Employment Arrangement Research Articles

Psychosocial risks in the Canadian construction and extractive industries

Workers in the Canadian construction and extractive industries (CEIs) are exposed to psychosocial risk factors (PRFs) and experience a greater prevalence of mental health issues than the public. Guided by risk management theory, the purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational study was to examine the relationship between five predictors (age, gender, residence type, employment arrangement, and rotation status); and 15 response variables (measures of Canadian CEI workers’ perspective of PRFs). Using a cross-sectional design, an 84-question survey was administered to workers (N = 174) over the age of 18 to obtain demographic and contextual data and scores for the PRFs using the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire – Canadian version. Analysis of variance was used to compare means across groups to determine if there was a difference in views of PRFs. The findings revealed significant relationships between the predictors and workers’ views on their influence at work, development opportunities, meaning of work, role conflict, work-life conflict, and social community. While workers’ experiences are largely unique, there are also clear influences on PRFs based on age, gender, and employment arrangement.

Assessment of the Influence of Contracting Models on the Well-Being of Construction Workers in the Brazilian Amazon

The construction industry is known to present various stress-inducing conditions for its workforce, especially for workers under different employment arrangements. This research aims to investigate the influence of employment status (permanent and temporary workers) on the perception of well-being at work (WBW). The study also aims to assess whether variables such as satisfaction, commitment, and involvement are statistically significant in evaluating construction workers’ WBW. The research was conducted at various construction sites located in the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 376 responses were obtained using the Work Well-being Inventory (IBET-13) questionnaire. A multiple linear regression model was constructed to understand the relationship between self-perceived well-being (dependent variable) by employees and employment status, satisfaction, commitment, and involvement at work (independent variables). The results suggest that the employment arrangement does not significantly impact the evaluation of well-being, indicating that other factors may mediate the relationship between WBW and mental health, as well as contribute to explaining this result, such as current legislation, occupational characteristics, and unique aspects of the Brazilian reality. The research findings can contribute to the development of strategies that promote a more sustainable and healthy construction environment for workers.

Same Same or Different? Pay Referents and Unfairness Perceptions in Two Employment Arrangements

Which reference information do nurses select to evaluate pay and does their employment arrangement matter? To answer these questions, we investigated the role of three types of reference information (perceived responsibility, social appreciation from colleagues and patients) in pay unfairness evaluations of Swiss temporary and staff nurses. Since unfair pay signals a lack of worth, we examined the role of social appreciation from the two sources as boundary condition for the effects of pay unfairness on exhaustion and job satisfaction. We analyzed our time-lagged survey data from 262 staff nurses and 120 temporary nurses using a multi-group framework. The effect of pay unfairness on job satisfaction – but not on exhaustion – was stronger in temporary nurses than in staff nurses. Contrary to our hypotheses, we did not find evidence that social appreciation from colleagues or patients moderated the effects of pay unfairness on job satisfaction and exhaustion. Follow-up analyses showed, however, that staff nurses rely on perceived responsibility and colleagues’ appreciation to gauge pay unfairness. Temporary nurses, in contrast, considered social appreciation on the output side, consistently for both sources of appreciation. This pattern of findings suggests that the comparison processes underlying fairness evaluations are not uniform across different employment arrangements. From a practical perspective, the findings imply that appreciation will not do as compensation for pay staff nurses perceive as unfair.

The Independent Contractor Workforce: New Evidence on Its Size and Composition and Ways to Improve Its Measurement in Household Surveys

Good data on the size and composition of the independent contractor workforce are elusive. The authors carried out a series of focus groups to learn how independent contractors speak about their work. Based on those findings, they designed and fielded a telephone survey to elicit more accurate and complete information on independent contractors. Roughly 1 in 10 workers who initially reported working for an employer on one or more jobs (and thus were coded as employees) were independent contractors on at least one of those jobs. Incorporating these miscoded workers into estimates of main job work arrangements nearly doubles the share who are independent contractors to approximately 15% of all workers. Taking these workers into account substantively changes the demographic profile of the independent contractor workforce. Probing in household surveys to clarify a worker’s employment arrangement and identify all low-hours work is critical for accurately measuring independent contractor work.

