Precarious Employment Situation Research Articles

Barriers to the health and well-being of women with multiple sclerosis in Southwestern Ontario, Canada

AbstractPurpose:This study explores the lived experiences of women living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and identifies barriers to their optimal health and well-being.Methodology:Using van Manen's interpretative phenomenologic analysis, the researchers conducted semistructured interviews with 23 women diagnosed with MS in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Data were analyzed using NVivo 12 software, and themes were validated through member checking.Results:The study revealed a key theme of “obstacles for women with MS” and subthemes related to barriers to physical, mental, and social well-being. Participants reported experiencing feelings of health despite their MS diagnosis but identified various constraints on their optimal health and well-being, including challenges with employment, financial support, and housing security.Conclusion:The findings highlight the need for healthcare professionals to advocate for equitable treatments, medication, and accessibility supports for women with MS, as well as for policies that address disability income support and affordable housing. Further research is recommended to explore power imbalances experienced by women with MS in precarious employment situations or living with episodic disabilities.

Thriving at the Crossroads: Navigating Work and Wellness in the Modern Workforce

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the significant impact of work on an individual's physical and mental health. Factors such as job insecurity, long working hours, and increased use of technology have contributed to the changing landscape of work-related health issues. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges, highlighting the importance of health and safety in the workplace. Employers are increasingly focusing on employee well-being, implementing wellness programs, flexible work arrangements, and mental health support. Remote work, accelerated by the pandemic, has reshaped the traditional office environment, raising questions about work-life balance and the potential long-term effects on health. At the same time, disparities in access to healthcare and the social determinants of health continue to influence the health outcomes of workers. Vulnerable populations, including low-income and gig economy workers, face unique challenges in maintaining their health while navigating precarious employment situations. This abstract underscores the need for ongoing research and policy efforts to better understand and address the intricate relationship between work and health in today's labour markets.

Liminality, COVID‐19 and the long crisis of young adults' employment

AbstractThe COVID‐19 crisis has brought into sharp relief the precarious employment situation of young people, precipitating a raft of academic and public claims of an unprecedented crisis that has disrupted young lives. Our study contributes to research on youth labour and transitions with new longitudinal empirical analysis. Our analysis challenges the “newness” of the precarity highlighted by COVID‐19, focussing on employment. It draws on longitudinal mixed methods data from a research project tracking the transition to adulthood of young Australians. We make use of the concept of liminality to analyse the labour patterns for this group of young adults for the past 5 years. While we acknowledge the impact of COVID‐19 on young people's lives, our analysis reveals a precarisation of labour conditions for a significant proportion of participants that precedes the pandemic crisis. We conclude that the tendency in some youth research and in public discourse, to depict contemporary events as heralding “new” crises for young people, obscures the deeper structural arrangements that continually position the young to take the brunt of social and economic policies.

Southern European Journalists’ Perceptions of Discursive Menaces in the Age of (Online) Delegitimization

In a new communication context, factors such as the rise of hate speech, disinformation, or a precarious financial and employment situation in the media have made discursive menaces gain increasing significance. Threats of this kind challenge the legitimacy of institutional news media and professional journalists. This article contributes to the existing literature on the legitimization of journalism and boundary work through a study that seeks to understand the perceptions of Southern European journalists of the threats that they encounter in their work and the factors that help explain them. To this end, a survey of 398 journalists in Spain, Italy, and Greece was conducted to learn what personal or professional factors influenced their views and experiences of discursive and non-discursive menaces. Results show that discursive threats, such as hateful or demeaning speech and public discrediting of one’s work, are the most frequent to the safety of journalists, while expressions of physical violence are less common. Younger and more educated journalists tended to perceive themselves as having been victims of discursive menaces more often, although not many significant differences were observed between different groups of journalists. Even though it could show a worrying trend, this finding can also indicate a growing awareness about menaces of this kind.

Building Leadership Through Partnerships: Using Concept Mapping to Develop Community Capacity to Address Gender-Based Violence.

