Job insecurity in white-collar workers: toward an explanation of associations with health

Psychosocial work environment as a dynamic network: a multi-wave cohort study

While characteristics of psychosocial work environment have traditionally been studied separately, we propose an alternative approach that treats psychosocial factors as interacting elements in networks where they all potentially affect each other. In this network analysis, we used data from a prospective occupational cohort including 10,892 participants (85% women; mean age 47 years) and repeated measurements of seven psychosocial work characteristics (job demands, job control, job uncertainty, team climate, effort-reward imbalance, procedural justice and interactional justice) assessed in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. Results from multilevel longitudinal vector autoregressive models indicated that job demands as well as interactional and procedural justice were most broadly associated with the subsequent perceptions of the work-related psychosocial factors (high out-Strength), suggesting these factors might be potentially efficient targets of workplace interventions. The results also suggest that modifying almost any of the studied psychosocial factors might be relevant to subsequent perceptions of effort-reward imbalance and interactional justice at the workplace.

The Performance Implications of Job Insecurity: The Sequential Mediating Effect of Job Stress and Organizational Commitment, and the Buffering Role of Ethical Leadership

Although previous works have examined how job insecurity affects the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of members in an organization, those studies have not paid enough attention to the relationship between job insecurity and performance or the mediating processes in that relationship. Considering that organizational performance is a fundamental target or purpose, investigating it is greatly needed. This research examines both mediating factors and a moderator in the link between job insecurity and organizational performance by building a moderated sequential mediation model. To be specific, we hypothesize that the degree of an employee’s job stress and organizational commitment sequentially mediate the relationship between job insecurity and performance. Furthermore, ethical leadership could moderate the association between job insecurity and job stress. Using a three-wave data set gathered from 301 currently working employees in South Korea, we reveal that not only do job stress and organizational commitment sequentially mediate the job insecurity–performance link, but also that ethical leadership plays a buffering role of in the job insecurity–job stress link. Our findings suggest that the degree of job stress and organizational commitment (as mediators), as well as ethical leadership (as a moderator), function as intermediating mechanisms in the job insecurity–performance link.

Unstable Jobs Cannot Cultivate Good Organizational Citizens: The Sequential Mediating Role of Organizational Trust and Identification

Although existing works have investigated the influence of employee’s job insecurity on his or her perceptions or attitudes, those studies relatively have paid less attention to the influence of it on employee’s behaviors, as well as to its intermediating mechanisms of the relationship between job insecurity and the behaviors. Considering that employee’s behaviors substantially influence various organizational outcomes, I believe that studies which examine the impact of job insecurity on the behaviors as well as its underlying processes are required. Grounded on the context–attitude–behavior framework, I delved into the intermediating mechanism between job insecurity and organizational citizenship behavior with a sequential mediation model. In specific, I hypothesized that employee’s organizational trust and organizational identification would sequentially mediate the job insecurity–organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) link. Utilizing 3-wave time-lagged data from 303 employees in South Korea, I found that organizational trust and organizational identification function as sequential mediators in the link. The finding suggests that organizational trust and organizational identification are underlying processes to elaborately explain the job insecurity–OCB link.

Do cognitive appraisals moderate the link between qualitative job insecurity and psychological-behavioral well-being?

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to detect the association between qualitative job insecurity and well-being related outcomes and to determine the extent to which cognitive appraisals of job insecurity moderate this association. According to appraisal theory, it is anticipated a hindrance appraisal of job insecurity to amplify and a challenge appraisal of job insecurity to buffer this association.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the hypotheses, 250 healthcare employees from different departments of an Iranian large public hospital were recruited. Participants responded to scales on qualitative job insecurity, cognitive appraisals, job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, absenteeism and presenteeism.