Climbing the economic ladder: Earnings inequality and intragenerational mobility among Thai formal workers

This paper investigates inequality and intragenerational economic mobility among formal workers in a developing country with large inequality. Understanding economic mobility is important because it shapes our perception of inequality. Despite its significance, evidence on intragenerational mobility, especially that based on administrative data, is relatively limited in developing countries. Using Thailand’s tax return data, we study the evolution of earnings inequality, estimate medium-term earnings mobility, and examine the heterogeneity of mobility across age, gender and employment arrangement. Our analysis yields three main findings. First, annual earnings inequality rises during the 2009–2018 period. We find that the inequality is largely permanent, and its increase is primarily driven by top-earnings workers. Second, medium-term mobility tends to be limited at both ends of the earnings distribution, with particularly pronounced persistence observed at the top decile. Our suggestive comparison indicates that Thailand’s earnings mobility is among the lowest in the pool of evidence from both developed and developing countries. Third, there is a considerable heterogeneity in mobility regarding employment arrangement. Workers in less-formal jobs have much lower upward mobility than those in more-formal employment. Our findings also indicate significant heterogeneity in mobility with respect to gender and age.

Personal Care Aides as Household Employees and Independent Contractors: Estimating the Size and Job Characteristics of the Workforce.

Background and ObjectivesAlthough studies pointed out that the number of personal care aides (PCAs) at risk of being in informal employment arrangements is sizeable, little is known about its size and worker characteristics. This study aimed to estimate the share of PCAs working as household employees or independent contractors. It also aimed to compare their basic job characteristics against the job characteristics of those working as agency and government employees.Research Design and MethodsUsing data from the 2014–2018 American Community Surveys, a sample of 43,287 PCAs working for pay in the home- and community-based service (HCBS) industry was identified, and their job characteristics—full-time weekly work (i.e., working at least 35 hours per week), year-round work (i.e., working at least 50 weeks a year), and annual gross earning—were analyzed by their employment arrangement.ResultsAnalyses found that (a) close to a quarter of aides in the HCBS industry work as household employees or independent contractors while their share in the workforce varies by state and that (b) the work hours and earnings of full-time year-round working household employees or independent contractors are greater than those of their agency counterparts. The results shed light on why some aides may work as household employees or independent contractors.Discussion and ImplicationsThe presence of household employees and independent contractors has important implications for PCAs’ job characteristics and labor shortage in the U.S. home care industry. Considering the potentially negative consequences for both the aides’ economic security and the quality of care that consumers can receive, attention should be paid to ways to bring the aides into a more formal employment arrangement.

Problems and Countermeasures in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education of Local College Students-Take one University in Tai'an as an example

Innovation and entrepreneurship education has become a significant task of college education. The degree and effect has a direct impact on the employment arrangement of students and the development of national innovation and entrepreneurship work. Comparing with Western countries, there are still a lot of deficiencies; therefore, it is essential to take various measures to enhance the innovation and entrepreneurial ability of college students.

Labour Market Restructuring and the Nature of Employment Relations in Nigeria

The Nigerian labour market has experienced remarkable structural changes in the last two decades following the dictates of globalisation. These changes manifested in the sectoral composition of employment, growth in the service and informal sectors, increased youth unemployment, increased self-employment, and growth in female labour participation. These developments equally affected employment arrangement by shifting attention from the traditional employment arrangement characterised by full-time permanent employment to a more flexible employment arrangement and non-standard jobs. This paper examined the emerging structural changes in the labour market and their consequences for employment relations in Nigeria. The paper adopted desk review methodology which involved analysis of secondary data from relevant research institutions, government agencies and corporate organisations. Evidence from the secondary data revealed that Nigeria has witnessed increased youth unemployment and underemployment, the decline in full-time permanent jobs, rise in casual/contract and part-time work, rise in female labour participation, rise in outsourcing and increase in labour shedding in the last two decades. The observed implications of these developments for employment relations include a decline in union density and bargaining power; a gradual increase in non-union representation; a shift in skill requirement; emphasis on employee loyalty and commitment; emphasis on work-life balance and flexible working hours. The paper, therefore, concludes that structural changes in the Nigerian labour market have affected traditional institutionalised employment relations, which are gradually being replaced by flexible and individualised employment relations.

