Decent work and economic growth (8)

Public school teachers provide one of the most important services to our society. They are also largely overworked under the pressure of administrative responsibility. In the face of this, how can teachers be better supported to provide continuous, quality education to our children?

This research explores the experience of public-school teachers in Australia; presenting findings to help state and federal government avoid the difficulties presented by past and present structures of governance.

The cleaning industry has long held a reputation for exploitation of its workers – providing pay and conditions below legal entitlements. This research explores the improvement of working standards in the cleaning industry; working with industry to implement a pricing tool for better transparency in contracting. 

What do the increasing temperatures caused by climate change mean for businesses? This research explores the economic cost of heat stress and its impact on labour capacity – aiming to contribute to the design of the best working restriction schedules under heat stress.

Improving the relationship between businesses and society, this research explores social movements; providing tools for businesses to incorporate the voices and values of society in their governance frameworks. 

Hosting some of the world’s poorest economies, West Africa faces acute challenges in relation to its demographic, educational and economic transformations. To shape policy recommendations, this research explores the puzzling relationship between unemployment and education to understand how this shapes education decisions for labour market entrants. 

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has received over two million complaints involving consumer protection violations. With this complaint database publicly available for customers to see; does it have any influence on consumers banking decisions? 

In improving real-life outcomes, such as human capital accumulation and better financial decision making, it is important to understand the impact of time preferences (e.g. patience) on an individual’s decision making. This research aims to support new policy suggestions by developing an understanding of how outside factors influence the stability of time preferences.

The COVID pandemic and subsequent lockdowns caused major disruptions in the school system as teachers rapidly moved to online learning. This research explores the experiences of school teachers during this transition; outlining the implications on their work, and providing insights to convert to a ‘new normal’ post-COVID.