Social Determinants of Work Initiative
The Social Determinants of Work Initiative seeks to strategically advance access to work by:
- mitigating barriers faced by workers;
- promoting employer practices that lead to good jobs;
- and advocating for policy changes that address systemic barriers.
The initiative’s roadmap for change is laid out in the Community Action Plan.
Table of Contents
What are the Social Determinants of Work?
First described by Dr. Angela Jackson, the Social Determinants of Work framework describes an interconnected web of challenges that workers must navigate daily in order to arrive and thrive at their workplaces.
There’s a pervasive American myth that anyone with a strong enough work ethic can succeed, but in reality, people face complex barriers that motivation alone cannot overcome. Those living in or near poverty often work long, hard hours, but are trapped in low-wage jobs by obstacles that have nothing to do with their abilities or motivation. These barriers to economic mobility are collectively called the Social Determinants of Work.
Dr. Jackson, United Way, and Towards Employment have identified eight barriers to work that are addressed in our Social Determinants of Work Initiative:
Job Flexibility
Sustained Education
Healthcare
Home and Community Health
Childcare
Broadband Access
Transportation
Access to Justice
United Way of Greater Cleveland and Towards Employment have identified the following 8 Social Determinants of Work, which will be explored throughout our SDoW initiative:
- Healthcare
- Childcare
- Home and Community Health
- Job Flexibility
- Transportation
- Sustained Education
- Broadband Access
- Access to Justice
Initiative Objectives
The Social Determinants of Work Initiative seeks to alleviate the impact of these barriers through three levers:
1
Mitigate Barriers
Focus programmatic efforts on the mitigation of select, intersecting determinants.
2
Encourage Employer Practice Shifts
Empower employers to implement practices and policies that enable workers to achieve economic mobility.
3
Eliminate Systemic Barriers
Drive systems-level change by promoting public policies that recognize the intersectionality of the determinants.
Community Events and Input
At United Way we have taken a community-oriented approach to understanding how the Social Determinants of Work operate in Greater Cleveland. At every step we solicited input from community members, including individuals facing barriers to work, other non-profit agencies, and local employers. In addition, we have hosted multiple public events educating around and problem solving for economic mobility.
July 2022 • Worker Cliff Effects Summit
Fall 2022 • Community Action Plan Working Sessions
March 2023 • Social Determinants of Work Symposium
Community Action Plan
Our Community Action Plan sets a bold vision for enhancing access to meaningful work for all members of the Greater Cleveland community.
By harnessing collective action, United Way will convene organizations across Greater Cleveland to increase opportunities for people to escape poverty’s generational grasp, secure living wages, and prosper.
Driven by research, rooted in the lived experiences of our community members, and inspired by private, public, and nonprofit partners, the action plan revolves around 5 key strategies:
1
Harness the power of collective impact through the creation of the SDoW Coalition.
2
Focus programmatic efforts on creating significant impact in select determinants.
3
Empower employers to implement and evaluate practices and policies that enable workers to make steady progress towards a better financial future.
4
Drive systems-level change by promoting public policy that recognizes the intersectionality of the determinants.
5
Commit to action, partnership, and transparency.
Read the Report
Read the full report to learn more about United Way of Greater Cleveland’s strategy to identify and break down barriers to work.
Funders and Partners
For more information on the Social Determinants of Work initiative, contact Renée Timberlake at rtimberlake@unitedwaycleveland.org.
