A longitudinal study of piece rate and health: evidence and implications for workers in the US gig economy

Study on Instant Delivery Service Riders' Safety and Health by the Effects of Labour Intensity in China: A Mediation Analysis

“…Piece rate pay designed to promote efficiency may have important negative implications for worker health, especially for the most vulnerable members of the US workforce ( 64 ), such as women, minorities, and low-income workers. Given the growing popularity of performance-based pay in the gig economy, more research is needed to determine if the practise is justified from a public health perspective ( 65 ). McDowell et al suggested that vulnerable jobs include job-related insecurity, lack of legal rights and labour rights, lower salary levels, and higher occupational health risks ( 66 ).…”

Influences of zero hour contracts and disability – Analysis of the 1970 British Cohort study

“…This work is often self-directed and relies on contingent pieces of work, freelancing, casual labour, zero hour and short-term contracts ( Huws et al, 2016 ; Taylor et al, 2017 ). It was thought these digital marketplaces would have low barriers to entry and compensation is directly proportionate to the amount of effort ( Davis & Hoyt, 2020a, 2020b ). Proponents for gig-work argue that this type of work provides individuals with greater flexibility and autonomy.…”

“…Similarly, job insecurity in middle ages has shown to increase the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes, which is particularly concerning when younger individuals are more likely to engage in gig-work ( Waynforth, 2018 ). In the US, analysis of workers on ‘piece rate’ jobs were at higher risk of negative intermediate and long term health conditions when compared to salaried workers ( Davis & Hoyt, 2020a, 2020b ). Deleterious health impacts were higher in low-waged, female and non-white workers, suggesting those at higher risk of experiencing discrimination in traditional workplace agreements would face poorer outcomes when engaging in the gig economy ( Davis & Hoyt, 2020a, 2020b ).…”

A job for life: How the transition from education to employment predicts early mortality

“…Associations for young women were generally slightly lower with the exception of predicting suicide [4] . Surprisingly, risks for suicide in young employed women were also high, perhaps reflecting the poor quality jobs available to girls to who leave school early [5] . This impressive study has some inevitable limitations as noted by the authors: migrants are vulnerable in the labour market and were not included; and an inpatient diagnosis will not fully capture earlier mental health problems, perhaps accounting for some of the associations.…”

“…Unemployment has a clear bidirectional relationship with poor mental health and substance abuse [8] . Job insecurity is independently associated with poor mental health and injury, as are poor quality and hazardous jobs [ 5 , 9 , 10 ]. A better tracking of pathways to a good job is needed.…”