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Temp work 'harms women's health'

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Temp work 'harms women's health'

Women in temp jobs are more likely than men in similar posts to have their employment terminated if they are often off sick, a study has found. Researchers from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health looked at data from a public health study in the country which compared the work records of hospital and council workers. Their findings, published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, are based on employment data for 60,600 people aged 16 to 54 during 1996, a third of whom worked as temps. The research team, led by Dr Marianna Virtanen, concluded: 'Temporary employment involves a significantly increased risk of unemployment. High absence among young temporary women puts them at an even greater risk of job loss and consequent unemployment.' They cite other research which has suggested that people who end up in poorer paid or temporary jobs are more likely to have other health or social disadvantages. This puts them into a 'catch 22' situation as poor health affects their job prospects, which in turn affects their health. The Finnish researchers believe more should be done to safeguard the health of temporary employees. Mike Clinton, an occupational psychologist at King's College London, who has studied the well-being of temp workers, said: 'Temporary work is inherently more insecure, particularly when contracts are short or coming to an end and the risks for employee health seem to increase when workers do not choose to be temps. The findings that women in this study were particularly vulnerable is a concern.'

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