To address an unmet need for community-driven gender-based violence (GBV) responses in areas with high levels of precarious employment, a community-based organization partnered with academic researchers and community members to use concept mapping to inform the design of a leadership development program. The objectives of the research were to identify and prioritize the skills, knowledge, and resources that "worker-leaders" (informal activists) need to help prevent and reduce acts of GBV directed toward individuals working in low-wage and precarious employment situations. Using concept mapping as part of a community-based participatory project, the community-academic research team elicited input from Latinx and Korean residents from low-income immigrant communities. Individuals brainstormed, sorted, and rated the skills and resources necessary to reduce and respond to GBV. Quantitative analyses were jointly interpreted by community and academic researchers. Sixty-nine individuals participated in at least one concept mapping activity. Twenty-one unique skills and resources across seven thematic constructs were identified. Participants believed that skills and resources related to Workplace Violence would be most effective at building trainee capacity to address GBV, but Employee and Survivor Support topics were more likely to draw worker-leaders to a program. Access to organizations that support survivors was considered both highly effective and likely to be of great interest. This research ensures that the GBV leadership training program is grounded in community-generated evidence. The process of undertaking this research was at least as useful in the development of the leadership of the program as the results themselves.

From Sport to Work? Exploring Potentials in a Moroccan Sport-for-Employability Programme

Sport for development (SFD) has become an increasingly recognised and used approach to support positive social development across several contexts and thematic areas, including as it relates to improving the employability of young people not in employment or education (NEETs). Despite this, there has been limited research in this area, and we only have a partial picture of the experiences, mechanisms, and design of sport-for-employability programmes. Responding to this, the following paper presents the results of a qualitative study on the experiences and outcomes associated with an employability-focused SFD programme based in Casablanca, Morocco. Results illustrate how the programme provided crucial support to encourage consistent engagement and that this programme offered valuable opportunities for practical experiences and recognised qualifications. Nonetheless, many participants remain in short-term or precarious employment situations. Thus, closer alignment with job market needs and engagement with employment policy issues are likely needed to support longer-term, more secure employment.

Anxiety, Depression, and Concern About Employment Status of Hotel Housekeepers in the Balearic Islands During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study.

Tourism is a crucial economic sector in the Balearic Islands (Spain). COVID-19 pandemic might severely impact hotel housekeepers (HHs) due to their already precarious employment situation. The purpose is to assess the evolution of the concern about employment status, anxiety, and depression of HHs. This is a longitudinal study conducted with a subset of participants from a primary care, health promotion intervention study. Two additional visits were added (March–April and October–December 2020) for the purpose of this study. We recruited 290 HHs in March–April 2020; 237 were again interviewed during October–December 2020. In the first visit, high level of concern about employment was associated with age under 50, temporary contracts and external locus of control (LOC). Moderate–severe anxiety was associated with low social support and external LOC; moderate–severe depression was associated with low social support. Regarding the second visit, age, years working as HH, type of contract, social support, and LOC were not associated with concern about employment status, anxiety, and depression. There was a larger proportion of HHs with moderate–severe anxiety and depression among HHs with high degree of concern. Concern increased significantly among HHs: over 50 years of age; with more than 15 years in the job, a recurring seasonal contract and normal social support. After adjusting by age, type of contract, LOC, and social support, we found a statistically significant increase (12.0%) of HHs highly concerned about their job situation: compared to the first visit, HHs were 2.3 more likely to have a high degree of concern in December 2020. In contrast, increases in moderate–severe anxiety (0.3%) and depression (4.3%) between the two periods were not significant. In HHs, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant concern about employment status and symptoms of depression and anxiety. In the uncertain times of the pandemic, mental wellbeing benefits from variables that confer stability, such as internal LOC, perception of social support, and a stable job. Longitudinal results point at long lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. It is crucial to allocate additional resources in primary care to adequately address the anticipated influx of needs.

Precarious employment and mental health across European welfare states: a gender perspective.

