Growing numbers of young people are working in temporary, flexible, and unstable jobs. In a new podcast, The European Alliance for Mental Health – Employment and Work explores what that means for young people’s mental health. It looks at how work and employment are changing, how new technology is shifting management styles, the job factors which support good mental health, and how to protect the mental health of those working in non-traditional employment.
The podcast features five experts discussing different aspects of employment and mental health. They explain that flexibility and higher degrees of control at work can be good for mental health. However, the lack of financial- and job security which accompanies non-traditional working arrangements is not. Lack of social contact, poor management practices, and a loss of many other factors that contribute to good quality employment characterise many gig economy jobs and may further contribute the to poor mental health of workers.
The podcast covers:
How the labour marked and work is changing for young people, and how that is connected to mental health with Shruti Singh, OECD
How the digitalisation of work is changing working practices with Molly Tran, Colorado School of Public Health
New and traditional working structures, and the factors which contribute to good mental health and wellbeing with Kevin Daniels, University of East Anglia.
Lessons to learn from the music industry – What musicians experiences of job insecurity can teach us about protecting the mental health of new gig economy workers with Sally-Anne Goss and George Musgrave, University of Westminster.
The European Alliance for Mental Health - Employment & Work 