Under Pressure: The Impact of Recession on Employees inIreland

Abstract

Ireland is experiencing the worst recession since the foundation of the state, and the effects on the labour market have been dramatic. This article explores the impact of recession for those still in employment by examining work pressure, using two large, nationally representative workplace surveys from 2003 (boom) and 2009 (recession). We find a significant increase in work pressure between 2003 and 2009. Staff reductions and company reorganization are both associated with increased work pressure, as is current job insecurity. Other job changes, like large pay cuts, increases in responsibility and monitoring are also associated with increased work pressure. We argue that negative organizational and job changes in the previous two years play an important role in accounting for the rise in work pressure.

Do not say a word! Conceptualizing employee silence in a long-term crisis context

“…It has been widely recorded that an economic crisis increases job insecurity and work pressures (e.g. Chung & Van Oorschot, 2011;Russell & McGinnity, 2014). Therefore, we would expect an increase in the various job, social and organizational stressors all of which would create implicit beliefs about the futility or danger of voice and, therefore, inhibit voice at work (Morrison, 2014).…”

“…In addition, there is evidence suggesting that when people experience serious job insecurity due to crisis they are more likely to attend work when being genuinely sick, which renders them more likely to have an accident but at the same time less likely to report it (Livanos & Zagellidis, 2013). Therefore, employees and managers are significantly affected by increased work pressures and concerned over pay cuts, restructuring, downsizing and layoffs (Russell & McGinnity, 2014), particularly in contexts of long-term economic uncertainty where there is no visible way out of the crisis (Psychogios, Szamosi & Brewster, 2015).…”

The Changing Worlds and Workplaces of Capitalism

“…The item on less interesting work is not analysed here because of possible translation issues which resulted in an odd distribution of results in a number of the Nordic countries. Some of these changes may be independent of recession, and would also be reported in an economic boom (see Russell and McGinnity 2013). 12 .…”

Resesyon Dönemlerinde İnsan Kaynakları Politikalarına Stratejik Yaklaşım: Merhamet Yönetimi

“…According to Russell et al (2014) economic crises create work pressure that has important implications for employees' physical and mental well-being which is associated with a wide range of psychological distress measures and physical health problems such as stomach problems and sleep difficulties (Fairris and Brenner 2001;Wichert 2002). At the same time, higher levels of work intensity have also been found to lead to substantial reductions in employee well-being measured by job satisfaction and by indices of affective well-being (Warr 1987).…”