Precarious Employment Research Articles

Work precarity, employment characteristics and health among Canada's long-term care and seniors' home workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted several issues among health care workers in Canada's long-term care and seniors' (LTCS) homes, including labour shortages, staff retention difficulties, overcrowding, and precarious working conditions. There is currently a lack of information on the health, well-being and working conditions of health care workers in LTCS homes - many of them immigrants - and a limited understanding of the relationship between them. This paper examines differences between immigrant and non-immigrant workers' health outcomes and precarious working conditions during the pandemic. The data were from the 2021 Survey on Health Care Workers' Experiences During the Pandemic, which collected information on LTCS home health care workers' (n=2,051) health, employment or work experiences, and working environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Summary statistics and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to examine the association between precarious work and workers' health (life stress, mental health and general health), stratified by immigrant status. Selected working characteristics were included in the regression models as covariates, namely occupation, number of locations worked, facility ownership status and number of years worked. Immigrant health care workers were more likely than non-immigrant health care workers to experience precarious work in LTCS homes. Precarious work - characterized by income loss, reduced hours of work, and unpaid leave - was associated with stress and poor general health among immigrant and non-immigrant workers in the sector. Employment precarity was also associated with poor mental health for immigrant workers, but there was no association for non-immigrant workers. Employment precarity and the health and well-being of health care workers warrants further attention, in particular among immigrants employed in the LTCS residential care sector.

"…full of opportunities, but not for everyone": A narrative inquiry into mechanisms of labor market inequity among precariously employed gay, bisexual, and queer men.

This study brings lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans), and queer (LGBTQ+) populations into scholarly discourse related to precarious employment through a political economy of queer struggle. Drawing on narrative inquiry, 20 gay, bisexual, and queer men shared stories of precarious employment that were analyzed using Polkinghorne's narrative analysis. Results tell an overarching narrative in three parts that follow the trajectory of participants' early life experiences, entering the labor market and being precariously employed. Part 1: Devaluation of LGBTQ+ identities and adverse life experiences impacted participants' abilities to plan their careers and complete postsecondary education. Part 2: Participants experienced restricted opportunities due to safety concerns and learned to navigate white, cis, straight, Canadian ideals that are valued in the labor market. Part 3: Participants were without protections to respond to hostile treatment for fear of losing their employment. These stories of precarious employment illustrate unique ways that LGBTQ+ people might be particularly susceptible to exploitative labor markets.

A policy review on the visibility of migrant women exposed to, and at risk of gender-based violence: Considerations for inclusive and equitable policies and programs in Canada.

Gender based violence (GBV) has had distinct and disproportionate impact on the health and wellbeing of migrant women in Canada. Currently, there is dearth of documented information concerning the inclusion of migrant women in GBV-related public policies in Canada. The present study examines the extent to which Canadian public policies reflect and address the needs of migrant women who have experienced GBV. We conducted a policy review of publicly available documents at federal and provincial (British Columbia and Ontario) levels. Migrant women's visibility in the Canadian policy landscape remains limited, as their unique needs are often grouped into broader categories such as 'newcomers, or visible minorities'. This approach fails to acknowledge their distinct lived experiences. Regardless of the federal and provincial efforts in developing policies targeted at GBV prevention, several significant policy gaps came to light. These include the absence of well-defined protective measures for migrant women in precarious employment as well as the hurdles posed by immigration restrictions that pose a significant challenge for those seeking to leave abusive relationships, particularly in cases of dependent migration status. The highlighted policy gaps have negative impact on migrant women's social functioning, including limiting access to services and opportunities, and this has adverse effects on their overall health and wellbeing. To ensure the effectiveness and significance of GBV policies, it is imperative that policymakers acknowledge and target the distinct vulnerabilities and needs of migrant women who experience GBV. The inclusion of an intersectional perspective in the formulation and implementation of policies is essential, as it facilitates the recognition of the distinct needs of migrant women. Failure to acknowledge these varying needs and the real-life experiences of this diverse group can jeopardize the comprehensive and successful implementation of GBV response policies, not only in Canada but also worldwide. Prioritizing this aspect is crucial.

