7.5 Summary
Karen Maleka is more vulnerable to occupational injury and illness, not because of the job she performs but because of the nature of her employment relationship and, possibly, her gender and race. This chapter examined various hazards that arise out of the dynamics of work itself, rather than the tasks and locations of that work. Shift work, extended work hours, and emotional labour—all aspects of the job fully within the control of the employer—have negative health effects, regardless of what other hazards may be present in the workplace. We also saw that the size of the employer can lead to worse safety outcomes, which may interact with the mounting evidence that being a precarious worker has significant health and safety consequences. Finally, we considered how gender and race also shape workers’ experience of safety at work.
That the nature of work and the employment relationship can affect workers’ health is a new concept for OHS. It requires us to rethink what constitutes a hazard and how hazards cause health consequences, including how they interact with non-work aspects of workers’ lives. It also causes us to contemplate new ways of controlling these new types of hazard. The existing recognition, assessment, and control system is inadequate for the task of determining how to reduce hazards of this kind. What is required is a more explicit recognition that employment is a power relationship, and that power permeates all aspects of workers’ lives. Addressing the kinds of hazards discussed in this chapter requires a broader, more holistic understanding of how workplace health is shaped.
Discussion Questions
- Practices such as shift work, extended hours, and mandatory emotional labour have become an essential part of how many occupations operate (e.g., health care, restaurant serving). Can these unhealthy practices be eliminated? How?
- What are the root causes of the negative health effects from precarious work? What can OHS professionals do to mitigate its effects?
- How are the close social relations found in SMEs a double-edged sword for safety?
- Describe how stereotypes and prevailing attitudes about race and gender impact safety in the workplace.
Exercises
- Consider the working conditions at fast food franchise restaurants, including shifts, wages, job security, and job demand and control. Write 200-word responses to the following questions:
- Identify the health effects that may arise from this work organization and recommend options for remediating the effects.
- What are the pros and cons from the employer perspective?
- Think about your work situation, or that of a person close to you. Write 200-word responses to the following questions:
- How might dominant stereotypes about race and gender affect your experience of safety in the workplace?
- Identify five ways in which race and gender shape workplace dynamics
