Flex workers not sick more often than permanent employees

April 3, 2020

Recent research by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) shows that flex workers are not sick more often than their permanent colleagues. "You could almost say this is a persistent misconception," says chief economist at CBS Peter Hein van Mulligen. He makes this statement based on CBS' latest data on work and health. These show that employees who have a flexible contract, other than that was thought, actually have no weaker health at all than employees on permanent contracts.

Flex workers more likely to be sick?

About three years ago, a committee of top officials stated that a large percentage of benefit recipients had flexible work contracts in addition to their disability benefits. Henk Volberda, a professor at Erasmus University at the time, put this down to the assumption that flex workers had poorer working conditions and thus fell ill more quickly. The cause would be experiencing more stress and overwork. To which the NRC reported, "It is well known that flex workers work longer when sick and feel less healthy."

Sustainable employability

In mid-January this year, the Borstlap Commission came out with the conclusion that flex workers do tend to be more at risk in the workplace. On-call and temporary workers more often do dangerous work and are more often victims of industrial accidents. These flex workers also have less contact with a company doctor than permanent workers do. The committee writes: "The sustainable employability of this group of employees is therefore less safeguarded than that of workers on permanent contracts; with the risk that these flex workers will be at risk on the labor market fall by the wayside early". Employers are also investing less in temporary workers through training and courses. The less training, the less likely this sustainable employability is.

No major health differences between flex workers and permanent workers

The surprising thing about this is that this does not mean that flex workers are also sick more often than permanent employees, it now turns out, according to CBS. There are no major differences in health and sick leave between flex workers and permanent workers.

Among the unemployed, however, it is true that they are more often indicate they suffer from health complaints. As a result, there is for flex workers do have an indirect risk of health problems, according to CBS. Their job insecurity and possible loss of work and income, may subsequently cause health problems.

People with jobs often rate health as good

So there is no evidence that flex workers are sick more often than permanent employees. In this study, CBS looked at all forms of contract, by age, gender and education level. They also found no difference between them. The only significant difference is in employment versus unemployment. People who have a job (flex and permanent) generally rate their health as "good" or "excellent. Among the unemployed, this percentage is lower. Those who feel healthy find it easier to find a job again.

Payoffice: involved and active

Backoffice temporary employment agency Payoffice knows the importance of satisfied temporary workers. They feel involved and actively participate in the labor process. Well-trained and knowledgeable employees are the capital of your organization. That's what Payoffice likes to be committed to. Do you bring the back office support of your flex workers with Payoffice. We are well informed about opportunities and possibilities on the labor market for agency workers.

Would you like to know more about accommodating your temporary and flex workers in our back office support https://payoffice.nl/wat-is-backoffice-ondersteuning/ can do for you and your temporary workers? Then please contact us. By phone 040 - 30 38 500 or by email info@payoffice.nl.