The aim of this article was to examine the relationship between precarious employment (PE), welfare states (WS) and mental health in Europe from a gender perspective. Data were derived from the European Working Conditions Survey 2015. PE was measured through the Employment Precariousness Scale for Europe (EPRES-E), validated for comparative research in 22 European countries, and categorized into quartiles. Countries were classified into Continental, Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian, Southern and Central-Eastern WS. Mental health was assessed through the WHO-5 Well-Being Index and dichotomized into poor and good mental health. In a sample of 22,555 formal employees, we performed gender-stratified multi-level logistic regression models. Results showed greater prevalences of PE and poor mental health among women. However, the association between them was stronger among men. Cross-country differences were observed in multi-level regressions, but the interaction effect of WS was only significant among women. More precisely, Central-Eastern WS enhanced the likelihood of poor mental health among women in high precarious employment situations (quartiles 3 and 4). These findings suggest the interaction between contextual and individual factors in the production of mental health inequalities, both within and across countries. They also call for the incorporation of gender-sensitive welfare policies if equitable and healthy labor markets are to be achieved in Europe.

Precarious Labor in COVID Times: The Case of Musicians

The coronavirus pandemic changed the way we think about work, the economy, and our everyday lives as governments shutdown all but the most essential public spaces. Workers who earn a living through precarious employment have faced unique barriers to securing wages. The impact of the pandemic shutdown was especially devastating on musicians' lives and many supporting workers in the entertainment industry. The structural insecurity of gig work became amplified as venues were forced to stop performances for a year or more. In this paper, I argue the current phase of capitalism that depends on precarious labor and unending consumption destroys workers’ means to meet their basic and social needs. While this affected workers through the economy, I explore the impact the COVID music closures had on musicians in particular. How did the closure of the live music industry amplify the precariousness of musicians’ working situations? First, I develop a trace the current mode of capitalism. Second, I discuss musicians as precarious workers by exploring the way record contracts establish inequity in the recording industry. Finally, I argue the COVID crisis for musicians was largely an effect of their precarious employment situation.

Features of the incarcerated population followed on an outpatient basis in the Department of Psychiatry of the National University Hospital of Fann in Senegal

Introductionles troubles psychiatriques affectent une grande proportion de la population carcérale. En effet, depuis plusieurs années, les conditions de détention dans les prisons sénégalaises sont décriées en évoquant notamment la surpopulation. Ces conditions jouent probablement un rôle déterminant dans la survenue des troubles psychiques dans cette population. Ce travail décrit les caractéristiques sociodémographiques et cliniques chez ces détenus suivis en ambulatoire au service de psychiatrie du Centre Hospitalier National Universitaire (CHNU) de Fann.Méthodesl´étude était de type rétrospectif et descriptif. Les auteurs avaient colligé tous les détenus ayant consulté à l´Unité de la Consultation Externe du service de Psychiatrie du CHNU de Fann entre le 1er janvier 2005 et le 31 décembre 2010, soit sur une période de six ans.Résultatsnotre population d´étude était constituée de 62 détenus répartis en 92% d´hommes et 8% de femmes. L´âge moyen était de 32 ans, près de trois quarts des individus (72,6%) étaient célibataires. Leur situation professionnelle était précaire dans la majorité des cas et 69,3% d´entre eux n´avaient pas atteint le niveau d´étude secondaire. L´insomnie était le motif de consultation le plus important (29%) suivis des cas d´hallucinations acousticoverbales (22,6%). L´agressivité physique et/ou les menaces envers les codétenus étaient observées dans 17,7% des cas. Les principales catégories diagnostiques constatées étaient les troubles schizophréniques (32,3%) et les troubles dépressifs (27,4%). Entre 2005 et 2010, le nombre de consultations des détenus a été multiplié par trois/an passants de 7 à 19.Conclusionil ressort de cette étude, que la population carcérale, suivie en ambulatoire en psychiatrie, est caractérisée par un âge jeune, majoritairement masculin et célibataire, de bas niveau d´instruction, de statut professionnel désavantagé. Un profil semblable a été dégagé dans la littérature internationale sur le même sujet. En l´état actuel du développement socio-économique et sanitaire du Sénégal, nous remarquons, que bien que le nombre de consultations des détenus augmente au fil des années, que seuls les individus avec des troubles mentaux sévères parviennent dans les services sanitaires spécialisés. Compte tenu de l´effectif de la population carcérale, des parcours biographiques des détenus, des conditions de détention et de l´absence de certaines pathologies, une enquête conduite dans les prisons s´avère nécessaire afin d´évaluer les besoins de soins de santé mentale des populations carcérales et les problématiques spécifiques qui pourraient les affecter.

