Temporary Workers Research Articles

Do job demands and resources differ between permanent and temporary eldercare workers in Sweden?

Eldercare organizations face high sickness absence rates and staff turnover and rely heavily on temporary workers to fill staffing gaps. Temporary workers may experience differences in job demands and resources compared with permanent workers, but this has been largely understudied. To compare perceived job demands and resources between permanent and temporary Swedish eldercare workers. Permanent and temporary eldercare workers in a Swedish municipality were invited to answer a digital survey on work environment conditions. Differences between permanent and temporary workers in job demands and resources were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance adjusted for age, sex, place of birth, and percent of full-time work and univariate analyses were conducted to consider differences in specific factors. A total of 1076 permanent and 675 temporary workers received the survey, and the final study sample included 451 permanent and 151 temporary workers. Multivariate analyses revealed that temporary workers reported statistically significant lower job demands compared to permanent workers, but no statistically significant differences in resources were found between the groups. Univariate analyses showed that temporary workers reported lower quantitative demands, perceived exertion, and time spent bending forward, than permanent workers. These data suggest comparable support across groups, but a higher workload among permanent workers. Our findings indicate that temporary workers experienced lower job demands than permanent workers, but that no notable difference was found in resources. Interventions aimed at distributing job demands more evenly among eldercare workers with different employment forms may be necessary.

Casually cynical or trapped? Exploring gig workers’ reactions to psychological contract violation

PurposeDrawing on psychological contract (PC) theory and platform labor research, the purpose of our study was to explore gig workers’ reactions to perceived PC violation. Our study was set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought workplace health and safety issues into much sharper focus, even in nonstandard employment arrangements like gig work.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a mixed-methods design. In Study 1, we tested a conceptual model of US-based ride-hail drivers’ (n = 202) affective and cognitive reactions to Uber’s (lack of) commitment to safe working conditions. In Study 2, we conducted interviews with 32 platform workers to further explore an unexpected finding from Study 1.FindingsIn Study 1, we found that drivers’ perceptions of PC violation were related to decreased trust in Uber and higher intentions to leave this line of work; however, cynicism toward Uber only predicted withdrawal intentions for those drivers who did not believe that they had job alternatives available outside of gig work. We explored this further in Study 2, where we found that workers with low economic dependence on gig work could afford to be casually cynical toward the platform, while high-dependence workers felt “trapped” in this line of work.Originality/valueWe contribute to the social/relational theoretical approach to gig work more broadly and to the literature on PC in platform work more specifically. We also add to the emerging literature on how economic dependence shapes workers’ experience of platform work. Our findings around low-dependence gig workers experiencing a more indifferent form of cynicism – which we have termed casual cynicism – highlight the importance of treating the context of gig work as unique, not merely an extension of traditional management research.

Navigating integration challenges: Insights from migrant dairy farm workers in New Zealand

As the global demand for milk products continues to increase and dairy sectors become more concentrated, a pressing question arises: who will milk the cows and where will they come from? Mirroring global trends, the New Zealand dairy industry has experienced significant structural changes, with a shift from family-run dairy farms to larger commercially orientated operations. At the same time, domestic socio-economic and demographic changes have resulted in rural to urban migration. These factors have contributed to a shortage of skilled labour in some regions. To meet its labour demands, the New Zealand dairy sector has relied increasingly heavily on temporary migrant workers, who face significant challenges integrating into their new communities. This study uses data from in-depth interviews with 25 migrant dairy farm workers in Canterbury, New Zealand, and a modified conceptual framework for integration developed by Ager and Strang to enhance our understanding of how skilled migrants in the dairy sector adapt to unfamiliar host communities. Through thematic analysis we identify the factors that either facilitate or hinder the successful integration of this important but vulnerable group. Key themes include motivations for moving to New Zealand, pathways to obtaining their positions, and the primary challenges that they experience in attempting to integrate. Challenges include physical and social isolation, discrimination, and a lack of access to key services. As the agricultural sector continues to grow, it is essential to provide migrant farm workers with adequate support to ensure their successful social, cultural, and economic integration.

How Algorithmic Management Influences Gig Workers' Job Crafting.