Working conditions and attitudes towards work: the case of Portuguese youth from Braga.

The purpose of this study is to explore the working conditions and attitudes towards work among the youth of Braga, Portugal. Focusing on residents of the Municipality of Braga born between 1990 and 2000, we employed a quantitative approach using a non-probabilistic convenience sampling method, with a sample size of 406 people. The survey, conducted through questionnaires, reveals a complex interplay between the youth's work attitudes and their conditions. Despite the predominance of precarious employment, their work experiences and expectations do not entirely reflect this instability. Our findings suggest a shift in the role of work in the youths' identity compared to previous generations. This shift, common in post-industrial societies, shows that their identity is increasingly tied to the sociability their work enables and other life spheres where they seek fulfilment, as evidenced by how they utilize their earnings from these occupations.

PRECARIZATION OF THE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS

Objective: To analyze how the type of employment contract affects the lives of Nursing professionals. Method: This is a reflective study, based on the discursive formulation of the Precarious employment relationship of Nursing professionals in the public sector. Results and Discussion: The studies addressed temporary hiring and show that this type of contract weakens the worker and disrupts services, in addition to breaking the bond with the team and the population assisted. Final considerations: Temporary hiring of nursing professionals makes the professional sick and weakens the bond and makes working conditions precarious.

Employment, Precarious Employment, and Unemployment Among Female Immigrant Youth in the United States

This article utilizes data sourced from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to investigate the influence of various factors on the labor-force participation of young American women, including immigrant generational status, race/ethnicity, peer- and neighborhood-based indicators of social capital, and other predictors. The study defines labor-force participation according to three distinct outcomes: employment status, underemployment, and precarious employment. The findings reveal notable distinctions between generational immigrant groups; specifically, first-generation immigrants exhibit a lower likelihood of employment but a higher likelihood of underemployment and precarious employment when compared with third-generation women. Additionally, a positive association emerged between the mother’s education and employment, on the one hand, and her daughter’s employment, on the other.

Measuring employment precariousness in gig jobs: A pilot study among food couriers in Brussels1.

Within the extensive literature on precarious working conditions in the gig economy, remarkably little attention has been paid to how we can formally assess precarity. The few existing measurement instruments that seek to capture precarity in the gig economy assess the characteristics of platforms as job providers, but do not consider the situation of individual gig workers. Moreover, these approaches do not account for the different employment statuses of gig workers. This research's objective was to adapt, test and validate the Employment Precariousness Scale (EPRES) to the context of food couriers in Belgium. Fieldwork observations were combined with primary survey-data (N = 123). The scale was validated by testing reliability and external validity. Although the small sample size requires caution, the EPRES-gw (i.e., our adaptation for 'gig work') indicated sound reliability through sufficiently high internal consistency. The scale also showed good external validity through a significant positive correlation with poor well-being. The scale's characteristics in empirical analyses compare to previous research using the EPRES among employees. The EPRES-gw is therefore a promising instrument for studying employment precariousness in gig jobs.

Association of precarious employment with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among female workers: Findings from a nationwide longitudinal study in Korea

BackgroundIn this study, we examined the relationship of precarious employment (PE) with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among Korean women. MethodsWe included a nationwide sample of 4162 women drawn from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Women and Families, comprising 7566 observations. PE was assessed using three dimensions: employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and lack of rights and protection. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the association between each element of PE and the depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation over a two-year follow-up period, represented as odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs). ResultsThe overall prevalence rates of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation were 11.8 % and 1.9 %, respectively. Compared with permanent employment, fixed-term employment (OR [95 % CI]:1.29 [1.00–1.67]) or daily employment (OR [95 % CI]:1.53 [1.26–1.99]) was associated with the depressive symptoms at the follow-up. Additionally, lack of social benefits (OR [95 % CI]:1.40 [1.09–1.79]) and high perceived vulnerability (OR [95 % CI]:1.27 [1.08–1.49]) were associated with the depressive symptoms at the follow-up. Additionally, daily employment was associated with the suicidal ideation at the follow-up (OR [95 % CI]:1.94 [1.02–3.68]) and high perceived vulnerability was marginally associated with an increased suicidal ideation risk (OR [95 % CI]:1.49 [0.98–2.29]). LimitationCausal effect of PE could not be asserted due to the observational nature of this study. ConclusionsPE is a social determinant of women's mental health and policy interventions are required to improve their employment conditions.