A Model Regulator? Investigating Reactive and Proactive Labour Standards Enforcement in Canada’s Federally Regulated Private Sector

This article examines labour standards violations and enforcement activities in Canada’s federally regulated private sector (FRPS) between 2006 and 2018. Drawing on an administrative data set (known as the Labour Application 2000 (LA2K)) from the federal Labour Program of Employment and Social Development Canada – we illustrate the dominance of a complianceoriented approach to labour standards enforcement in the federal labour inspectorate. This compliance- oriented model of enforcement assumes that most labour standards violations result from lack of knowledge on the part of employers, and that violations are exceptional rather than a regular feature of contemporary business practices geared to cost-containment. Further, the dominance of a compliance-based enforcement strategy is rooted in the historically unique working conditions, industrial composition, and social demographics of the FRPS. In short, the sector has been characterized historically by a disproportionate number of large firms, and a highly male-dominated workforce, engaged in full-time permanent employment. However, numerous labour standards violations are evident in growing pockets of precarious employment, particularly among small firms in the trucking sector. We argue that the litmus test for the regime’s efficacy should be the degree to which it serves employees in the most precarious employment situations. The inspectorate devotes relatively little time to proactive workplace inspections. Those violations that inspectors do uncover through proactive inspections are principally non-monetary and are rectified primarily on the basis of securing employers’ written commitments to bring their practices into compliance with minimum standards. By way of conclusion, the article outlines the ways in which reliance on a compliance model of enforcement in the FRPS may be contributing to the erosion of labour standards, particularly for those workers in industries where small firms dominate and precarious employment is concentrated, and calls for a more deterrence-oriented approach. Labour Standards, Enforcement, Compliance, Violations, Workplace Inspections, Federal Jurisdiction, Canada

A rapid scoping review of COVID-19 and vulnerable workers: Intersecting occupational and public health issues.

BackgroundThis article reports the results of a rapid scoping review of the literature on COVID‐19 transmission risk to workers in essential sectors such as retail, health care, manufacturing, and agriculture, and more particularly the experiences of workers in precarious employment and social situations.MethodsFollowing scoping review methods, we included 30 studies that varied in terms of methodology and theoretical approaches. The search included peer‐reviewed articles and grey literature published between March and September 2020.ResultsBased on the studies reviewed, we found that COVID‐19 infection and death rates increased not only with age and comorbidities, but also with discrimination and structural inequities based on racism and sexism. Racial and ethnic minority workers, including migrant workers, are concentrated in high‐risk occupations and this concentration is correlated to lower socioeconomic conditions. The COVID‐19 pandemic appears in the occupational health and safety spotlight as an exacerbator of already existing socioeconomic inequalities and social inequalities in health, especially in light of the intersection of issues related to racism, ethnic minority status, and sexism.ConclusionsThis review provides early evidence about the limitations of institutions' responses to the pandemic, and their capacity to provide a safe and decent working environment for all workers, regardless of their employment status or the social protections they may enjoy under normal circumstances. It is also important to think about these issues in the postpandemic context, when conditions of precariousness and vulnerability persist and possibly worsen.

Diverting blame to stay sane - young people\u2019s strategies for dealing with the mental health effects of precarious employment: a grounded theory study

