope of practice limits that do not consider the devastating workforce shortages we continue to face. And finally let's make a commitment to deliver more for our valued workers who are currently faced with impossible choices between doing the work they love and putting food on the table or having to work 3 jobs to make ends meet. We need to do better for ALL of our workforce - not just those employed directly by New York State. -- https://lnkd.in/emp_gQuY

From the book I am reading - You might be thinking "this is so relevant today", but guess how old that report is 🤔 „Significant numbers of American workers are dissatisfied with the quality of their working lives: As a result, the productivity of the worker is low—as measured by absenteeism, turnover rates, wildcat strikes, sabotage, poor-quality products, and a reluctance by workers to commit themselves to their work tasks. Moreover, a growing body of research indicates that, as work problems increase, there may be a consequent decline in physical and mental health, family stability, community participation and cohesiveness, and “balanced” sociopolitical attitudes, while there is an increase in drug and alcohol addiction, aggression, and delinquency.” Harry Braverman: „Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century” - first edition 1974! And it originally comes from the report dated back to the year 1973 "Work in America: Report of a Special Task Force to the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare" Furthermore, originally it was meant only to refer to "blue collar workers", which would have been bad enough already, but 50 years later we might agree that deteriorating working conditions is a serious issue for the whole society.

Ahead of Workers Memorial Day on April 28, the AFL-CIO released its 33rd annual report, Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect. This annual report serves as a national and state-by-state profile of worker safety and health, offering direction to policymakers and regulatory bodies as they strive to address the scourge of working people facing death, injury and illness at work. Among the report’s startling data are the disproportionate rates of Latino and Black workers at risk of dying on the job. Black workers are facing the highest job fatality rates in nearly 15 years and Latino workers continue to face the greatest risk of dying on the job, compared to all other workers

Yes this (paywalled) article has come from the Unions but it draws the link between government economic policies and the health and safety of workers. We need more of this type of analysis because “safety is everyone’s responsibility”, especially government’s. #OHS #psychosocialhazards #healthandsafetyatwork

🌟 California's worker shortage is a big deal! 🌆 Despite high salaries and job opportunities, public agencies and businesses are struggling to find workers. 🏫🏥👮♂️👷♂️🍔 Even with a million unemployed, the 4.9% jobless rate is the highest. 😷 It's a result of post-COVID trends, with many leaving the state. 🚚 Housing costs and the loss of skilled workers are a challenge. 🏡😓 Let's address this issue for a brighter California future! 🌞💪 #CaliforniaJobs #WorkforceShortage

We're facing a crisis in the social and community services sector. Our groundbreaking report, released today with UNSW, reveals that one in three of our frontline workers depend on financial help from friends and family because they're not paid what they deserve. Over 50% of workers in the sector report their pay doesn't reflect their skills or experience. These issues are driving workers away from vital roles like supporting those escaping domestic violence, which in turn impacts the vulnerable people they serve. We’re calling for swift and decisive action to ensure fair pay and proper classification for all our social and community sector workers. Read the full report here: bit.ly/3WNQnbO #SkilledRespectedEqual

Commenting on today's King's Speech, Kathryn Smith, SCIE CEO, says: “Today was a recognition of the scale of the task at hand for the new government. Solving social care will not be an easy or quick mission, but positive steps forward were taken in acknowledging the imperative to succeed in realising this mission. “The commitment to fair pay for care workers is a hugely positive step forward in recognising the vital role they play in supporting people in need and for stabilising the social care sector. Care staff must at last be seen for what they are, a pool of highly skilled professionals. “A fair pay agreement will go a long way to tackling the urgent and longstanding workforce crisis, not least by creating greater pay parity with NHS equivalent staff. Pay is a crucial part of making people feel valued and recognised whilst giving them the assurance and security that there is a long-term career in care. But the agreement must be exactly what it says on the tin: fair. More details will be needed to clarify how the policy will be implemented, how it will be funded and who benefits. “The commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act is long overdue and will bring the legislation into the 21st century. Putting more power in the hands of people and placing them at the centre of decisions about their care is vital. With the end in sight, we now need the government to co-produce the next steps with those who draw on care and support to ensure the ambition of improved treatment becomes a reality. “We look forward to working with the government to help deliver on future plans for the social care sector." #SocialCare #SocialWorkers #FutureOfSocialCare #SocialCareWorkers #SocialCareStaff

Just wanted to put this here in case anyone needed to be reminded that victims of domestic violence have right in the workplace: Your Right to Take Time Off:  You have the right to take time off from work to obtain relief from a court, including obtaining a restraining order, to protect you and your children’s health, safety or welfare.  If your company has 25 or more workers, you can take time off from work to get medical attention for injuries caused by crime or abuse, receive services from a domestic violence shelter, program, rape crisis center, or victim services organization or agency as a result of the crime or abuse, receive psychological counseling or mental health services related to an experience of crime or abuse, or participate in safety planning and take other actions to increase safety from future crime or abuse.  You may use accrued paid sick leave or vacation, personal leave, or compensatory time off that is otherwise available for your leave unless you are covered by a union agreement that says something different. Even if you don’t have paid leave, you still have the right to time off.  In general, you don’t have to give your employer proof to use leave for these reasons.  If you can, you should tell your employer before you take time off. Even if you cannot tell your employer beforehand, your employer cannot discipline you if you give proof explaining the reason for your absence within a reasonable time. Proof can be a police report, a court order, a document from a licensed medical professional, a victim advocate, a licensed health care provider, or counselor showing that you were undergoing treatment for domestic violence related trauma, or a written statement signed by you, or an individual acting on your behalf, certifying that the absence is for an authorized purpose. Your Right to Reasonable Accommodation:  You have the right to ask your employer for help or changes in your workplace to make sure you are safe at work. Your employer must work with you to see what changes can be made. Changes in the workplace may include putting in locks, changing your shift or phone number, transferring or reassigning you, or help with keeping a record of what happened to you. Your employer can ask you for a signed statement certifying that your request is for a proper purpose, and may also request proof showing your need for an accommodation. Your employer cannot tell your coworkers or anyone else about your request. Your Right to Be Free from Retaliation and Discrimination: Your employer cannot treat you differently or fire you because:  You are a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, a crime that caused physical injury or mental injury, or a crime involving threat of physical injury; or are someone whose immediate family member is deceased as a direct result of a crime.  You asked for leave time to get help.  You asked your employer for help or changes in the workplace to make sure you are safe at work.

Social workers play an important role in multiple disciplines. Read about the paths social workers have carved in implementing public policy at the state, federal and global levels in Social Work Today. https://lnkd.in/eAuyXVk7