The active production of consent for employment precarity and the euphemisation of coercion in platform economies: The case of food delivery riders

The mobilisation of new distance-based technologies that permit the governance of platform workers’ behaviour constitutes a watershed in the organisation of work and a transformation of the grammar of wage-earning society. Employing a qualitative methodology, this article analyses Spanish riders’ (delivery couriers) experiences of these psychopolitical mechanisms. The results show that the neoliberal and entrepreneurial dispositive deployed by digital platforms induces new rationalities of self-governance that are characterised by productive self-optimisation and self-surveillance. However, the analysis also found that the interpellation of the dispositive and its technologies of subjectivation were not homogeneous across all of the study participants. The article describes the characteristics and argumentative positions of three groups of riders whose sociostructural position shaped their experiences and engagement with the platforms as well as resistance to control mechanisms and disciplinary processes.

Care and exploitation in precarious employment in academic philosophy

Care and exploitation in precarious employment in academic philosophy

Social Psychological Perspectives on Islandness: Identities, Vulnerabilities and Precarities

Although there are many widely perceived attractions to living on a small island, island life is not without its challenges. The physical aspects of these are well rehearsed. The psychological ones, less so. Drawing on social psychological theories, we analyse the experience of living on small islands, with a focus on two small British islands. Data were collected through ethnographic fieldwork, involving observations and interviews with small island inhabitants. We found a range of factors impacting them psychologically, including several that suggest identity and social identity theories may provide a useful psychological lens for understanding these communities. There were also other psychological features identified that suggest a self-perception of vulnerability. These were reflected in concerns around the precarity of employment, but also evident in islanders’ discourses around health (both physical and mental). These findings echo previous authors’ assertions concerning the existence of an ‘island psychology’ evident in the experiences of island residents, but also contribute to discussions around its origins and mechanisms of influence - which we argue have been hitherto, relatively atheoretical. Importantly, a better understanding of island experience, and the relevant theoretical frameworks, can assist in supporting the wellbeing of islanders and the sustainability of their communities.

Live Performers’ Experiences of Precarity and Recognition during COVID-19 and Beyond

COVID-19 devastated the ability of self-employed and freelance live performers working in the UK’s live entertainment industries to sustain a living in an already precarious sector of employment. It also exposed the inadequacies of existing ways of conceptualising precarity in allowing a complete understanding of performers’ experiences of precarious employment, particularly during such a crisis. Combining research into precarity, recognition theory and qualitative data on how such performers experienced and responded to the pandemic, this article identifies two forms of precarity they experienced: socioeconomic and recognitive. In doing so, it contributes to the sociology of work by demonstrating how these two modes of precarity generated considerable operational and existential challenges for performers while extending the conceptualisation of precarity in such a way as to offer a more nuanced understanding of its impact, not only on the livelihoods of those experiencing it but also on their work identities and sense of self.

Precarious employment amidst global crises: career shocks, resources and migrants' employability

Purpose The authors conducted 22 in-depth longitudinal interviews with 11 Hungarian migrant workers in the Dutch logistics sector, before and during the COVID-19 crisis, using thematic analysis and visual life diagrams to interpret them.Design/methodology/approach This study aims to contribute to conservation of resources theory, by exploring how global crises influence the perceived employability of migrant workers in low-wage, precarious work.Findings The authors find that resources are key in how migrants experience the valence of global crises in their careers and perceive their employability. When unforeseen consequences of the COVID-19 crisis coincided with migrants' resource gain spirals, this instigated a positively valenced career shock, leading to positive perceptions of employability. Coincidence with loss spirals led to negative perceptions.Research limitations/implications The authors contribute to careers literature by showing that resources do not only help migrants cope with the impact of career shocks but also directly influence the valence of global crises in their perceived employability and careers.Originality/value Interestingly, when the COVID-19 crisis did not co-occur with migrants' resource gain and loss spirals, migrants experienced resource stress (psychological strain induced by the threat or actual loss of resources) and no significant change in their perceptions of employability.