Findings

Results showed that qualitative job insecurity negatively influenced both psychological and behavioral well-being; however, this influence was greater for psychological well-being than for behavioral well-being. Besides, the moderation tests showed that only the hindrance appraisals of job insecurity amplified the link between job insecurity and psychological outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

This study sampled employees from a public hospital and did not include employees from private hospitals. This may limit the generalizability of the findings. Also, due to using a cross-sectional research design we encourage future studies to replicate the same findings using other different research designs.

Practical implications

The findings aid occupational health psychologists to design particular interventions for protecting those aspects of employee’s well-being that are more vulnerable when qualitative job insecurity is chronically perceived.

Originality/value

Together, these findings suggest that the hindrance appraisals of qualitative job insecurity are more likely to moderate the link between job insecurity and well-being outcomes.

Inequalities in perceived health in the Russian Federation, 1994-2012

BACKGROUND

Individual characteristics and socioeconomic strata (SES) are important determinants of health differences. We examine health inequalities in Russia and estimate the association of demography (gender and age) and SES (working status, income, geography of residence, living standard, wealth possession, and durable asset-holding) with perceived health over the period 1994-2012.

METHODS

This study uses nationally representative datasets from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS: 1994-2012). We apply a random effect GLS model to examine the association of individual characteristics and individual heterogeneity in explaining self-perceived health status. In addition, we estimate a regression-based concentration index, which we decompose into the determinants of health inequalities.

RESULTS

The self-perceived health differences between the better-off and the worse-off is reduced over the 18 year period (1994 - 2012). The individual variances in self-perceived health status are higher compared to the variances between the individuals over the period. The measure of health inequality index (concentration index) indicates a change for better health for the better-off Russians. Being employed matters in perceiving a better health status for the Russians in 2012.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-perceived health differences in the Russian Federation has changed over time. Such differences in changes are attributable to both changes in the distribution of the determinants of health as well as changes in the association between the determinants of health with the self-perceived health status. Though this study identifies the determinants of health inequalities for the Russians, the future research is to examine the in-country distribution of these determinants that produce health differences within the Russian Federation.

What do we know about the non-work determinants of workers' mental health? A systematic review of longitudinal studies

Background

In the past years, cumulative evidence has convincingly demonstrated that the work environment is a critical determinant of workers' mental health. Nevertheless, much less attention has been dedicated towards understanding the pathways through which other pivotal life environments might also concomitantly intervene, along with the work environment, to bring about mental health outcomes in the workforce. The aim of this study consisted in conducting a systematic review examining the relative contribution of non-work determinants to the prediction of workers' mental health in order to bridge that gap in knowledge.

Methods

We searched electronic databases and bibliographies up to 2008 for observational longitudinal studies jointly investigating work and non-work determinants of workers' mental health. A narrative synthesis (MOOSE) was performed to synthesize data and provide an assessment of study conceptual and methodological quality.

Results

Thirteen studies were selected for evaluation. Seven of these were of relatively high methodological quality. Assessment of study conceptual quality yielded modest analytical breadth and depth in the ways studies conceptualized the non-work domain as defined by family, network and community/society-level indicators. We found evidence of moderate strength supporting a causal association between social support from the networks and workers' mental health, but insufficient evidence of specific indicator involvement for other analytical levels considered (i.e., family, community/society).

Conclusions

Largely underinvestigated, non-work determinants are important to the prediction of workers' mental health. More longitudinal studies concomitantly investigating work and non-work determinants of workers' mental health are warranted to better inform healthy workplace research, intervention, and policy.

Association between overweight, obesity and self-perceived job insecurity in German employees

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have shown an association between job insecurity and morbidity as well as mortality, however until now, knowledge about a potential association between job insecurity and overweight or obesity has been lacking.

METHODS

In order to identify a possible association between job insecurity and overweight or obesity, we analysed data from the German Socioeconomic Panel (GSOEP) 2004/2005, a longitudinal study of private households in Germany. In this representative cohort of the German adult population, living and working conditions were observed. Data on Body Mass Index (BMI) and self-perceived probability of job loss within the next 2 years were available for 10,747 adults either employed or attending training programs.

