The Relationship between Job Insecurity and Psychological Well-Being among Malaysian Precarious Workers: Work–Life Balance as a Mediator

Abstract

The emergence of coronavirus disease has impacted human lives, one of which is economic disruption. Many Malaysian organisations have devised various crisis-response techniques, such as downsizing, laying off, retrenching, and combining. As a result, the number of Malaysians working in precarious jobs, which are defined by unpredictable and uncertain situations, has indirectly increased, hence increasing job insecurity. Therefore, maintaining psychological health is essential to safeguarding the mental health of employees. In the current working landscape, job security and work–life balance have commonly been deemed necessary in contributing to well-being among employees. As a result, the purpose of this study was to examine how work–life balance influences the relationship between job insecurity and psychological well-being among Malaysian precarious workers. It also fills a gap in the research by explaining the causal association between job insecurity and psychological well-being among precarious workers, as previous well-being studies have largely focused on employees with secure jobs. There were 442 responders collected using purposive and snowball sampling methods, and they were requested to complete the Job Insecurity Scale (JIS), Work–Life Balance, and Well-Being Index Scale (WHO-5). Job instability was negatively connected with work–life balance and psychological well-being. On the other hand, work–life balance was found to be positively related to psychological well-being. This supports the notion that work–life balance is a significant mediator in the relationship between job insecurity and psychological well-being. These findings emphasise that Malaysian precarious workers with job security could enhance their psychological well-being by achieving work–life balance.

Enhancing Sustainable Safety Practices in Construction: Insights from Cultural and Socio-Economic Analysis

“…This negative impact is significant, highlighting the detrimental effects of job insecurity on safety outcomes. This is in line with research by Jalil et al [106] that highlights the adverse effects of job insecurity on employee well-being and job performance. The study found that employees experiencing job insecurity tend to exhibit higher levels of absenteeism, presenteeism, and reduced commitment to safety practices.…”

Assessment of quality of life, job insecurity and work ability among nurses, working either under temporary or permanent terms

“…This result is in contrast with the reported results of Benavides et al [24], who supported that shorter job experience and lower awareness of workplace hazards, is a possible mechanism to explain the consistent association between temporary more depressed and feel less calm, active, and productive in their everyday life compared to the group under permanent contract. This result is in line with previous studies, which demonstrate that the more unstable the employment status, the lower the subjective wellbeing [18], supporting the hypothesis that, regardless of demographic characteristics, insecurity associated with temporary employment status is negatively related to the psychological well-being of workers [19]. In keeping with these findings, Park and Kim [20] also showed that employment in permanent conditions promotes workers' sense of well-being.…”

“…Statistical analysis of the data was performed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), v. 19 Both groups exhibited similar work ability (p = 0.215) and similar number of sick leaves in the previous year (p = 0.178). In particular, 57.3%, 30.0%, 7.5%, and 5.2% of the permanent employees in the sample and 61.4%, 27.2%, 11.4%, and 0.0% of the temporary employees in the sample were more than 25 days, 10-24 days, 1-9 days, and no days off work because of illness within last year, respectively.…”

Work-Life Balance Policies: Impact on Employee Well-being and Organizational Effectiveness

“…The topic of work-life balance is increasingly significant as individuals contend with a diminishing work environment and time constraints. Multiple studies have emphasized that work-life initiatives provide a mutually beneficial situation for both employees and employers, and have a significant impact on business progress and performance (Jalil, et al, 2023 andJung, Hwang, &Yoon, 2023). By enhancing work-life balance practices, productivity and employee well-being are improved, costs are reduced, retention and recruitment are enhanced, and employee motivation and morale are boosted.…”