The relationship between job precariousness and student burnout: a serial indirect effects model

ABSTRACT

Much research has examined the association between precarious employment and wellbeing in adults, but little is known about this relationship in working students. Using a sample of 224 (M_Age 21 years; 68% female), we assessed self-perceptions of job precariousness across four domains (i.e., job insecurity, remuneration, conditions, flexibility) and tested the relationships between the four domains and student burnout, and whether these relationships could be explained sequentially by higher levels of job and financial strain and sleep disruption. Job insecurity alone related both directly and indirectly to burnout (via job and financial strain and poor sleep quality). Precariousness related to financial strain (insecurity, remuneration), job strain (insecurity, flexibility), and sleep quality (insecurity); financial and job strain related to sleep quality; and sleep quality related to burnout. By decomposing the job precariousness construct, the findings provide an improved understanding of how working in low quality, precarious jobs is related to student wellbeing.

KEYWORDS:

• Working students
• precarious employment
• job insecurity
• financial strain
• job strain
• student burnout

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the funding for the study received from the Griffith University School of Applied Psychology and the Centre for Work, Organisation, and Wellbeing;School of Applied Psychology and Centre for Work, Organisation, and Well Being [Internal funding; no award number.];

Notes on contributors

Peter A. Creed

Prof Peter A. Creed's, PhD, research focuses on the application of goal setting/self-regulation theories to understand how individuals set, adjust, and progress goals, and how they manage goal disruption and implement behaviour change to improve performance and reduce stress. He is particularly interested in career development, both in young people and adults.

Michelle Hood

Prof Michelle Hood, PhD, is Dean (Learning & Teaching) in Griffith Health. Her research interests are in career and educational psychology, especially regarding formal and informal educational and work experiences and contextual factors, such as SES, on academic engagement and motivation, career development, employability, and wellbeing.

Eva Selenko

Prof Eva Selenko, PhD, is Reader in Work Psychology at Loughborough University, UK. In her research, she focuses on using established social psychological theories to explain the effect of job insecurity and other forms of precarious employment conditions on wellbeing, job-related behaviours, and behaviour outside of the workplace.

Shi Hu

Dr Shi Hi, PhD, is an associate professor in the School of Education at Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China. She was awarded the PhD degree (in psychology) at Griffith University, Australia, for her work on negative career feedback. Her major research is concerned with young people’s career goal setting and pursuit.

Louella Bagley

Louella Bagley is completing her PhD in organisational psychology in the School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University and is working as a human factors specialist with Boeing, incorporating research into current practice. Her research areas include human factors, safety, work/study boundary management, and student wellbeing.