BackgroundPrecarious employment is a risk factor for poor mental health, particularly among young adults. Knowledge about how young people maintain their mental health while in a precarious employment situation is scarce. The aim of the study was to explore the meaning of precarious employment for young adults in Sweden and their strategies for maintaining good mental health.MethodsIn-depth interviews were conducted with 15 individuals (9 men and 6 women) aged 20–39 years in a precarious employment situation. Contact persons at union offices and at specific job-coaching organizations collaborating with the Swedish public employment agency in the city of Malmö were gate openers to reach informants. Analysis was based on constructivist grounded theory, implying an emergent design where data collection and analysis go hand in hand.ResultsAll informants had completed secondary school in Sweden, and one third had studied at the university level. A majority currently had jobs; however, they were mostly employed on an hourly basis and only a few had temporary full-time jobs. The analysis resulted in a core category “Diverting blame to stay sane,” which summarized an emergent coping process involving individual resources and resources represented by the individuals’ social capital. The developed theoretical model contained four main categories, “Facing reality,” “Losing control,” “Adapting,” and “Fighting back,” related to the core category.ConclusionsThe results implied a process where the challenges created by loss of employment-based rights required a coping process where the individual’s social capital plays an important role. However, social capital is to a large extent determined by contextual factors, underlining the strong health equity aspect of precarious employment.

Dealing with ‘vulnerable workers’ in precarious employment: Front-line constraints and strategies in employment standards enforcement

Individual worker complaints continue to be the core foundation of employment standards enforcement in many Western jurisdictions, including the Canadian province of Ontario. In the contemporary labour market context where segments of the labour force may be disproportionately impacted by rights violations, and employment relationships are more diverse and often more tenuous than previously, the continued reliance on individual claims suggests a need to better understand the challenges associated with the investigation and resolution of claims involving ‘vulnerable workers’ in precarious employment situations. Using interviews with front-line Ontario employment standards officers (ESOs), this article examines the extent to which certain worker characteristics and employment situations perceived by officers as ‘vulnerable’ are identified by officers as significant constraints or barriers to investigation processes and outcomes, and documents whether and how officers address these constraints and barriers. The analysis also identifies the perceived influence of policy, resource and legislative requirements in shaping how officers deal with the more difficult and challenging cases, while also considering the extent to which the officers’ actions are understood by them as discretionary and guided by their particular orientations or concerns. In so doing, this article reveals challenges to the resolution of claims in precarious employment situations, the very place where employment standards are often most needed.

Precarious employment and health: A qualitative study in Venezuelan immigrant population in Colombia

BackgroundEmployment and working conditions are considered as an element that impacts on health inequalities, especially among vulnerable groups such as the immigrant population. This study aims to describe the characteristics of precarious employment in the Venezuelan immigrant population in Medellín (Colombia) according to its theoretical model and its relationship with the perception of their physical, mental, and psychosocial health. MethodsA qualitative study was conducted with a focused ethnography perspective. 31 people with Venezuelan origin and work experience were interviewed in the city of Medellin and its metropolitan area and 12 key informants from different formal and informal social organizations that work with the immigrant population. A narrative content analysis was carried manually and by using the Atlas.Ti 8.0 software. The principles of analytical induction were applied to carry out a thematic analysis of the main categories defined in the precarious employment framework. ResultsThe following characteristics of precarious employment were found: instability in employment conditions, work in the informal or submerged economy, limited empowerment, absence of social benefits, high vulnerability, low income, and a limited capacity for exercising labor rights. This situation affects mental health conditions, access to health services, and the presence of risks due to the work they perform. ConclusionsThe Venezuelan working population in Medellín is found in a precarious employment situation. Inclusive social strategies and policies that take into account the reality of this population are required.

Navigating the Informal Economy: Social Networks among Undocumented Zimbabwean Migrant Women Hairdressers in Durban, South Africa

This ethnographic study examines how undocumented Zimbabwean migrant women hairdressers in Durban (South Africa) use their social networks to navigate the informal sector. It draws on 15 in-depth interviews, participant observation, and three focus group discussions. The article focuses attention on the precarious employment situation of young migrants working in the urban informal economy and how their social networks play a two-fold supportive role. First, social networks paved the way by spreading information about the destination country, and they provide continuing assistance. Social networks determined whether migration should occur and in which form, whether temporary, circular, or permanent. Secondly, social networks are available in the opportunity structure and play a significant role in all stages of business creation by providing information and other resources. Against this backdrop, the study describes the three fundamental characteristics exhibited by these social networks: structure, content, and function. Structure refers to the types of relationships often called an architectural aspect of network ties. Content is the transfer of material or non-material resources which is significant in the business creation process. It includes attitudes, opinions, more tangible experiences and collective memory held within networks. Function refers to the satisfaction of needs including emotional support and instrumental aid. Theoretical insights of this study are drawn from Giddens’ theory of structuration.

