Affiliations: Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, Ontario,
Canada | Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of
Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Department of Economics, McMaster University,
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Heather Scott-Marshall, Institute
for Work & Health, 481 University Avenue, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario,
M5G 2E9, Canada. Tel.: +1 416 927 2027 ext 2177; Fax: +1 416 927 4167; E-mail:
hscott-marshall@iwh.on.ca
Abstract: Objective: This study provides a test of a conceptual framework of
the stress-related health consequences of "precarious" employment experiences
defined as those associated with instability, lack of protection, insecurity
across various dimensions of work, and social and economic vulnerability. Methods: Data were drawn from the Canadian Survey of Labor and Income
Dynamics (SLID), a nationally representative longitudinal labor-market survey
(1999–2004). Logistic regression analysis estimated the impact of several
dimensions of precarious employment on two health outcomes: low health status
and low functional health. Participants: For each calendar year we
selected a subsample of individuals with close ties to the labor-market –
i.e., aged 25 to 54, not full-time students, and employed at least 9 months of
the year. We excluded individuals who were self-employed, those in
management-level positions, and individuals who reported less than good health
at the beginning of the year. Results: Certain work characteristics (low
earnings, the lack of an annual wage increase, substantial unpaid overtime
hours, the absence of pension benefits, manual work) predict an increased risk
of adverse general and/or functional health outcomes. Conclusions: Proactive regulatory initiatives and all-encompassing benefits programs are
urgently required to address emerging work forms and arrangements that present
risks to health.
Keywords: Job insecurity, nonstandard work, work quality, work stress, health, wellbeing, longitudinal studies
