In what comes as no surprise to unionists and HSRs, two recent Canadian studies have found that workers in jobs where precarious employment conditions are more common are more likely to experience a work-related injury or illness, including COVID-19.
This is what Institute for Work & Health (IWH) researchers who examined whether employment conditions other than physical hazards may be linked to the rate of work injuries found.
Jobs with unfavourable employment conditions are often called “precarious” jobs. These jobs are characterized by temporary contracts, part-time hours, irregular schedules and low wages.
The first study, published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine (doi:10.1136/oemed-2024-109535), found that occupations characterized by the most precarious employment conditions had almost three times the risk of work-related injuries or illnesses compared to those with the least precarious employment conditions.
In a companion study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (doi:10.1136/jech-2024-222373), the team also found that work-related COVID-19 infections were reported at almost five times the rate among workers in occupations more likely to be precarious relative to those in more standard and secure employment.
“Our findings suggest that precarious employment acts as an upstream driver of injuries, illnesses and infections in the workplace,” said Dr. Faraz Shahidi, IWH associate scientist and lead on the studies.
Read more: Higher risk of work injuries found among those in precarious jobs: IWH study