The promise of flexicurity: Can employment and income security mitigate the negative effects of job insecurity?

Flexicurity is an integral part of the EU Employment Strategy. Flexicurity promises that it is possible to simultaneously provide organisations with greater flexibility and offer workers the necessary level of security. This is achieved by replacing job security, which stems from a permanent employment contract, with employment and income security. The aim of this article is to present an individual-level investigation of the relationships between various elements of flexicurity, examining how they affect psychological well-being and job satisfaction. A heterogeneous sample of 432 adults employed under various types of employment arrangements participated in the study. The results showed that the type of employment arrangement was the main predictor of perceived job insecurity. Moreover, perceived job insecurity mediated the relationship between employment arrangement and psychological outcomes. Finally, employment and income security failed to mitigate the negative effect of job insecurity. The promise of flexicurity is therefore called into question.

Beyond Occupational Hazards: Abuse of Day Laborers and Health.

With the increase in labor market flexibility and worksite immigration enforcement, day labor is a common type of informal employment arrangement among immigrants. Our study contextualized day laborers' physical and mental health within work- and community-level factors. We use a nationally representative sample of 2015 day laborers from the National Day Labor Survey. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the association of occupational and socioenvironmental abuses with self-rated health (SRH), a positive PHQ-2 screening, morbidities, and workplace injuries. Employer abuse was associated with fair/poor SRH, workplace injuries, morbidity, and PHQ-2; business owner abuse was associated with PHQ-2 and workplace injuries; and crime and having a dangerous job are both associated with workplace injuries. Health disadvantages stem from unsafe occupational conditions and an overlapping array of adverse social experiences. These findings highlight the need to develop and evaluate policies that protect all workers regardless of socioeconomic position and immigration status.

Embedded Fixers, Pragmatic Experimenters, Dedicated Activists: Evaluating Third‐Party Labour Market Actors’ Initiatives for Skilled Project‐Based Workers in the Gig Economy

AbstractNon‐standard career paths — in which workers jump from one employment arrangement to another according to the projects they work on — have become more frequent in modern labour markets. The traditional solutions for organizing and managing work relationships and job transitions have become less effective for such workers regarding the risks of precariousness and economic dependence they may experience. Envisioning ways forward requires an appreciation of what was achieved over the past century and an understanding of what is needed to replace and adapt these achievements. Emerging solutions for managing work relationships are provided by a growing range of third‐party labour market actors, but the evaluation of their contributions in the literature remains limited. In this article, we build an original theoretical framework to evaluate such contributions according to the kind of services they provide and their respective engagement in institutional innovation. We give examples of solutions developed for skilled workers in two institutional contexts: the Netherlands and Belgium and show how our framework can help distinguish at least three groups of actors that contribute to labour market development in different ways.

Does holding a second job viewed as a calling impact one's work at the primary job?

The present study extends research related to callings by examining the impact a calling has on other work domains. Specifically, we examine callings in relation to the understudied concept of dual jobholding; an employment arrangement in which an individual holds two jobs. We draw from spillover theory and interrole conflict theory to examine if holding a second job viewed as a calling affects one's work engagement at their primary job. Results suggest holding a second job viewed as a calling impacts the relationship between second job-to-primary job resource drain and primary job work engagement. The findings from the study add to a slim body of literature highlighting vulnerabilities associated with callings. In addition, previous research typically assumes individuals hold only one job, and dual jobholding is a prevalent employment arrangement, thus the present study sheds light on an important and understudied topic for research and practice alike.

Employment Arrangement for Person with Disabilities in Indonesia in Post-New Order Era

The right to employment of persons with disabilities got better attentions in Indonesia, especially after the fall of the New Order era. This paper discusses the employment arrangement for persons with disabilities in Indonesia in Post-New Order era. It is found that some reforms have been made to accealerate the fulfillment of the right to employment of persons with disabilities. It began with the enactment of Law Number 21 of 2002 on Labour Union and Law Number 13 of 2003 on Employment. In addition, the Government had ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities through Law Number 19 of 2011. Furthermore, Law Number 8 of 2016 on Person with Disabilities was issued. This law has properly regulated the rights of persons with disabilities, including their employment rights. Nevertheless, this law still requires several comprehensive operational regulations. Law Number 13 of 2003 can be synchronized with Law Number 8 of 2016 since it functions as a guideline for employers and workers in carrying out working relationship.

