Inadequate working conditions aggravate mental health problems or increase the probability of developing them, especially among young people and vulnerable groups.
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work defines precarious work as “non-standard, atypical or alternative employment characterized by low pay, insecurity and lack of protection, making it incapable of sustaining a household”. It also points out that this type of work is usually linked to modalities such as part-time employment, seasonal and occasional work, self-employment, fixed-term contracts, temporary work, on-demand employment, work from home and employment through agencies. However, in Spain, having a permanent or indefinite job does not necessarily imply having stability. This is stated in the report “The situation of mental health in Spain”, published by the SALUD MENTAL ESPAÑA Confederation and the Mutua Madrileña Foundation: “although job insecurity is usually associated with jobs with specific conditions and temporary or part-time contracts, it can also occur in more stable forms of contracting, such as permanent and full-time contracts”. Some of the issues it alludes to are sensitive working conditions and the lack of adequate regulation, such as non-compliance with current regulations.
The emotional cost of precarity
Wages, working conditions, breaks, irregular schedules and difficulties in conciliating work and personal life are key factors that not only contribute to precariousness, but also have a direct impact on the mental health of workers. These conditions affect essential aspects such as economic stability, general well-being and health. They are also closely linked to psychosocial risks, such as job insecurity, work overload, rhythms and organization of employment, and control over tasks and professional development. All this dilapidates any possible work-life balance, job insecurity and mental health are interrelated issues: according to the European Health Survey in Spain (2020), the greater the job insecurity, the greater the risk of developing mental health problems, such as depression. Among the working population, 511,000 cases of depression were recorded, of which 170,000 could have been avoided if these people had had more stable jobs, according to the Report “Precariedad Laboral y Salud Mental” (PRESME).
More vulnerability for vulnerable people
The report highlights that job insecurity especially affects young people, migrants and women. For years it was believed that obtaining a higher education was synonymous with job stability, but this idea turned out to be a chimera. According to PRESME, the percentage of precarious workers with primary education has decreased – from 14.9% in 2007 to 5.8% in 2022 – but the number of employees with secondary and higher education in precarious employment has increased considerably, from 54.4% to 66.7%.
Job insecurity is closely related to social insecurity, which includes economic difficulties and problems of access to housing. This situation is further aggravated by discrimination in the work environment, both when seeking and maintaining employment, especially affecting vulnerable groups, such as LGTBIQ+. More than half of trans people (54%) have been victims of harassment or discrimination at work because of their gender identity. In addition, 37% of trans people surveyed have experienced discrimination when seeking employment, while 27% have experienced it in the workplace. Social circumstances, such as gender, age, racialization or immigration status, contribute to additional discrimination that negatively impacts the health and well-being of transgender people. Those who are young, unemployed or belong to low socioeconomic sectors are the most vulnerable to these abuses, which makes them more likely to develop mental health problems.
The salary scenario for young people is not encouraging either, or economic suffocation is not a good friend of welfare. According to the INE, the average gross salary for those under 25 in 2022 was 1,315.4 euros, while for those between 25 and 34 it amounted to 1,850.5 euros. Faced with this scenario, many families have had to financially support their children, who are condemned to dependence in order to subsist – apart from having an environment with a minimally stable economy. A study by the BBVA Foundation shows that 37% of parents over the age of 60 have helped their children with everyday expenses such as shopping or household bills, and 51% have provided them with assistance so that they can become independent. In addition, 18% of these parents have also financially supported their nieces and nephews.