Occupational Precariousness of Nursing Staff in Catalonia's Public and Private Nursing Homes.

Nursing staff who provide care in the nursing homes of Catalonia have more precarious work conditions, including more demanding schedules and work overload, than those in other areas of care. This situation entails two major problems: Detrimental health results for nurses who face psychosocial and physical risks and a negative impact on the care provided to patients, with a decrease in the quality of care. This study aimed to describe the precarious employment situation of nursing staff in nursing homes. We carried out a descriptive study based on the employment precariousness scale (EPRES), which was administered to a sample of 239 nurses and nursing assistants working in public and private nursing homes in Catalonia. The highest level of job insecurity occurred among nursing assistants and in privately managed nursing homes. The precariousness of the working conditions of nursing staff poses a risk both to the workers themselves and to the people they tend to. For this reason, there is a need for greater knowledge on the scale of the problem and the implementation of appropriate legislative measures to alleviate it.

Overcoming feudal constraints on educational research in Spain: the impact of the CIMIE conference

ABSTRACTFeudal structures and power relationships that Spanish universities inherited from Franco’s dictatorship have damaged the quality of educational research. However, the emergence of initiatives aimed to address these limitations have been identified. In this article, we analyze the impact of the Multidisciplinary International Conference on Educational Research (CIMIE). Specifically, we analyze how CIMIE is contributing to overcome some of the feudal constraints affecting educational research in Spain, such as fragmentation of areas of knowledge, limited international research efforts, and precarious and unstable employment situations of many researchers. Grounded in the communicative methodology of research and using mixed methods, we have conducted a longitudinal study of this research initiative (2012–2016), comprising interviews and communicative observations, analysis of documentation and quantitative data. The results show that participants understand that their involvement in CIMIE is contributing to make them feel released from the constraints of university feudalism by building solidarity networks and egalitarian relationships, and by rethinking research.

Transformative learning: writing narrative comedy as creative resistance

ABSTRACTThis paper examines a self-directed, transformative, learning journey triggered by the writer-researcher’s experiences of change management which led to widespread redundancies within the vocational education sector in Queensland, Australia. The creative-practice led research focussed on writing narrative comedy screenplays, titled Fighting Fit. Critical reflection was embedded in the research methodology. Reflective writing was documented in a reflection journal and triangulated against external feedback to improve screenplay drafts. Critical feedback on scripts provoked a cycle of inquiry into the lived experiences which inspired the screenplays and highlighted concerns about diminished professional agency and alienation in the workplace. These concerns were then reframed within a humorous perspective by parodying discourses surrounding organisational change management. In doing so, the creative practice-led research enabled the writer-researcher to examine her professional disquiet in response to workplace changes, crystallise values in conflict with neoliberal approaches to education and performed a kind of creative resistance to the corporatisation of vocational education. Moreover, critical reflection embedded in creative writing processes shifted the writer-researcher’s perspective towards an increased sense of agency and openness to change; arguably, a desirable outcome for practitioners operating within increasingly precarious employment situations.

Early activism and work arrangements of young feminists in Mexico City

ABSTRACTThe study investigates the relationship between the activism and later work life of young Mexican feminist activists in the context of social movements’ institutionalization and the precarious employment situation. Using the biographical narratives of fifteen feminists in Mexico City who were core activists during the period of high mobilization of the abortion rights movement from 2007 to 2009, this study aims to answer two questions: How does activism impact contemporary activists’ work life in an era of professionalized and institutionalized social movements? And how do their feminist identities and practices differ according to the workplace? The results reveal that (1) young feminists joined women's movement institutions through their activism, although those employment opportunities were unstable, and (2) they used reflexive strategies to manage their feminist identities amidst the uncertainty and to reconcile their work life conditions and their feminist activist identities.