Algorithmic management, as a digital management tool in the gig economy, has become a hotspot of concern at the intersection of theory and practice. However, there is a lack of research on the mechanisms and boundary conditions through which algorithmic management affects gig workers' job crafting. Based on the social information processing theory, this study constructed a dual-mediation model of how algorithmic management influences gig workers' job crafting through gameful experience and perceived job autonomy. Data from 687 valid samples were collected through a two-stage survey and statistically analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results demonstrate that algorithmic management increases gig workers' promotion-focused job crafting behaviors (increasing job resources and challenging job demands) by stimulating their gameful experiences and increases gig workers' prevention-focused job crafting behaviors (decreasing hindering job demands) by inhibiting their perceived job autonomy. In addition, the higher-order personality trait core self-evaluation moderates the relationship between algorithmic management and gameful experience and perceived job autonomy, as well as the indirect effects of algorithmic management on job crafting through gameful experiences and perceived job autonomy. This study advances empirical research on algorithmic management in the field of the gig economy and human resource management practices. Crucially, it provides practical insights for optimizing algorithmic systems in platform companies, potentially enhancing their efficiency and economic benefits.

Multiple faces of labour market segmentation within the Turkish construction industry

Abstract This study explores labour market segmentation within the Turkish construction industry, in a developing country context characterised by refugee influxes and heightened earthquake risks. We apply statistical and regression analyses using 2002–2020 Household Labour Force Survey data to explore segmentation with a specific focus on payment, job type and social security enrolment. The findings reveal a segmented labour market where the progress in regular, permanent and registered employment in the 2000s failed to encompass most construction workers. Lower wages, and temporary and unregistered work are more common among the youngest and oldest workers, those with poor education and qualification levels, immigrants, and those employed by micro enterprises. The construction industry lags behind both manufacturing and services in terms of registered and permanent employment rates and average wages. The prevalence of workers in elementary jobs with little education highlights the ongoing challenge of ensuring a highly skilled workforce, while reconstruction activities in earthquake-prone zones and the demand for urban transformation in Türkiye are increasing. We argue that improvements in working conditions constitute an urgent restructuring component in the sector for elevating the status of construction jobs, addressing the shortage of skilled labour and ensuring a high-quality building stock that upholds the right to a secure life in Türkiye.

Resolving disputes in mediated “gig” work: How marketplace structure influences the impartiality of dispute handling by labor market intermediaries

AbstractScholars of work disputes have mostly focused on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) by employer organizations. With the context of work changing, disputes in mediated “gig” work should also be subject to scholarly analysis. To examine factors influencing the impartiality of ADR by labor market intermediaries, we focus on intermediary dispute handlers and the relationships these private regulators have with dispute parties. Building on the ethnography of disputing literature, we uncover how, depending on the structure of their marketplaces, intermediaries may frame their third‐party role differently and influencing the impartiality of their ADR processes. The paper illustrates this point, drawing on fieldwork inside a labor platform and a temporary staffing agency. Existing explanations focus on the promise of impartiality of ADR by an external third‐party. Using interview, observational, and archival data, we analyze third‐party roles in mediated labor markets and posit that impartiality is primarily linked to marketplace structure.

Negative effects of casualisation in Sokoto, Nigeria’s banking sector

Contract workers are the direct victims of casualization but beyond that, the effects they suffer transcend to their families and the larger society. The study examined the effects of casualization on the contract workers of banks in Sokoto, Nigeria. The primary methods of gathering data for the study were in-depth and key informant interviews, with sixty individuals who were specifically chosen. Following content analysis, the gathered data were presented narratively with verbatim quotations. According to the study, there are a number of negative effects of casualization, such as low wages that contribute to a low standard of living and the inability of employees and their families to adequately meet their basic needs, the arbitrary termination of casual employees without cause, and the lack of a claim for work-related injuries or diseases in the event of an accident or death. The overall inference is that the temporary employees are working in appallingly subpar conditions. The study suggests that in order to raise the living standards of their temporary employees, banks should provide welfare packages. Additionally, because inflation is on the rise, contract employees’ compensation should be reviewed upward.

