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1 – 10 of over 2000Bolong He, Snezana Mitrovic-Minic, Len Garis, Pierre Robinson and Tamon Stephen
The Surrey (British Columbia, Canada) fire department has an annual cycle for hiring full-time firefighters. This paper optimizes the timing of the annual hiring period. A key…
Abstract
Purpose
The Surrey (British Columbia, Canada) fire department has an annual cycle for hiring full-time firefighters. This paper optimizes the timing of the annual hiring period. A key issue is handling workplace absences, which can be covered by overtime cost or full-time hires.
Design/methodology/approach
Short-term and long-term absences patterns are analyzed according to season and age cohorts of the firefighters. These are then used in both an explanatory and time series model to predict future absences. The hiring schedule is optimized based on these predictions and additional constraints.
Findings
The current practice fares well in the analysis. For the time period studied, moving to earlier hiring dates appears beneficial. This analysis is robust with respect to various assumptions.
Originality/value
This is a case study where analytic techniques and machine learning are applied to an organizational practice that is not commonly analyzed. In this case, the previous method was not much worse than the optimized solution. The techniques used are quite general and can be applied to various organizational decision problems.
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The Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill is passing through Parliament at the time of writing. Some minor amendments are anticipated before the Bill becomes law. This article attempts…
Abstract
The Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill is passing through Parliament at the time of writing. Some minor amendments are anticipated before the Bill becomes law. This article attempts to summarise 9 of the 86 Clauses in the Bill ‐ those which are most relevant to people claiming benefits because of their incapacity to work and those who try to work when they can.
A well known feature of insurance systems is that they reduce incentives to avoid loss. This feature is known as moral hazard. Unfortunately the term has normative overtones; this…
Abstract
A well known feature of insurance systems is that they reduce incentives to avoid loss. This feature is known as moral hazard. Unfortunately the term has normative overtones; this is particularly unfortunate in the present application to industrial injury insurance since the conclusions can lead to very different welfare conclusions. The term has, in fact, been used in the normative sense to describe behaviour which is considered morally improper or even illegal [l]. However, a more useful interpretation for current purposes simply describes the behavioural effects of insurance cover and their effect on loss experience. This paper examines, in the neutral sense, the disincentive effects of the National Insurance injuries scheme on absence from work.
Mental health practitioners dealing with older adults living in the community are commonly required to form judgements about the decision‐making capacity of someone with dementia…
Abstract
Mental health practitioners dealing with older adults living in the community are commonly required to form judgements about the decision‐making capacity of someone with dementia. Newer ways of understanding the dementia experience that recognise the importance of relationships and social connections on the functioning of the person with dementia, offer promise for helping to better conceptualise and carry out these assessments of capability. A relational lens recognises that performance and behaviour of persons with dementia are determined not only by neuropathology but also by their personal histories, their interactions with others, and by how they are perceived within their social contexts. This paper will examine how this more ‘relational’ model of understanding can impact the assessment of incapacity.
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This issue has an extended Benefits section. Manchester Advice provide a service to 48,000 people a year and for the last three years have been building a dossier of the rules…
Abstract
This issue has an extended Benefits section. Manchester Advice provide a service to 48,000 people a year and for the last three years have been building a dossier of the rules, procedures and practices within the main benefit system which act as barriers to paid work and to activities, such as volunary work, study and training. Jean Betteridge (Welfare Rights Officer for Take Up, Training & Publicity, Manchester Advice) has produced a comprehensive analysis of benefit barriers to work. This article summarises the main points. A full version can be obtained from the author. Judy Scott
ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS PART I GENERAL
There are several proposed changes to the law in England and Wales that will particularly affect women with learning disabilities. The Sexual Offences Act 2003, the draft Mental…
Abstract
There are several proposed changes to the law in England and Wales that will particularly affect women with learning disabilities. The Sexual Offences Act 2003, the draft Mental Health Bill and the draft Mental Incapacity Bill all highlight the tension between state paternalism and individual autonomy. This paper uses a fictional case scenario in order to consider the practical implications of this proposed legislation, and dilemmas that may arise.
Hugh Griffiths, R. Boyfield and Reginald Griffiths
October 3, 1973 Master and Servant — Redundancy — Dismissal for redundancy — Illness of employee — Employee absent from work — Whether contract of employment frustrated — Whether…
Abstract
October 3, 1973 Master and Servant — Redundancy — Dismissal for redundancy — Illness of employee — Employee absent from work — Whether contract of employment frustrated — Whether dismissal by reason of redundancy.
This paper seeks to examine the issue of vulnerability of coastal urban settlements in Jamaica in the context of rapid urbanization, poverty and institutional incapacity. It also…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to examine the issue of vulnerability of coastal urban settlements in Jamaica in the context of rapid urbanization, poverty and institutional incapacity. It also aims to provide a case study that demonstrates the precarious situation faced by the most vulnerable coastal urban communities in Jamaica.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review preceded in‐depth but informal interviews with the directors of planning of the cities of Kingston, Port Antonio and Port Maria on a variety of issues related to hazards in conjunction with their municipal operational capacities. Informal interviews were also carried out with a community leader and five more persons who have resided in the African Gardens community since its inception in the 1980s. Interviews were based on issues such as hazards, government involvement in the development of the site and demographic characteristics of the area. Archival information on the Hope River corridor was also utilized to enhance the understanding of the site‐specific hazard issues in relation to the surrounding environment. The field verification, which was carried out in September 2008, updated the 1994 topographic map of the area at a scale of 1:5,000.
Findings
The results suggest that the conditions for the vulnerability of coastal towns in Jamaica are overwhelmingly man‐made. The problems of vulnerability have been worsened by the incapacity of the central and local governments in terms of their limitations of financial and technical resources, and the lack of government sensitivity to tackle the issue in a sustainable approach.
Originality/value
The matter of vulnerability of coastal urban settlements is a complex settlement problem of Jamaica's entire landscape. The solution to this problem requires an integrated and long‐term action programme regardless of the political party in power.
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