Hard to Deal With? research study

Diversity Works based at Disability Action- Belfast

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The Northern Ireland Labour force is changing; we have more people from Black and Minority and Ethnic communities, more women and more migrant workers available for work. In fact if predictions are correct by 2010 less than 20% of the UK working population will be white, male, non disabled and under the age of 45.

Employers will therefore increasingly be recruiting from a more diverse labour pool as the traditional employment groups are in decline. Managers will have to ensure that their workplaces evolve in accordance with these social changes if they want to access the widest available talent pool and compete in the global marketplace.

Research profile

Diversity Works launched “Hard to Deal With?” a research study which explores the relationship between multiple identity and employability with people who are currently out of work from across Northern Ireland. The research study comprised three elements - focus groups, semi-structured interviews and a tailor-made capacity building programme. Five separate focus groups were conducted and 12 interviews were carried out with 39 participants from Armagh, Belfast and Londonderry/Derry. The vast majority of participants involved in the research study were long-term unemployed.

‘Hard to Deal With?’ is believed to be the first study of this kind in Northern Ireland, and what makes it different is that many of the other studies have tended to look at unemployed people as a homogeneous group. What “Hard to Deal With?” did was to talk to people about their experiences of being out of work, in order to see if they feel their identity had impacted on their employability or ability to find work.

Key findings

‘Hard to Deal With?’ found that there were links between multiple identity and employability. Many of those involved in the study with multiple identities also experienced multiple disadvantage. The research study produced ten key findings and 31 specific recommendations.

The key findings and recommendations focused on a number of areas including:

• the benefits trap,
• confidence,
• childcare and caring responsibilities,
• disability and
• age discrimination.

The recommendations are targeted at:

• the community and voluntary sector,
• business organisations,
• employers,
• trade unions,
• government bodies, and
• those who are out of work.

Benefits trap

The study found that many of the participants were caught in a benefits trap. They felt it would not be worth their while working because they would lose out on benefits, and thus be worse off.

Lack of confidence

The participants also had a lack of confidence in themselves this was partly due to their lack of skills/qualifications, or perceived lack of them.

One participant even felt that that his “confidence had gone out the window”, since becoming unemployed.

Childcare and caring

Childcare and caring responsibilities were also barriers to employment for many of the women involved in the research study. It was felt that there should be more childcare places available for women, to enable them to obtain work. Many of those involved in the research that provided unpaid care were women. They felt that the contribution to the economy made by carers should be increasingly acknowledged publicly.

Age discrimination

Both younger and older participants thought they were at a disadvantage in looking for work due to their age. They also felt that they were at a disadvantage in relation to government training provision. Participants also regularly cited that government services did not take account of the different identities of the users. One participant said that

Disability

In relation to disability the issue of physical access was seen as a barrier to employment, as was the cost of accessible transport. Once in work there were concerns expressed relating to reasonable adjustment, this was in reference to flexible hours, job sharing and a general understanding of disability.

One participant with a learning disability talked about the difficulty of working with colleagues due to the effects of her disability. She said,

Next steps

Many of the key findings and recommendations in this study reflect what has been presented before in previous studies. However, it is frustrating that what appears to be common knowledge among researchers has not always been translated into more positive developments in government policy and practice. Therefore, more needs to be done and Diversity Works is currently working with the participating groups to try and get some of the recommendations of the research study implemented.

Get your copy

All References are from “Hard to Deal With?” A research study exploring the relationship between multiple identity and employability.

Copies of the research study can be obtained by contacting:

Nicola O Neill
Deputy Manager of Diversity and Human Rights
Disability Action
Portside Business Park
189 Airport Road West
Belfast BT3 9ED

t: 028 9029 7880
f: 028 9029 7881
textphone: 028 9029 7882

e: nicola.dw@disabilityaction.org
w: www.disabilityaction.org