Avalúos inmobiliarios: un estudio de caso sobre el sistema Continental frente al Common Law

We use Colombia as a case study of a situation where emerging real estate valuation practices, mostly based upon the logic of Common Law legal systems, and oriented to market prediction and global standards, collides with a valuation tradition based upon the Continental legal tradition. In this tradition, the valuation process first and foremost must satisfy limiting regulatory checklists. These requirements minimize the value of focusing on market analyses to offer accurate predictions (appraisals). Our analysis builds upon the Laws 9 of 1989 and 388 of 1997, and their corresponding implementation legal enactments (resoluciones), showing that the valuation practice for public purposes determines a logic where appraisers operate as ‘temporary public workers’. Appraisers and their associations (Lonjas) have subsequently transferred such limiting procedural principles to valuation for business purposes, which should be oriented to market analysis and prediction.

Empirical Studies on Merging Characteristics in Temporary Highway Work Zones with Different Traffic States and Layouts

Vehicles conduct mandatory lane changes to merge into the open lanes in temporary highway work zones, and the merging characteristics have been widely studied over the past decades. Unlike research on other traffic facilities, the data and scenarios of highway work zones are often lacking and monotonous. This study presented a vehicle trajectory dataset in highway work zones. The dataset contains ten work zone sites and three different layouts. After transforming raw videos into high-resolution trajectories, we selected eight areas and divided them into three scenarios to investigate the merging characteristics in highway work zones with different traffic states and layouts. In work zones with varying traffic conditions, we found opposite merging locations and lane speed distribution trends. In work zones with varying layouts, we found different merging location distributions, lane speed distributions, and impacts on the following vehicle’s speed. The relationship between the gap and merge speed was consistent with previous studies.

Blessing or curse? The two-sided effects of algorithmic control on and ego-depletion and safety performance of gig workers

The emergence of gig economy has facilitated the adoption of algorithm-based management systems, creating favorable conditions for gig workers. Nevertheless, it also brings various challenges and uncertainties, especially gig workers' safety performance, having become a prominent concern. Based on ego-depletion theory, we investigate the underlying mechanism through which platform algorithmic control influences on safety performance of gig workers. Based on two points of data from 314 gig workers in China, we found that the three dimensions of algorithmic control (viz., standardized guidance, tracking evaluation and behavioral constraint) have differential effects on safety performance. On one hand, algorithmic standardized guidance is negatively related to ego-depletion, which in turn improves safety performance. On the other hand, algorithmic tracking evaluation and behavioral constraint are positively related to ego-depletion, and consequently reducing safety performance. Furthermore, algorithmic transparency moderates the relationship between algorithmic standardized guidance, algorithmic tracking evaluation, and ego-depletion; self-efficacy moderates the relationship between algorithmic standardized guidance and ego-depletion; both trait mindfulness and leadership safety commitment moderate the relationship between ego-depletion and safety performance. This study offers valuable insights for platform enterprises to optimize the effectiveness of algorithmic control.

It depends: Platform dependence, schedule control, and satisfaction among gig workers on Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform

AbstractUnderstanding the risks and rewards of gig work requires examining how gig workers themselves feel about their work and how work satisfaction may vary even among workers on the same gig platform. Platform dependence theory posits that financially disadvantaged workers who depend on gig work for essential income will be less satisfied, in part, because they are less able to work their preferred schedules. These predictions, however, have not been tested quantitatively. Using survey data from workers who do gig microtasks on Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform (MTurk), we examine how platform dependence, schedule mismatches (between preferred and actual work schedules), and work stress are related to work satisfaction. We find that all three factors are associated with lower satisfaction. Furthermore, we find support for a hypothesized mediating mechanism: platform dependence lowers satisfaction, in part, because it is associated with more mismatches between workers' preferred and actual schedules. We conclude by discussing reforms that could improve satisfaction for all microtask workers.

Vnímanie vybraných možností financovania v start-upoch a korporáciách generáciou Z

The current generation of young people is growing up in an era that is strongly influenced by digital technologies and the Internet, characterized by fears of stereotypes, but also by flexibility, non-conflict and temporary work. From this point of view, regular work in a company can appear undynamic, and starting one's own business is becoming more and more popular. The characteristics of generation Z can also greatly influence the perception of ways of financing businesses and the resulting form of business itself. The presented scientific article is focused on the perception of selected methods of financing, which fundamentally differ in start-ups and in other types of business. The aim of the article is, based on a questionnaire survey, to analyze and compare the perception of selected methods of financing in companies by generation Z with regard to the financing of start-ups. The results assume the differentiation of the preferences of generation Z in individual areas and the determination of whether this generation is more inclined to traditional or alternative or risky forms of financing.

