Often, this work is hidden from regulation: such jobs are designed to be exempt from Employment Standards and Occupational Health and Safety legislation, or performed by workers who are denied the rights of Canadian citizens. Precarious work has always existed as an underground support system for the rich and elite. Now it is becoming the standard for all workers.
Conveniently, we are also not told about what kind of conditions workers are likely to face, or the negative health impacts of the “thousands of jobs” newly created. Wayne Lewchuk, a professor in Labour Studies at McMaster, investigates the impact of precarious employment on workers’ health.
In a recent project, over 400 precarious workers were surveyed on their experiences of “employment strain”. This research revealed that, not only do workers in precarious employment report poorer overall health than other workers in more standard employment relationships, but the “health issues most severe for these workers are stress-related tension and exhaustion”.
Stress is caused by the fact that precarious workers face high levels of uncertainty regarding access to work, the terms and conditions of that work, and the amount of our future income. Less than half of those interviewed knew their schedules a week or more in advance, and 72% were earning poverty level incomes, particularly those supporting children.
Precarious workers also experience stress because of the effort we put towards searching for work and balancing the demands of multiple employers. Effectively, workers are stressed because bosses have put our lives in jeopardy and we are expected to assume all of the risks.
In this unhealthy context, what can workers do? How do we re-structure working conditions so they make sense for us: the people actually doing the job? First, I think we have to challenge the rhetoric that says it’s alright for employers to create jobs that make us unhealthy.
Then, we have to make them responsible for the precariousness they create. And because bosses have more power than individual workers do, we will need to collectively band together to stop them from harming us. With this collective strength, we can begin to organize in our work sites and launch campaigns against our bosses to fight for better working conditions.
I’m not naïve enough to think this will be an easy feat to accomplish. But, with at least 40 more years of work ahead of me, I’m sure my health can only get better the less precariousness and stress-related strain I experience, and the more control over my work I create for myself and my fellow workers.
Tired of being stressed because of work? Want to meet other workers interested in stopping bosses from putting your health and safety at risk?
Connect with Workers United, a direct action solidarity group for precarious workers at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or by emailing www.hamiltonworkersunited.com.