Employment predictors of exit from work among workers with disabilities: A survival analysis from the household income labour dynamics in Australia survey.

ObjectivesAcross high-income countries, unemployment rates among workers with disabilities are disproportionately high. The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of employment associated with dropping out of work and assess whether these were different for workers with versus without disabilities.MethodsUsing a longitudinal panel study of working Australians (2001 to 2015), the current study estimated Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard regression models to identify predictors of leaving employment, including psychosocial job quality, employment arrangement, and occupational skill level. Effect modification by disability status of the relationship between employment-related factors and exit from the labour market were assessed by including interaction terms and assessing model fit with a likelihood ratio test. Models were adjusted for a range of socio-demographic and health related factors.ResultsCompared to those without disability, those with disability had a greater risk of leaving employment (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.35, p<0.001). Other predictors of exit from work included low-skilled occupation (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.29, p = 0.001), being in a job with low psychosocial job quality (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.19, p = 0.007), and casual, labour hire or fixed-term contract employment (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.48 to 1.69, p<0.001). There was no effect modification by disability status.ConclusionsMore research is needed to understand the experiences of workers with disabilities who stay in and leave employment.

Is Holding Two Jobs Too Much? An Examination of Dual Jobholders

We extend research related to alternative forms of employment by examining the phenomenon of dual jobholding. Approximately 7.2 million Americans are classified as a dual jobholder. Although understudied, dual jobholding is a prevalent and important work arrangement. Drawing from partial inclusion theory, we examine the popular press sentiment that organizations should prevent employees from holding two jobs as these “moonlighters” are likely to be tired and devoid of energy. In study 1, we compared the level of work engagement dual jobholders exhibit at their primary job to the level of work engagement they exhibit at their second job. In a second study, across a sample of teachers and bartenders, we compared those who hold only one job (i.e., single jobholders) to those who hold two jobs (i.e., dual jobholders) on important work behaviors and attitudes. Results suggest dual jobholders do not hurt their organizations in the form of lower work engagement, OCB, and job performance. However, dual jobholders may be hurting themselves due to high levels of work-family conflict. In general, it appears that dual jobholders are able to perform as adequately as their single jobholding counterparts. However, dual jobholders may face obstacles that single jobholders do not, in the form of high levels of work-family conflict. Because previous research typically assumes that individuals hold only one job, and because dual jobholding is a prevalent employment arrangement, the present study sheds light on a novel and important topic for research and practice.

Job Stressors and Employment Precarity as Risks for Thoughts About Suicide: An Australian Study Using the Ten to Men Cohort.

Past research suggests that adverse experiences at work (such as job stressors and precarious employment) are associated with thoughts about suicide, especially among males. A limitation of this research is that it is largely cross-sectional. Thus, it is unknown whether job stressors are a prior cause of thoughts about suicide. This study examined the baseline association between adverse experiences at work and thoughts about suicide at follow-up in a large nationally representative cohort of employed men. We used data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health (Ten to Men). The outcome was thoughts about suicide in the prior 12 months (reported in wave 2) and the key exposure variables were: high job demands, low job control, job insecurity, perceived unfairness of pay, occupational skill level, and employment arrangement (all reported in wave 1). We adjusted for possible confounders, including mental health and suicidal thoughts (wave 1). In a sample of 8379 and after adjustment, job insecurity (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.13-1.61, P = 0.001), low job control (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.06-1.33, P = 0.004), and employment on a casual or on a fixed term basis (OR 1.30, 95% 1.01-1.67, P = 0.041) were associated with a greater odds of thoughts about suicide at follow up. Results for all by job control were maintained after removing those who reported thoughts of suicide at baseline. This study suggests that experiences at work may be risk factors for thoughts about suicide among employed men. More research is needed to unpack the complex associations between, employment, and experiences of suicide.

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Трудовое и бытовое устройство освобождаемых осужденных в истории советской исправительно-трудовой системы (1924‒1953 гг.)

Трудовое и бытовое устройство освобождаемых осужденных в истории советской исправительно-трудовой системы (1924‒1953 гг.)