Towards a geographical political economy understanding of platformization

In the last ten years digital platforms have emerged as an important theme in academic discourse and various subdisciplines of geography and adjacent research areas. Whether in the fields of social media, urban transport, industry cloud services or gig work, platformization is therein often discussed as a more-than-economic phenomenon engaging in a conflictive relationship with public interest, sovereignty, regulation and the state. However, while the concept of the platform has become ubiquitous, the integration of and dialogue between various broadened definitions are less often practiced. In our short paper, we argue that for further addressing this intricate relation between platforms, power and sovereignty an engagement with the platform concept and its integration through a political economy understanding is key for two reasons: Firstly, an overarching concept of platformization transcending the political/economy binary is necessary to be able to problematize the reification of normalized economic practices lying at the heart of the phenomenon. Secondly, there is a pragmatic reason for developing a geographical political economy perspective on platformization as it can serve as a common ground for an engaged pluralism within and beyond the discipline of economic geography. Based on a systematization of existing definitions this paper therefore combines insights from political economy perspectives, urban platform research and research on platform labor to propose a working definition stimulating a reflection on the platform discourse thus far and strengthening strategical-relational thinking on platform power in future research.

The The Impact of Task Management, Social Support and Income on Work-Life Balance among Gig Workers

The study addresses the growing concern about work-life balance among gig workers in Malaysia, a population facing unique challenges due to the nature of gig employment. This issue is particularly critical as gig workers often struggle with task management, securing social support, and dealing with income volatility, all of which impact their ability to achieve a balanced work-life dynamic. This study aims to analyze the effects of task management, social support, and income stability on the work-life balance of gig workers in Malaysia. A quantitative research methodology was employed, involving a survey of 70 gig workers across various sectors in Kedah. The data was analyzed using correlation analysis to assess the relationships between the independent variables, task management, social support, and income stability, and the dependent variable, work-life balance. The findings reveal that task management, social support, and income stability are all significantly correlated with better work-life balance, with task management being the most influential factor. The implications of this study suggest that improving task management practices, enhancing social support systems, and stabilizing income are crucial strategies for gig platforms and policymakers to consider. These measures can significantly improve the well-being of gig workers and contribute to a more sustainable gig economy. The study also highlights the need for further research to explore these relationships in different cultural contexts and over time, to better understand their long-term effects.

Association Between Temporary Employment and Current Smoking and Change in Smoking Behaviors: A Prospective Cohort Study From South Korea (2009-2018).

Previous studies have suggested that employment insecurity is associated with adverse health outcomes. We explored the association between temporary employment and smoking behaviors. We analyzed 11,795 workers (51,867 observations) from the Korea Health Panel Study (2009-2018). Employment types were categorized as regular, fixed-term, or daily, based on the duration of labor contract. The outcomes were current smoking status and changes in smoking behavior (initiation or cessation) in the following year. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The proportions of fixed-term and daily workers were 41.2% and 16.4% for women and 23.6% and 12.4% for men, respectively. Temporary employment was associated with increased odds of current smoking, while also demonstrating prospective associations with changes in smoking behaviors. For instance, in prospective analyses, male workers with fixed-term and daily employments were associated with a decreased likelihood of smoking cessation (OR 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65-0.91 for fixed-term employment and OR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.52-0.83 for daily employment) in the following year compared to those with regular employment. Moreover, those experiencing consecutive temporary employment was most inversely associated with smoking cessation in both men (OR 0.56; 95% CI, 0.44-0.71) and women (OR 0.37; 95% CI, 0.16-0.85) compared to those experiencing consecutive regular employment. However, no clear association between temporary employment and smoking initiation was observed in both men and women. Temporary employment is directly associated with current smoking and inversely associated with smoking cessation. Policies are needed to improve job insecurity among temporary employees.

