Is fixed-term employment a new risk for adverse physical working conditions?

Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2004;10(1):35-42. doi: 10.1080/10803548.2004.11076593.

Abstract

Relationships between employment type and the physical work environment were studied among blue-collar workers (n = 1,127). Based on survey data, we set out to compare the evaluations of environmental load and physical strain at work given by fixed-term (17% of all) and permanent workers. The type of employment was not related to environmental load. However, working on a fixed-term basis increased the risk of physical strain at work. Analyses revealed that this connection was evident only among fixed-term construction workers. The results did not support the much-cited view that the disintegration of standard employment has given rise to a new series of work environment problems. Such problems are concentrated in an area with a long tradition of work environment problems, that is, in the construction industry.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Employment / methods*
  • Employment / psychology
  • Female
  • Finland / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Industry / classification
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Occupations / classification
  • Personnel Staffing and Scheduling
  • Quality of Life
  • Sex Factors
  • Stress, Physiological / epidemiology*
  • Stress, Physiological / physiopathology
  • Stress, Physiological / psychology
  • Time Factors
  • Workload / psychology*
  • Workplace / classification
  • Workplace / psychology
  • Workplace / standards*