Nonstandard workers and differential occupational safety and health vulnerabilities

Abstract

BackgroundPermanent jobs are in decline world‐wide, and are being replaced with temporary, casual, part‐time, and contract jobs. We investigated the characteristics and occupational safety and health (OSH) vulnerabilities of workers with nonstandard and standard employment.MethodsWe used the Korean Working Conditions Survey of 2017 to compare working conditions and OSH vulnerabilities of workers with standard and nonstandard employment in five major job categories.ResultsWorkers with nonstandard employment were older, less educated, had lower monthly incomes, were employed in smaller businesses, worked fewer hours per week, had shorter work durations, and were more likely to report exposure to physical/chemical and ergonomic hazards, and musculoskeletal and mental symptoms. Among nonstandard workers, the rates of occupational hazards and work‐related health problems depended on the type of work performed. In particular, nonstandard male workers who were unskilled manual workers, older, had less education, and earned low wages had a greater risk of working in unstable occupations, greater exposures to occupational hazards, and more musculoskeletal pain (back pain: odds ratio [OR], 2.4; upper extremity pain: OR, 2.1; and lower extremity pain: OR, 1.7) than those performing other types of work.ConclusionMale unskilled manual workers with nonstandard employment were most vulnerable to OSH problems. Our findings suggest the need for OSH programs that specifically target nonstandard workers especially those in manual unskilled occupations.

Association of poor psychological well‐being with co‐exposure to psychosocial factors at work in Korean regular workers

“…Among work stressors, long weekly working hours had the strongest association with poor psychological well‐being for men, and lack of decision latitude had the strongest association with poor psychological well‐being for women. Previous studies also showed an association of long working hours with mental health problems 30‐35 . The present study is in agreement with previous studies which also showed that adverse psychosocial work stressors, such as job strain 5 and ERI 6 were related to impaired employee health and an increased risk of chronic diseases 8‐13 .…”

From Workers to the Working-Age Population: A New Paradigm for the Occupational Health Service

“…There is also no continuity in the care for vulnerable workers who move to a new employer, change employment status, or leave work because of poor health or other reasons. Our previous studies showed that these vulnerable workers (rather than nonvulnerable workers) were likely to be older, have less education, perform temporary work that requires fewer skills, perform manual work, have low income, experience frequent changes of workplaces, work in microenterprises, have fewer benefits, lack the protections of organized labor unions, often experience intermittent unemployment, and have more physical and mental health problems [3], [4], [5].…”

Factors Related to Subjective Well-being in Workers Who Interact with Angry Clients

“… 11 12 13 Our previous studies also found that nonstandard workers—daily workers in particular—were most vulnerable to physical and mental health problems. 14 15 A previous paper reported an association of status as a precarious worker with depressive symptoms, 16 and other study reported an association of status as a part-time, temporary, or daily worker with poorer mental health. 17 Most male daily workers in Korea are forced into daily employment to support their families, whereas female daily workers are more likely to select daily employment to supplement the family income and achieve a better work–life balance in dual earner couples, especially.…”

“… 15 20 Only female unskilled manual workers were less likely to report poor subjective well-being in the present study. Female unskilled manual workers are more likely to work fewer weekly hours, have shorter work duration, have temporary or daily employment, 21 and thus, less likely to be exposed to organizational psychosocial stressors. Furthermore, female workers tend to choose part-time or temporary employment to supplement the family income, whereas male workers feel greater responsibility for supporting a family.…”