Navigating occupational balance and identity in the platform economy: Perspectives from immigrant workers

ABSTRACT Gig work, or platform work, refers to short-term jobs acquired through digital platforms and constitutes a growing share of Canada’s economy (Jeon et al., 2021). Compared to Canadian-born individuals, immigrants make up a higher percentage of workers in the gig economy (Statistics Canada, 2024). There is a literature gap concerning how immigrants’ engagement in the gig economy shapes their occupational identity and sense of occupational balance. This study explores the experiences of immigrants working in the gig economy to develop an understanding of gig work through a perspective centering occupational, rather than economic, perspectives that are dominant in the literature. Using an instrumental case study approach, a secondary thematic analysis of 10 qualitative interviews with immigrants currently employed in different forms of gig work in Metro Vancouver, Canada was completed. Findings highlighted three main themes. First, a balancing act illustrates ways that gig work is often balanced with other occupations in participants’ lives given the flexibility and autonomy it offers. Second, shifting identities addresses how gig work helped participants navigate shifts to their identities following their immigration. Third, beyond the dollar discusses participants’ motivations for engaging in gig work beyond the income it generates. Gig work is nuanced and people’s motivations to engage in this type of employment are diverse. As immigrants experience a shift in their occupational identity and balance a variety of occupations, they may be drawn to this form of employment due to its unique characteristics and perceived benefits given other challenges they may face during their economic integration.

The triangular relationship in platform gig work: Consumers, platform beneficence and worker vulnerability

AbstractPlatform gig work is created and contested in dynamic, triangular relationships between platforms, workers, and consumers. Compared with the first two groups, however, evidence about the role of the third—consumers—is sparse. In this paper, we investigate consumers' changing perceptions of work in the platform gig economy and argue that their perspective warrants greater attention in sociological analyses. Using data from two Australian public opinion surveys conducted 5 years apart (2017 and 2022), we explore how consumers' views of platform gig work evolved during a period of rapid change that includes the first 2 years of the COVID‐19 pandemic. We find that while overall platform use increased markedly, many consumers felt conflicted about gig workers' conditions and key features of platforms' typical labour practices. There is a pronounced, enduring, and consequential tension in consumers' views of the merits and drawbacks of this work; between, on the one hand, an acceptance that platforms do benefit workers to some extent and, on the other hand, misgivings about workers' vulnerability to harm. In centring consumers, our paper empirically enriches current triangular conceptions of labour relations in the platform gig economy, by showing how consumers mediate the interests of platforms and workers, to shape how gig work manifests and who benefits from it. We also contribute useful new practical knowledge, by elucidating the prevailing concerns of consumers that could be developed into resonant themes for campaigns aimed at improving platform gig workers' rights.

Coping with temporariness: Space appropriation of South Asian migrants in Muscat, Oman

AbstractThis article deals with the practices of South Asian migrant workers appropriating space in Muscat, Oman. Due to temporary employment contracts, low income, and long working hours, in addition to living in a fragmented car‐dependent city, their access to the city is spatially and temporally limited. This raises the question of their opportunities and limitations for space appropriation in Muscat. In this paper, we first describe the urban and political context that leads to their limitations and temporalities. We then establish a theoretical framework to define the roles of space, migration, and time. Adopting a qualitative approach combining interviews and observation, we then focus on one location as a case study and analyse how its visitors, low‐income and middle‐income migrant workers, appropriate space according to their daily needs. Highlighting the tension between rigid constraints and constant change, we conclude by presenting the social and spatial products of the process of space appropriation and respond to the discourse on the production of space through the lens of temporary migration.

Will Fun and Care Prevent Gig Workers' Withdrawal? A Moderated Mediation Model

ABSTRACTThis study investigates how gig work challenges influence job withdrawal, mediated by stressors and perceived job insecurity, while considering the moderating effects of playful work design and a caring organizational ethical climate. Drawing on Cognitive–Emotional Systems Theory and the job demands–resources model, data were gathered from 516 Chinese gig workers. Results show that gig work challenges positively impact job withdrawal by triggering stressors and job insecurity. Notably, playful work design moderates this relationship, mitigating the impact of gig work challenges as hedonic job crafting levels increase. However, the caring ethical climate does not significantly influence the relationship between stressors and perceived job insecurity in the gig work context. The findings suggest that promoting playful work design can be an effective strategy to alleviate the negative effects of gig work challenges, thereby enhancing job satisfaction and retention in the gig economy. This study also provides a new perspective on understanding the mechanisms behind gig workers' workplace withdrawal behaviors, deepening the application of the Cognitive–Emotional Systems Theory and the Job Demands–Resources Model in the gig economy.

Temporary FDA Advisory Committee Members, Recommendations, and Agency Actions, 2017-2021

This cross-sectional study examines the recommendations and agency actions of temporary and permanent US Food and Drug Administration advisory committee members from 2017 to 2021.