Life in a Temporary Pressure Mode

[dewline]

And the pressure to temp continues to be noticed. So do its consequences.

Source: Saira Peesker for OpenFile Toronto

Never-ending contracts: how precarious employment is making us sicker, poorer

Are you certain of where you’ll be working a year from now? If so, you’re one of the lucky ones—and not just when it comes to your wallet.

Only about 60 per cent of Canadians have that kind of job security, says an academic who studies short-term workers. He says the trend is growing. McMaster University labour studies professor Wayne Lewchuk says up to twice as many people are working precarious jobs compared to the 1980s, as an ever-increasing number of employers hire short-term contractors over permanent employees.

“The old role of temp agencies has been abandoned,” Lewchuk says. “Now temporary work is a permanent part of companies’ staffing plans... Today, half of our teaching (at McMaster) is permanently done by contract people. We have slots that are always filled by someone who is a temporary worker—these aren’t replacements.”

More in the link.

Comments

IANAC, but

[thesaucernews.livejournal.com]

This probably won't go away either. For employers, it's a win-win -- employees who are desperate to work and to whom they can hold as little obligation as possible. Internships get abused in the same way.

Internships?

[dewline.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. I've heard of the same going on there, too. Doesn't mean it should be allowed to continue.

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

Sooooo true.

This is, actually, a large part of why I'm not enamoured of going full-time. What is "full-time" today could become *no*time tomorrow. :-(

Naomi Klein also discusses this in a chapter of her book _No Logo_.

[dewline.livejournal.com]

Which I suspect we'll all have to (re)read soon.