20
Unit 1 Career Exploration
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
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Flexible work schedules can help people spend
more time with and caring for family members.
Instead, they allow workers to take one or two days at a time. These
companies know that many workers with young families prefer
taking Mondays or Fridays off. This gives them long weekends for
spending time with the family.
Besides voluntary programs in the workplace, a law requires time
off for certain employees under certain circumstances. The details of
the Family and Medical Leave Act will be covered in Chapter 15.
Social Change
Except in wartime, the majority of US workers have been men.
That trend will continue, but the number of new women entering the
workforce will almost equal the number of men. From 2006 to 2016,
6.3 million women will join the workforce compared to 6.5 million men.
Everyone is expected to be self-suffi cient. Self-suffi cient means
being independent or able to get along without help. Self-suffi cient
individuals are those who can take care of themselves. This requires
earning a salary that will support your needs and wants as well as
those of your future family.
Population Shifts
The characteristics or makeup of a population are called
demographics. Key changes within the country’s demographics
affect the workplace. One signifi cant change underway is the
increase in minorities in the US population. Employees of Hispanic,
Asian, African-American, or Native American heritage will account
for a larger share of the workforce in the
future. Other minority groups will also
increase in size. Virtually every nation
of the world is represented in the US
population, making it the most diverse
on earth.
Diversity is the state of having
variety or a range of different things
or characteristics. Diversity is a term
commonly used to describe the
characteristics of a mixed group of people.
In the workplace, diversity can have the
positive result of people of different racial,
ethnic, and cultural backgrounds working
together. Business leaders view the diverse
US workforce as a major resource in
addressing the global market.
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