The Importance of Healthy Workplaces for Young People With Systems Experience
The workplace experiences of young people — particularly those who have interacted with juvenile justice or foster care systems — is examined in a brief from the Shift Project at Harvard University.
The publication, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, draws from recent survey data on young workers with systems experience. In particular, the survey explores young workers in the service sector, where many people earn their first paychecks.
“The Shift Project’s findings demonstrate how workplaces can help or harm the wellbeing of young workers, especially those with histories of systems-involvement” said Dina Emam, a program associate with the Casey Foundation. “This brief was developed with input from workforce practitioners and also designed to guide practitioners’ engagement with employers on ways to cultivate supportive and productive work environments.”
Understanding Young Workers With Systems Experience
A young person’s early employment experiences help determine their career trajectory and overall economic well-being. Positive experiences can lead to upward mobility and a healthy career while unsupportive experiences can result in stagnant or unstable jobs that preclude larger pursuits.
When compared to their general population peers, young people with systems involvement are more likely to:
- encounter workplace harm — such as bullying and discrimination;
- face challenges to their well-being — such as food insecurity and housing insecurity — in their personal lives;
- experience up to a 31% higher risk of being unemployed; and
- work fewer hours for lower wages.
Jobs in the retail and service sectors have low barriers to entry and typically employ young people. Unsurprisingly, these jobs are often defined by fluctuating schedules, low wages and limited benefits.
Key Findings
Several major takeaways from this research include:
- Formerly systems involved workers are overrepresented in less supportive jobs. Young workers with or without systems involvement often received little support from supervisors or coworkers and many experienced discrimination, customer abuse or excessive discipline while at work, the survey found. Among systems-involved young workers, more than one-third reported experiencing discrimination at work and more than two-thirds reported experiencing verbal abuse from customers. The level of workplace support varied within the service sector. Grocery and retail apparel jobs were typically more supportive than fast food jobs, for example.
- Unsupportive work environments hurt both workers and employers. Unsupportive workplaces harm the personal well-being and job satisfaction of all employees. These environments also lead to costly issues, including workplace turnover, productivity loss and lower sales for employers.
- Workforce development practitioners have an important role to play. These practitioners are positioned to enact changes — from integrating trauma-informed practices to advocating for better health and safety protocols — that can benefit all workers while also contributing to a business’s bottom line. For example: Improving the onboarding experience can boost job satisfaction and retention, the research suggests.
“We often think of work conditions in narrow terms, equating job quality with hourly wages,” said Kristen Harknett, Shift Project co-director. “What this report lays bare is that how young workers are treated by their supervisors, their coworkers and their customers makes an enormous difference in the lives of young people, especially those who are overcoming adverse early life experiences.”
Learn how positive youth development empowers young workers
