How does precarious employment relate to health and job satisfaction in Europe? A gender and cross-national perspective

Background

Precarious employment (PE) is becoming an increasingly important social determinant of health. PE refers to a multidimensional concept grasping into the degrading of employment conditions and relations. It encompasses the following dimensions: employment stability, income, rights and social protection, training, control over worktime, collective bargaining and interpersonal power relations. Given that female workers fall in the intersection of two unequal power relationships, employment and patriarchal gender relationships, PE could have a greater impact on health and well-being among women, especially in countries with a less developed welfare state.

Methods

This study aims to analyse the association of PE with perceived work-related health and job satisfaction in the EU27 by gender and welfare regimes, using the European Working Conditions Survey 2005. Logistic regression is used to test the association of PE indicators with the outcomes, stratified by sex and then by country group and sex (adjusted by age and country).

Results

Consistent associations are found, among both men (M) and women (W), between PE indicators and job dissatisfaction, for example lack of information on health and safety (OR 3.62, 95% CI = 2.56- 5.12 M; OR 4.67, 95% CI = 3.39-6.44 W) and working long hours (>48 h) (OR 1.55, 95% CI = 1.55-2.13 M; OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.58-3.74 W). Fewer indicators are associated with poor work-related health, e.g. schedule unpredictability (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.28-2.64 M; OR, 2.49, 95% CI 1.57-3.95). Most of these associations are not statistically significant in Social-democratic countries and no gender differences are found. Stronger associations were found among women in Southern and Eastern countries.

Conclusions

PE indicators show consistent associations with job dissatisfaction, although fewer with poor-work related health. State family policies and social protection, might be modifiying these results.
More flexible workig schedules might have negative health and wellbeing related consequences, especially among women in countries where the traditional family model prevails, and where public care infrastructure is weak.