RESULTS

We identified 5,216 (49%) individuals as being overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m²) and 1,358(13%) individuals as being obese (BMI > 30 kg/m²). A total of 5,941 (55%) participants reported having concerns regarding job insecurity. In the multivariate analysis--after adjustment for relevant confounders--a statistically significant association between obesity and job insecurity (100% probability for losing the job in the following two years) could be observed with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.55 (95% confidence interval: 1.09-5.96).

CONCLUSIONS

Because of these results, we were able to conclude that overweight and obese persons perceive job insecurity more often than their normal weight counterparts in Germany and that the concurrence of obesity and job insecurity might lead employees into a vicious cycle. Further research with an emphasis on the occupational setting might be necessary in order to establish useful preventive programmes at the workplace.

Influence of change in psychosocial work characteristics on sickness absence: The Whitehall II Study

OBJECTIVES

To study the influence of change in self perceived psychosocial work characteristics on subsequent rates of sickness absence.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study of British civil service employees. Job control, job demands, and work social supports were measured in 1985/88 and in 1991/93. Analyses included 3817 British civil servants with sickness absence records at baseline (1985-89) and for two follow up periods, early (1994-95) and later follow up (1996-98).

RESULTS

Change in work characteristics predicted subsequent incidence of long spells of sickness absence (>7 days) in the early follow up period after adjustment for covariates including baseline work characteristics, health status, and sickness absence. Adjusted rate ratios were 1.23 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.46) for decreased compared with stable decision latitude; 1.17 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.36) for increased compared with stable job demands and 0.79 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.93) for increased compared with stable work social support. These associations were also seen in a sub-sample who did not change employment grade. In the later follow up period, associations between work change and long spells of sickness absence were similar for decision latitude, less pronounced for job demands, and no longer apparent for social supports. Changes in work characteristics were not associated with subsequent short spells of sickness absence (<or=7 days).

CONCLUSIONS

Adverse changes in the psychosocial work environment may lead to increased rates of sickness absence. These findings suggest that workplace interventions to improve psychosocial working conditions may reduce levels of sickness absence.

The impact of employee level and work stress on mental health and GP service use: an analysis of a sample of Australian government employees

Background

This study sought to identify the extent to which employee level and work stressors were associated with mental health problems experienced by Australian government employees, and with their use of primary care services.

Methods

806 government employees aged between 40 and 44 years were surveyed as part of an epidemiological study conducted in Australia. Data collected from participants included sociodemographic attributes, physical health, psychological measures and work stressors relating to job control, job demands, job security and skills discretion at work. For 88% of these participants, information on visits made to general practitioners (GPs) for the six months before and after their survey interview was obtained from health insurance records.

Results

When work stress and personal factors were taken into account, men at more junior levels reported better mental health, more positive affect and used fewer GP services. Women at middle-management levels obtained less GP care than their more senior counterparts. Both men and women who reported higher levels of work stress were found to have poorer mental health and well-being. The impact of such stressors on GP service use, however, differed for men and women.

Conclusion

Measures of work stress and not employee level affect the mental health and well-being of government employees. For governments with responsibility for funding health care services, reducing work stress experienced by their own employees offers potential benefits by improving the health of their workforce and reducing outlays for such services.

Employment status, employment conditions, and limiting illness: prospective evidence from the British household panel survey 1991-2001

OBJECTIVES

To assess the relation of the incidence of, and recovery from, limiting illness to employment status, occupational social class, and income over time in an initially healthy sample of working age men and women.

METHODS

Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

There were large differences in the risk of limiting illness according to occupational social class, with men and women in the least favourable employment conditions nearly four times more likely to become ill than those in the most favourable. Unemployment and economic inactivity also had a powerful effect on illness incidence. Limiting illness was not a permanent state for most participants in the study. Employment status was also related to recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

Having secure employment in favourable working conditions greatly reduces the risk of healthy people developing limiting illness. Secure employment increases the likelihood of recovery. These findings have considerable implications for both health inequality and economic policies.