Work scheduling and arrangements

How are temporary work agencies organized to manage injury prevention and return to work in light of their non-standard organization? How can we better protect the workplace health of temporary work agency workers? This report shares the results of a study that aimed to answer these questions, focusing on job placements for unskilled and semi-skilled jobs by temporary agencies of all sizes.

Published: July 2014

Higher injury rates found across age, sex and job type in rare study looking at risk levels by time of day

Published: July 2013

Body mass index scores are slightly higher among female nurses working night shifts (or a mix of day, evening and night shifts) than among those working regular day shifts, according to a recent study from the Institute for Work & Health. But we don’t yet know if this difference is important.

Published: April 2013

The complex employment relationship between temporary agency workers, temp agencies and client employers creates loopholes and incentives that may leave low-wage temp agency workers more vulnerable to workplace injuries, says new research from the Institute for Work & Health.

Published: July 2012

Temporary work agencies are a growing phenomenon and an increasingly established part of new flexible labour markets. Studies have shown that agency workers are at greater risk for occupational accidents and diseases than permanent workers. However, little is known about the management of injury prevention and return to work within temporary work agency contexts. In this presentation, Dr. Ellen MacEachen talks about the findings from an IWH study on the organization of health and safety in temporary work agencies.

Published: April 2012

For more than eight years, IWH researchers have explored the impact of temporary employment and other non-standard work forms and arrangements on worker health. Read about some of the latest findings.

Published: October 2011

In this presentation, Cam Mustard and Andrea Chambers provide a summary of the preliminary findings of a study that examined the incidence of work-related injury and illness in the Ontario labour force across the 24-hour clock. They also review the study methods. Two data sources were used (WSIB lost-time claims and records of non-scheduled visits to Ontario emergency departments), while information on hours worked was obtained from Statistics Canada sources.

Published: October 2011

The number of Canadians working shifts other than a regular daytime schedule is on the rise. A new study suggests that those who work night or rotating shifts are more at risk of getting injured on the job.

Published: February 2011

A longitudinal study of a representative sample of Canadian workers finds certain work characteristics are linked with precarious employment and put workers at increased risk of poor physical health.

Published: January 2011

Previous studies have suggested that temporary employment and job tenure are associated with work-related health risk exposures and the ability to take a sickness absence, but these studies have not considered the nature of the employment contract in a longitudinal framework. This study investigates the impact of temporary employment on work-related and all-cause sickness absences of one week or more with a focus on how these outcomes are moderated by factors related to social protection (job tenure, union membership and firm size).

Published: May 2010