What do you do when your career script runs out? How older workers decide whether and how to sustain their careers

Abstract This article explores executive career decision-making at the later career stages, against a background of precarious employment and increasing longevity, and the consequent need, and difficulty, for older workers to sustain their careers for longer. We address a gap in the literature on the careers of later stage workers by exploring older executives’ career options and demonstrating how a decision-making unit (DMU) of stakeholders actively participate in choosing between options, and which factors influence their choices. We furthermore highlight the key factors that can determine whether a career is sustainable, and the strategies that can optimize a career that is becoming unsustainable. We interviewed later stage executives and analyzed our interview data from the perspective of distributed decision-making for sustainable careers. We identified a range of decision-makers who contributed to the DMU at different levels for each decision, from proactively to reactively. Furthermore, we identified interacting strategies which could optimize the sustainability of a later stage career: personal, when individuals re-engaged actively with their careers; and contextual, when careers were reinvented by individuals and organizations. We synthesized these findings in a career sustainability matrix, designed to enable later stage workers to identify whether a career is sustainable, and how to extend career sustainability.

Migrate to (not) be ‘gurus’: Unpacking workplace masculinity in China's tech sector

AbstractThrough an intersectional analysis of gender, class, and migration, this article reveals how a hegemonic culture of workplace masculinity, embodied by a group of ‘gurus,’ is constructed in China's tech companies. The guru masculinity is characterized by proactivity and aggressiveness at work, ‘putting work first’ and overwork, and the ability to navigate boundaryless careers and settle down in first‐tier cities. It translates hegemonic masculine norms of material success, enjoying urban life, and men's breadwinner position in contemporary China on the one hand, and responds to a labor regime of precarious employment relations and prevalent overwork norm on the other hand. The article contributes to the literature on hegemonic masculinity in work organizations by showcasing how a hegemonic masculinity in China's tech workplace is constructed at the conjuncture of hegemonic gender norms at a societal level and the distinct labor regime in the tech sector. It also reveals that many male workers fail to conform to this cultural ideal, experiencing masculine frustration rooted in the nature of the ‘workplace masculinity contest,’ uneven urban development, and the demanding labor regime. It thus opens further discussions on how men resist hegemonic gender norms and construct alternative masculinities.

Escaping the trap of temporary employment: Precariousness among young people before and after Spain's 2021 labour market reform act

AbstractTemporary employment has been the core dimension of employment precariousness in Spain for decades. In December 2021, a labour market reform aimed at reducing the use of fixed‐term contracts, which especially affected young people, was passed. This article compares the situation of young workers before and after this labour market reform, with the objective of identifying internal differences among this age group. The results show a substantial reduction in the prevalence of temporary employment after the reform, although they also show that temporary employment, as well as incipient forms of precariousness such as involuntary part‐time employment, are more concentrated than before among the most disadvantaged in this age group, following traditional patterns of segmentation in the labour market. This article, therefore, provides insights into which profiles of young workers were better off after the reform and which were not, offering valuable lessons for other countries with similar labour market challenges.

Factors affecting work-related non-fatal injuries among aged workers in South Korea.

The objective of this paper is to investigate whether an aging workforce is associated with an increase in work-related non-fatal injuries and to explore the underlying reasons for this potential increase. Aged workers were defined as those who were at least 55-years-old. Work-related non-fatal injuries were assessed in aged and young workers who were registered with the workers' compensation system from 2017 to 2021 of South Korea. The mean estimated rate of work-related non-fatal injuries of aged workers (0.88/100) was about 2.5-times higher than that of younger workers (0.35/100). Most work-related non-fatal injuries in the older adults were in individuals working in the "construction sector" (36.0%), those with "elementary occupations (unskilled workers)" (45.0%), and those with employment status of "daily worker" (44.0%). "Trip & slip" (28.7%) and "falling" (19.6%) were more frequent types of work-related non-fatal injuries in aged workers relative to young workers. The category of "buildings, structures, and surfaces" was a more frequent cause of work-related non-fatal injuries in aged workers than young workers. The incidence of non-fatal work-related injuries is higher among aged workers compared to their younger counterparts. The increased occurrence of aged workers participating in precarious employment and jobs, along with the greater physical vulnerability, is likely the cause of their higher rate of work-related non-fatal injuries.

