Temp Work Puts a Mental Strain on Employees

Temp work, contract work or a job with a fixed term puts a strain on an employee’s health states a study.

“Temporary workers-those lacking long-term, stable employment-seem to be susceptible to declining mental health for as long as they continue to work in these so-called ‘disposable’ or ‘second class’ jobs,” said Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, a medical sociologist at McGill University and the study’s primary investigator. “This research shows that temporary work strains employee mental health, as contingent workers report more symptoms of depression and psychological distress than similarly employed workers who are not in these fixed-term positions.”

There were over five-million temp workers in 2005 according to recent data from the Current Population survey. The paper titled, “Contingent Work and Depressive Symptoms: Contribution of Health Selection and Moderating Effects of Employment Status,” can be obtained by sending an email to: pubinfo@asanet.org.

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