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PloS one
2025;20 (3): e0320248.

Labour and social protection gaps impacting the health and well-being of workers in non-standard employment: An international comparative study.

Signild Kvart, Isabel Cuervo, Virginia Gunn, Wayne Lewchuk, Kim Bosmans, Letitia Davis, Astrid Escrig-Pi��ol, Per-Olof ��stergren, Eva Padrosa, Alejandra Vives, Alessandro Zaupa, Emily Q Ahonen, Valentina ��lvarez-L��pez, Mireia Bol��bar, Ignacio Diaz, Mariana Guti��rrez-Zamora, Lars Ivarsson, Mireia Juli��, Carles Muntaner, Patricia O'Campo, Marisol E Ruiz, Kristian V��nerhagen, Emilia F Vignola, David V��lchez, Mattias Vos, Theo Bodin, Sherry L Baron
Author Information
  1. Signild Kvart: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. ORCID
  2. Isabel Cuervo: Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, United States of America.
  3. Virginia Gunn: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
  4. Wayne Lewchuk: Department of Economics and School of Labour Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
  5. Kim Bosmans: Department of Sociology, Brussels Institute for Social and Population Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
  6. Letitia Davis: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
  7. Astrid Escrig-Pi��ol: Social Determinants and Health Education Research Group (SDHEd), Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.
  8. Per-Olof ��stergren: Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences Malm��, Lund University, Malm��, Sweden.
  9. Eva Padrosa: Social Determinants and Health Education Research Group (SDHEd), Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain. ORCID
  10. Alejandra Vives: School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Cat��lica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
  11. Alessandro Zaupa: School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Cat��lica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
  12. Emily Q Ahonen: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America.
  13. Valentina ��lvarez-L��pez: Department of Territorial Studies and Intercultural Dialogues, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valpara��so, Chile.
  14. Mireia Bol��bar: Centre d'Estudis Sociol��gics sobre la Vida Quotidiana i el Treball (QUIT), Department of Sociology, Universitat Aut��noma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vall��s, Spain. ORCID
  15. Ignacio Diaz: School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Cat��lica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
  16. Mariana Guti��rrez-Zamora: Research Group on Health Inequalities, Environment - Employment Conditions (GREDS-EMCONET), Department of Political and Social Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
  17. Lars Ivarsson: Karlstad Business School, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
  18. Mireia Juli��: Social Determinants and Health Education Research Group (SDHEd), Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.
  19. Carles Muntaner: Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, St. George Campus, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  20. Patricia O'Campo: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
  21. Marisol E Ruiz: Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
  22. Kristian V��nerhagen: Karlstad Business School, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
  23. Emilia F Vignola: Department of Community Health and Social Sciences, City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, United States of America.
  24. David V��lchez: Research Group on Health Inequalities, Environment - Employment Conditions (GREDS-EMCONET), Department of Political and Social Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
  25. Mattias Vos: Department of Sociology, Brussels Institute for Social and Population Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. ORCID
  26. Theo Bodin: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
  27. Sherry L Baron: Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, United States of America.
PMID: 40131914 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0320248

Abstract

BACKGROUND: World economies increasingly rely on non-standard employment arrangements, which has been linked to ill health. While work and employment conditions are recognized structural determinants of health and health equity, policies aiming to protect workers from negative implications predominantly focus on standard employment arrangements and the needs of workers in non-standard employment may be neglected. The aim of this study is to explore workers' experiences of gaps in labour regulations and social protections and its influence on their health and well-being across 6 countries with differing policy approaches: Belgium, Canada, Chile, Spain, Sweden, and the United States.
METHODS: 250 semi-structured interviews with workers in non-standard employment were analyzed thematically using a multiple case-study approach.
RESULTS: There are notable differences in workers' rights to protection across the countries. However, participants across all countries experienced similar challenges including employment instability, income inadequacy and limited rights and protection, due to policy-related gaps and access-barriers. In response, they resorted to individual resources and strategies, struggled to envision supportive policies, and expressed low expectations of changes by employers and policymakers.
CONCLUSIONS: Policy gaps threaten workers' health and well-being across all study countries, irrespective of the levels of labour market regulations and social protections. Workers in non-standard employment disproportionately endure economic risks, which may increase social and health inequality. The study highlights the need to improve social protection for this vulnerable population.

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MeSH Term

Humans
Employment
Female
Adult
Male
Canada
Middle Aged
United States
Spain
Chile
Sweden
Occupational Health
Young Adult
Journal Article Comparative Study

Word Cloud

Created with Highcharts 10.0.0employmenthealthnon-standardsocialworkersstudygapsacrosscountriesprotectionworkers'well-beingarrangementspoliciesmaylabourregulationsprotectionsrightsBACKGROUND:Worldeconomiesincreasinglyrelylinkedillworkconditionsrecognizedstructuraldeterminantsequityaimingprotectnegativeimplicationspredominantlyfocusstandardneedsneglectedaimexploreexperiencesinfluence6differingpolicyapproaches:BelgiumCanadaChileSpainSwedenUnitedStatesMETHODS:250semi-structuredinterviewsanalyzedthematicallyusingmultiplecase-studyapproachRESULTS:notabledifferencesHoweverparticipantsexperiencedsimilarchallengesincludinginstabilityincomeinadequacylimitedduepolicy-relatedaccess-barriersresponseresortedindividualresourcesstrategiesstruggledenvisionsupportiveexpressedlowexpectationschangesemployerspolicymakersCONCLUSIONS:PolicythreatenirrespectivelevelsmarketWorkersdisproportionatelyendureeconomicrisksincreaseinequalityhighlightsneedimprovevulnerablepopulationLabourimpactingemployment:internationalcomparative

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