The precarious working conditions of atypical employees in the public sector

Abstract

This article investigates whether atypical employees – employees in non-standard employment – in the public sector has an increased risk of precarious working conditions, compared to employees in a normal, open-ended and fulltime employment relationship. So, the article explores whether atypical employees are suffering from further work defi cits in the form of fewer benefi ts and rights and worse conditions than those accruing to employees in a normal employment relationship, a kind of work defi cit. Four specifi c areas have been investigated: opportunities for job and skills development, increased levels of stress, legal rights and economic security. Methodologically, the investigation is based on a major, representative survey of a sample of employees in the public sector. The survey has 1,303 respondents and was conducted in September- October 2016. The analysis showed that in three of the four selected areas there was a clear and signifi cant difference between atypical and normal employees, to the disadvantage of the former. Only when stress-levels were compared, no differences between the two groups have been found. More than one out of four employment contracts in the public sector are atypical, implying than the documented work defi cits accrue to a substantial group of employees in several sectors and professions.