Occupation‐level automation probability is associated with psychosocial work conditions and workers' health: A multilevel study

Abstract

ObjectiveWork automation is increasing worldwide, and the probability of job automation has been associated with workers' adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the association of occupation‐level automation probability with work stress and workers' health.MethodsWe used data from a national survey of 14,948 randomly selected general workers conducted in 2016. Job control and job demand were assessed by the Job Content Questionnaire, and working hours and job insecurity were self‐reported. Health outcomes were measured according to burnout and work‐related injury or disease. We derived automation probabilities for 38 occupational groups and conducted multilevel analyses to examine the associations between occupation‐level automation probability and workers' safety and health after adjusting for psychosocial work conditions.ResultsParticipants working in jobs with a high probability of automation were more likely to have low job control, higher job insecurity, and work‐related injury and disease prevalence; whereas workers in jobs with a low automation probability had higher psychological and physical demands and burnout prevalence. Furthermore, automation probability significantly predicted workers' health after adjustment for demographic characteristics and psychosocial work conditions.ConclusionsWorkers with low automation probability jobs may experience work stress other than that captured by traditional measures of job strain. Organizational approaches to improve employment security and psychosocial conditions are essential for workers' safety and health in the context of increasing job automation.

Diagnosis of the Maturity Level of Implementing Industry 4.0 Solutions in Selected Functional Areas of Management of Automotive Companies in Poland

“…New competences are a big challenge for enterprises not only from the automotive industry [68]. The results of research conducted in many countries on the preparation of employees to the requirements of Industry 4.0 indicate the occurrence of the so-called the competency gap [69][70][71]. In Germany, a country considered to be the initiator of Industry 4.0, most of the surveyed companies assessed the competences of their employees in this area as "quite weak" [72].…”

Association between Workers’ Anxiety over Technological Automation and Sleep Disturbance: Results from a Nationally Representative Survey

“…The findings from our study are consistent with preceding research, which maintained that automation risk poses a threat to workers’ health [ 11 , 12 , 37 ]. Previous studies found that the introduction of industrial robots causes workers’ unemployment or perceived job insecurity, which in turn can lead to an increase in mortality and physical or psychological distress at the county level [ 6 , 11 , 12 , 35 ]. Some studies have investigated the relationship between regional-level automation risk and health [ 11 , 12 ].…”

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“…As multiple meta-analyses and review articles consistently report that insomnia of workers is influenced by psychological factors such as job stress, job satisfaction, and emotional job demands, we regarded them as possible confounders [ 25 , 33 , 34 ]. Moreover, previous studies suggested that emotional job demands such as handling clients could act as a confounder in the relationship between automation risk and mental health [ 17 , 35 ]. Age groups were categorized as ≤35 years (young), 36–55 years (middle-aged), and ≥55 years (old).…”

Association between exposure to technological advances in the workplace and work engagement: a prospective cohort study

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