Worker Health and Safety in China and Japan: A Comparison - Assignment Example

Download file to see previous pages... In a number of cases, traditional risks have been either eliminated or reduced, although new advances in technology continue to lead to new hazards as well. Numerous workplace risks continue to persist and the quantity of work-related outcomes and concerns remain at an alarmingly high level (Bhavsar and Bhugra, 2008). In addition, many employees are also exposed to the new threats that have been brought about by changing work patterns, for instance, due to the outcomes brought about by unstable employment or the increasing pressure to address the demands of daily working life (Pearce and Matos, 1994). Age profiles of the workforce members along with gender balance in the working place have also changed due to the changes caused by globalization trends. Such changed employment patterns have led to considerable threats and risks that had been less evident or prevalent during the past decades (Taqi, 1996). Therefore, the following sections will then look into how changes in industrial relations, such as those relating to globalization and economy, technological trends, and employment patterns, have affected employees’ health and wellbeing along with the practices and interventions used by firms to meet such health and safety needs. Changes in Industrial Relations The considerable decline in the number of workforce members in both developed and developing countries has been associated with the feminization of the workforce, use of technology in both office environments as well as factors, and the globalization trends experienced by the economy. The increased number of racial and ethnic minorities within the workforce along with the increased level of requirements for educational attainment, skill, and overall experience has become equally important as well (Triegaardt, 2008). On the whole, the individuals who work and the type of work they carry out have considerably shifted during the past decades. Aside from these, the developments that were brought about by global economic crisis, focusing on the reduction of labor or costs attributed to production, have been evident as well. With part-time and contract employment, concessionary bargaining, as well as managerial philosophies that are unreceptive of collective bargaining, the context of industrial relations has experienced substantial transitions. Globalization During the past thirty years, an acceleration of change in political, economic, and social changes has been evident across the world, including in China and Japan. Globalization brought about rapid change that had a considerable impact on society’s various sectors, thereby influencing health conditions, standards of living, and increase of political freedom (Gu, 2001). However, majority of such changes have also led to adverse outcomes particularly when carried out in a sudden and unexpected manner. Income inequality has become more evident across countries, thereby affecting social ...Download file to see next pagesRead More