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Working without commitments: precarious employment and health

Author

Listed:
  • Wayne Lewchuk

    (McMaster University, Canada, lewchuk@mcmaster.ca)

  • Marlea Clarke

    (McMaster University, Canada, mjclarke@mcmaster.ca)

  • Alice de Wolff

    (McMaster University, Canada, alicedew@sympatico.ca)

Abstract

Using cross-sectional data from a Canadian population-based questionnaire, this article develops a new approach to understanding the impact of less permanent forms of employment on workers' health. It concludes that employment relationships where future employment is uncertain, where individuals are actively searching for new employment and where support is limited are associated with poorer health indicators.

Suggested Citation

  • Wayne Lewchuk & Marlea Clarke & Alice de Wolff, 2008. "Working without commitments: precarious employment and health," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 22(3), pages 387-406, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:22:y:2008:i:3:p:387-406
    DOI: 10.1177/0950017008093477
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ferrie, Jane E. & Shipley, Martin J. & Newman, Katherine & Stansfeld, Stephen A. & Marmot, Michael, 2005. "Self-reported job insecurity and health in the Whitehall II study: potential explanations of the relationship," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(7), pages 1593-1602, April.
    2. Jill Rubery & Jill Earnshaw & Mick Marchington & Fang Lee Cooke & Steven Vincent, 2002. "Changing Organizational Forms and the Employment Relationship," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(5), pages 645-672, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hielke Buddelmeyer & Duncan McVicar & Mark Wooden, 2015. "Non-Standard “Contingent” Employment and Job Satisfaction: A Panel Data Analysis," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 256-275, April.
    2. Vahle-Hinz, Tim & Kirschner, Katharina & Thomson, Maja, 2013. "Employment-related Demands and Resources – New Ways of Researching Stress in Flexible Work Arrangements," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 24(3), pages 199-222.
    3. Gail Pacheco & Dom Page & Don Webber, 2012. "Mental and physical health: reconceptualising the relationship with employment propensity," Working Papers 20121206, Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol.
    4. Jeni Hebert-Beirne & Jennifer K. Felner & Teresa Berumen & Sylvia Gonzalez & Melissa Mosley Chrusfield & Preethi Pratap & Lorraine M. Conroy, 2021. "Community Resident Perceptions of and Experiences with Precarious Work at the Neighborhood Level: The Greater Lawndale Healthy Work Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-18, October.
    5. Stuth, Stefan & Schels, Brigitte & Promberger, Markus & Jahn, Kerstin & Allmendinger, Jutta, 2018. "Prekarität in Deutschland?!," Discussion Papers, Presidential Department P 2018-004, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    6. Duoduo Xu & Shuheng Jin & Ngai Pun & Jiao Guo & Xiaogang Wu, 2024. "The Scarring Effect of First Job Precarity: New Evidence from a Panel Study in Hong Kong," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 38(1), pages 206-225, February.
    7. Jill Rubery & Isabelle Bi-Swinglehurst & Anthony Rafferty, 2024. "Part-time work and productivity," Insight Papers 031, The Productivity Institute.
    8. Brendan Burchell, 2011. "A Temporal Comparison of the Effects of Unemployment and Job Insecurity on Wellbeing," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 16(1), pages 66-78, February.
    9. Myounghwan Kim & Giseung Kim, 2023. "Effect of Korean trade union on wage discrimination between regular and irregular workers," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 37(1), pages 3-24, March.
    10. Shanting Zheng & Tangli Ding & Hao Chen & Yunhong Wu & Wenjing Cai, 2021. "Precarious Job Makes Me Withdraw? The Role of Job Insecurity and Negative Affect," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-15, December.
    11. Tauhid Hossain Khan & Ellen MacEachen & Debra Dunstan, 2022. "What Social Supports Are Available to Self-Employed People When Ill or Injured? A Comparative Policy Analysis of Canada and Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-23, April.
    12. Karlsson, Tobias, 2015. "Dimensions of Precarity: A Contradictory Case of Non-Standard Employment," Lund Papers in Economic History 137, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    13. Theo Bodin & Nuria Matilla-Santander & Jenny Selander & Per Gustavsson & Tomas Hemmingsson & Gun Johansson & Johanna Jonsson & Katarina Kjellberg & Bertina Kreshpaj & Cecilia Orellana & Eskil Wadensjö, 2022. "Trends in Precarious Employment in Sweden 1992–2017: A Social Determinant of Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-13, October.
    14. Wayne Lewchuk, 2017. "Precarious jobs: Where are they, and how do they affect well-being?," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 28(3), pages 402-419, September.
    15. Iain Campbell & Robin Price, 2016. "Precarious work and precarious workers: Towards an improved conceptualisation," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 27(3), pages 314-332, September.
    16. Mireia Julià & Fabrizio Méndez-Rivero & Álex Gómez-Gómez & Óscar J. Pozo & Mireia Bolíbar, 2022. "Association between Precarious Employment and Chronic Stress: Effect of Gender, Stress Measurement and Precariousness Dimensions—A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-14, July.
    17. Francesc Belvis & Mireia Bolíbar & Joan Benach & Mireia Julià, 2022. "Precarious Employment and Chronic Stress: Do Social Support Networks Matter?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-14, February.
    18. Tom Barnes, 2024. "Rethinking job loss in an age of assetisation: Lessons from the study of precarious older workers," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 56(3), pages 717-735, May.
    19. Annie Irvine & Nikolas Rose, 2024. "How Does Precarious Employment Affect Mental Health? A Scoping Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence from Western Economies," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 38(2), pages 418-441, April.
    20. Michael Quinlan, 2012. "The ‘Pre-Invention’ of Precarious Employment: The Changing World of Work in Context," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 23(4), pages 3-24, November.
    21. Yucel Demiral & Tobias Ihle & Uwe Rose & Paul Maurice Conway & Hermann Burr, 2022. "Precarious Work as Risk Factor for 5-Year Increase in Depressive Symptoms," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-21, March.
    22. Virginia Gunn & Bertina Kreshpaj & Nuria Matilla-Santander & Emilia F. Vignola & David H. Wegman & Christer Hogstedt & Emily Q. Ahonen & Theo Bodin & Cecilia Orellana & Sherry Baron & Carles Muntaner , 2022. "Initiatives Addressing Precarious Employment and Its Effects on Workers’ Health and Well-Being: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-35, February.

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