January 4, 2021
Work is a significant part of our lives—an activity to which we’ll devote more time than anything else. If we start working full time at age 18 (and most start well before), by the time we are 65, we will have spent 97,760 hours on the job.
At The Fedcap Group we have spent considerable time focusing on the value of work. Work brings purpose, structure and self-esteem. Work builds confidence. Work pays bills and allows us to meet basic needs. Work teaches responsibility and accountability. Work unleashes creativity. Work creates meaningful and often lifelong connections–thus the phrase “my work family.”
All we have to do is look around and we can see the tangible and intangible impact of unemployment. Deborah Belle and Heather E. Bullock wrote a compelling piece entitled The Psychological Consequences of Unemployment. They state, “Job loss is associated with elevated rates of mental and physical health problems, increases in mortality rates, and detrimental changes in family relationships and in the psychological well-being of spouses and children. Prolonged unemployment results in social isolation and reduces one’s sense of contribution to society.”
Every year approximately 30,000 people come to The Fedcap Group for assistance with becoming employed. One of the consistent themes we hear from people wanting to work is that when they lose their job and cannot find work, they feel invisible. For many, morale and confidence decline with each month that passes in unemployment. All this is reinforced in stories from our clients.
In response, building on our 85-year history of putting people to work, The Fedcap Group is deepening our commitment to help people find employment through the launch of ™IWORK!—a campaign to create enduring social and economic value through a focus on work.
™IWORK! is our contribution to counter the challenges and risks of exclusion and marginalization. As countries around the globe seek to transform lives and communities hit hardest by the pandemic, ™IWORK! is a clarion call for leaving no one behind. Efforts to spur the economy and address inequality must not forget individuals with barriers to employment–adults with disabilities, the formerly incarcerated, those in recovery, young adults leaving foster care and men and women without an employment history.
In the coming weeks and months you will hear more about ™IWORK!…
As always, I welcome your thoughts.