Job Insecurity, Family Functionality and Mental Health: A Comparative Study between Male and Female Hospitality Workers

Abstract

The aim of the present article is to compare the family functionality, mental health and job insecurity of employees of the hospitality industry in Puerto Vallarta and Bahía de Banderas, in México. This is a quantitative and cross-sectional study. The sample was selected by non-probabilistic sampling for convenience and comprised a total of 914 people, of whom 438 were women (47.92%) and 476 were men (52.08%). The women surveyed reported more somatic symptoms, anxiety, insomnia and social dysfunction compared to men, which allows the conclusion that their mental health is vulnerable; meanwhile, men showed better perception of family functionality, a positive factor that reveals the family as a potential support factor that reduces stress, anxiety and improves men’s mental health. Another result reveals that the gender structure permeates the hotel sector, inequalities in the type of contract and income are corroborated, and the existence of a sexual division of labor to the detriment of women is confirmed, as they are mostly employed in low-skilled jobs that reproduce domestic tasks, particularly those related to cleaning and food service tasks.

Job Insecurity and Company Behavior: Influence of Fear of Job Loss on Individual and Work Environment Factors

“…It increases feelings of stability, motivation, security, efficiency, productivity, and support. These data are consistent with the investigations by Vargas-Jiménez et al [ 29 ], Menéndez-Espina et al [ 15 ], Lee et al [ 25 ], and Shoss [ 10 ]. Likewise, the fact that job insecurity correlates negatively with family functionality [ 34 , 35 ] is relevant.…”

“…This is related to a greater state of insecurity, instability, demotivation and dissatisfaction at work [ 10 , 25 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. These phenomena are associated with mental health problems such as psychological discomfort caused by a combination of anxiety and depression [ 11 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 33 ], as well as physical health alterations [ 23 , 24 ].…”

“…They perceive their place as uncomfortable, unhealthy, and unsafe, with poor lighting, ventilation, and temperature. In short, they consider it an unpleasant place to conduct their work, reducing trust in the company and reducing their performance, efficiency, creativity, and productivity [ 2 , 29 , 37 ]. In turn, they observe insecurity at work (referring here to insecurity as lack of security, defined as “a set of techniques and procedures whose purpose is to eliminate or reduce the risk of workplace accidents” [ 53 ]), with a fear of suffering accidents and having consequences on their health, directly producing poor attitudes of collaboration [ 11 ].…”

“…The experience of job insecurity has repercussions in the personal and organizational sphere. At the individual level, a link has been found with alterations in physical health [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ] and mental health [ 27 , 28 , 29 ], producing depression, anxiety [ 30 ], emotional exhaustion [ 31 ], and low satisfaction in life [ 32 ]. All of these elements have an impact on identity [ 11 ] and self-esteem [ 10 , 25 , 33 ], and they affect the functional life of the family, causing an imbalance between family life and work, reducing work well-being [ 34 , 35 ].…”

Work–Family Conflict and Mental Health among Chinese Female Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Effects of Resilience

“…Previous studies have shown that married female nurses experience intense work–family conflict, have shorter sleep durations than single nurses, and are more likely to develop depressive emotions [ 24 ], and working women report more mental health problems than men [ 25 ]. Meanwhile, in China, women are given more responsibility for family care due to the cultural emphasis on family and traditional gender roles [ 26 ].…”