How Precarious Is Contingent Work? – Non-salary Aspects of the Employment Relationship of Contingent Employees in Denmark

Abstract

Contingent employment is generally considered a risk factor in the employment relations literature, although not all agree. This study focuses on a number of non-pay conditions for contingent employees, compared to permanent staff, under the assumption that these conditions are cumulatively negative. The article is based on utilizes a survey of app. 4,900 employees (response rate 57%), asking questions concerning rights and opportunities in the job. The analyses (based on logit modelling, multivariate logistic regression) clearly show that contingent employment (e.g. as a temp) is a risk condition, not only because of the stipulated end of the employment period, but also because it implies a clearly lower chance of obtaining a number of the rights and opportunities that are normally connected to an employment relationship.