Association between prevalence and severity of chronic kidney disease and employment status: a nationwide study in Korea.

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing globally, and understanding the association between CKD and employment status is crucial. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association of CKD with employment and occupation type among patients with CKD. We analyzed data from 36,732 Korean adults aged ≥ 30 years, who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2014 and 2021. CKD was detected based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate, and the employment status of the participants was classified into distinct categories: full-time permanent employment, unemployment, self-employment, and precarious employment. We analyzed the data using multiple logistic regression. We observed a significant association between CKD and a higher likelihood of unemployment compared to that in individuals without CKD (odds ratio, 1.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.47-1.96). This association was more prominent in patients with severe CKD. In the multivariable logistic analysis, patients with CKD had a higher likelihood for precarious employment (odds ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 0.92-1.88), self-employment (odds ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.90-1.88), and unemployment (odds ratio, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-2.92) compared to individuals without CKD. Our study demonstrated that CKD is associated with a higher likelihood of unemployment and engagement in precarious employment. These findings highlight the challenges faced by patients with CKD in obtaining stable employment and emphasize the need for interventions to improve the employment outcomes of individuals with CKD.

Managing the unknown or the art of preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in workplaces in a context of evolving science, precarious employment, and communication barriers. A qualitative situational analysis in Quebec and Ontario.

The issue of communications in the public space, and in particular, in the workplace, became critical in the early stages of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and was exacerbated by the stress of the drastic transformation of the organization of work, the speed with which new information was being made available, and the constant fear of being infected or developing a more severe or even fatal form of the disease. Although effective communication is the key to fighting a pandemic, some business sectors were more vulnerable and affected than others, and the individuals in particular socio-demographic and economic categories were proportionately more affected by the number of infections and hospitalizations, and by the number of deaths. Therefore, the aim of this article is to present data related to issues faced by essential workers interacting with the public and their employers to mitigate the contagion of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) at work. Following the constructivist paradigm, an interpretative qualitative design was used to conduct one-on-one interviews with precarious/low-wage, public-contact workers (N = 40), managers (N = 16), and key informants (N = 16) on topics related to their work environments in the context of COVID-19 prevention. This article has highlighted some aspects of communication in the workplace essential to preventing COVID-19 outbreaks (e.g., access to information in a context of fast-changing instructions, language proficiency, transparency and confidentiality in the workplace, access to clear guidelines). The impact of poor pre-pandemic working relations on crisis management in the workplace also emerged. This study reminds us of the need to develop targeted, tailored messages that, while not providing all the answers, maintain dialog and transparency in workplaces.

A Brief Tool to Screen Patients for Precarious Employment: A Validation Study.

Precarious employment, defined by temporary contracts, unstable employment, or job insecurity, is increasingly common and is associated with inconsistent access to benefits, lower income, and greater exposure to physical and psycholosocial hazards. Clinicians can benefit from a simple approach to screen for precarious employment to improve their understanding of a patient's social context, help with diagnoses, and inform treatment plans and intersectional interventions. Our objective was to validate a screening tool for precarious employment. We used a 3-item screening tool that covered key aspects of precarious employment: non-standard employment, variable income, and violations of occupational health and safety rights and protections. Answers were compared with classification using the Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario Employment Index. Participants were aged 18 years and older, fluent in English, and employed. They were recruited in 7 primary care clinic waiting rooms in Toronto, Canada over 12 months. A total of 204 people aged 18-72 years (mean 38 [SD 11.3]) participated, of which 93 (45.6%) identified as men and 119 (58.3%) self-reported as White. Participants who reported 2 or more of the 3 items as positive were almost 4 times more likely to be precariously employed (positive likelihood ratio = 3.84 [95% CI, 2.15-6.80]). A 3-item screening tool can help identify precarious employment. Our tool is useful for starting a conversation about employment precarity and work conditions in clinical settings. Implementation of this screening tool in health settings could enable better targeting of resources for managing care and connecting patients to legal and employment support services.