The Effect of Idiosyncratic Deals on Employees’ Turnover Intention and Perceived Organizational Support and Moderating Role of Perceived In-Role Performance

전통적인 인사제도에 관한 연구는 기업 내에서 모든 직원에게 동일하고 일관성 있는 인사제도의 효과성을 중심으로 다뤄왔다. 그러나 최근 연구와 실무에서는 직원들이 기업과 개별적으로 협상하여 자신의 근무환경을 스스로 구축하는 현상들을 보고하고 있다. 이와 같이 직원이 자신의 근무환경을 조직과의 협상을 통해 능동적으로 조성하고 변화시키는 현상을 Rousseau(2005)는 개인의 특이성에 따른 개별적 근무 조건(idiosyncratic deals) 이라고 정의하였다. 개별적 근무조건은 개별적이고 비표준적인 근무조건을 조직과 직원 간에 자율적으로 협상하는 것이라고 정의될 수 있다. 본 연구는 개별적 근무조건의 명확한 개념을 설명하고 개별적 근무조건이 직원들에게 미치는 영향에 대하여 실증적 이론적 논의를 하였다. 사회교환이론과 직원의 노력-결과 기대에 대한 이해를 바탕으로 연구 모형을 설정하고 가설을 도출하였다. 이를 통해, 개별적 근무조건과 이직의도 그리고 개별적 근무조건과 조직지원인식과의 관계를 살펴보고 이들의 관계가 개인의 과업성과 인식에 의해 어떻게 조절되는가를 살펴보았다. 국내 기업에 재직 중인 336명의 직원들을 대상으로 한 실증분석 결과에 따르면, 개별적 근무조건은 직원의 이직의도를 낮추고 조직지원인식을 높이는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 개인의 과업성과 인식이 높을수록 개별적 근무조건과 이직의도의 부적 관계와 개별적 근무조건과 조직지원인식의 정적 관계를 각각 강화시킴으로써 과업성과 인식이 조절효과를 가진다는 점을 확인하였다. 개별적 근무조건에 대한 미국 학계와 실무에서의 관심이 커져가는 가운데 본 연구는 국내에서 개별적 근무조건을 소개하고 개별적 근무조건의 효과와 조절변수의 가능성을 실증 분석한첫 번째 시도라고 볼 수 있다. 본 연구의 이론적 논의와 실증분석을 바탕으로 이론적, 실무적 함의와 제언을 제시하였다.Although traditional HR scholars have advocated for the standardized, consistent implementation of HR practices, what has been lacking is the attention to nonstandard nature of individualized employment arrangement. Recent studies have shown that employees proactively craft their job and negotiate their own work arrangements. Rousseau (2005) used the term idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) referring to the voluntary, personalized agreement of individualized work arrangement. I-deals are not explicitly standardized or formalized in employment contracts, but are negotiated individually between employees and their employers. This study aims to contribute to HR literature by exploring how the i-deals influence employees’ turnover intention and perceived organizational support (POS). We further argue that the relationships between i-deals and turnover intention and POS are contingent on the level of employee’s in-role performance. Using 336 employee survey data, we found that i-deals are negatively related with turnover intention and positively related with POS, and such effects are strongest when employee’s perceived in-role performance is high. The current study, to the best of our knowledge, represents the first empirical study to examine the effect of i-deals in Korea, which have been widely studied in other cultural contexts. We discuss implications of these findings for research and practice.

The Impact of Wage and Labour Flexibility on Employers and Employees

labour market flexibility, working time arrangements and work-life balance are important issues on the political agenda of many societies. The present paper captures the trade-off between the interests of employers and employees by adjusting working hours to the employee availability constraints. A theoretical model is developed in order to determine the ideal gap between full-time and part-time employees. The paper proposes a method of computing a fair rate for part-time employees that is driven by purely financial considerations which ensure that neither employers nor employees are penalized by the employment arrangement. The ideal that is identified can serve as a benchmark for a justifiable gap (also referred to as wage differences) between part-time and full-time employees. Policymakers can rely upon the method presented for computing a fair rate for part-time employees. Another dimension of labour flexibility in the field of Human Resource Management is discussed in order to define an appropriate gap between part-time and full-time employees.