Precarious work and health: The roles of organisational justice and work-life conflict

Abstract

Abstract for Sydney Student (2000 characters including spaces) Precarious work and health: The roles of organisational justice and work-life conflict Precarious or insecure work is a major determinant of health inequalities worldwide. To date, research in this area has focused on the impact of job contracts, work characteristics, and lifestyle factors on health. However, other psycho social factors, such as organisational justice and work-life conflict, have received less attention and may provide critical targets for health intervention. This thesis investigated possible moderating or mediating effects of organisational justice and work-life conflict on the relationship between precarious work and health in Australia. Participants were employees aged 18 to 74 (53% women) from various occupations, organisations, industries, and sectors. Respondents were invited to take part in structured telephone interviews. They were randomly-selected from national databases and drawn from every state and territory of Australia. Participants at Time 1 (N=1015) were invited to take part again six months later; 560 were re-interviewed and the majority (n=509) identified as being employed at Time 2. Structural equation modelling showed that precariousness, organisational justice, and work-life conflict, together explained substantial variance in emotional exhaustion (38%). A double mediation effect was observed whereby distributive justice and strain-based work-life conflict were both shown to mediate the relationship between precariousness and exhaustion with a small effect (β=.13, p=.000). Results indicated that distributive justice and strain-based work-life conflict may both help to explain, rather than mitigate or intensify, the relationship between precariousness and health. Findings were consistent with theories of social exchange and conservation of resources. Facilitating fair outcomes at work and supporting emotional work-life balance may help to promote good health among precarious workers. Organisational justice and work-life balance could be important targets for workplace regulation and labour policy. Keywords: Precarious work, job insecurity, organisational justice, work-life conflict, emotional exhaustion, mental health.