Under Pressure: The Impact of Recession on Employees in Ireland
| Published date | 01 June 2014 |
| Author | Helen Russell,Frances McGinnity |
| Date | 01 June 2014 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/bjir.12018 |
Under Pressure: The Impact of Recession
on Employees in Ireland
Helen Russell and Frances McGinnity
Abstract
Ireland is experiencing the worst recession since the foundation of the state, and
the effects on the labour market have been dramatic. This article explores the
impact of recession for those still in employment by examining work pressure,
using two large, nationally representative workplace surveys from 2003 (boom)
and 2009 (recession). We find a significant increase in work pressure between
2003 and 2009. Staff reductions and company reorganization are both associ-
ated with increased work pressure, as is current job insecurity. Other job
changes, like large pay cuts, increases in responsibility and monitoring are also
associated with increased work pressure. We argue that negative organizational
and job changes in the previous two years play an important role in accounting
for the rise in work pressure.
1. Introduction
Rapid economic growth in Ireland has been followed by a severe recession
and a dramatic fall in the numbers employed. This shift in economic fortunes
has refocused attention on issues such as unemployment, yet the implications
of recession also extend to those who remain in employment. The sociologi-
cal literature suggests that insecurity can undermine working conditions,
while organizational change, financial pressures, budget cuts and reductions
in staff numbers all bring potential changes to the conditions of employment
and the well-being of workers. In this article, we examine changes in work
pressure among Irish workers based on analysis of two national surveys of
employees in Ireland, one carried out in the midst of the economic boom
period in 2003 and another in 2009 after the economy had entered recession.
The timing of these surveys and the scale and rapidity of the change in labour
market conditions in Ireland make this an interesting case to study. By
Helen Russell and Frances McGinnity are at The Economic and Social Research Institute,
Dublin, Ireland, and hold adjunct positions at the Department of Sociology, Trinity College
Dublin.
bs_bs_banner
British Journal of Industrial Relations doi: 10.1111/bjir.12018
52:2 June 2014 0007–1080 pp. 286–307
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/London School of Economics. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd,
9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA.
analysing the impact of a sudden sharp recession on work pressure, we also
aim to contribute to debates on working conditions and well-being.
We begin by considering debates on working conditions and well-being
(Section 2), and then briefly consider the extent and nature of the current
recession in Ireland (Section 3). In Section 4, we develop a series of expecta-
tions as to how these changes associated with the recession might have an
impact on work pressure. In Section 5, we describe the surveys, the measure-
ment of key indicators and show how the workplace in Ireland changed
between 2003 and 2009. In Section 6, we test our expectations using regres-
sion modelling of factors linked to work pressure in 2009 and examine the
role of various factors associated with the rise in work pressure between 2003
and 2009. Section 7 concludes with a summary of the findings and a reflection
on avenues for future research.
2. Debates on working conditions and well-being
Several decades of research has considered the impact of job characteristics
for people’s experience of work and their well-being (Crompton et al. 1996;
Gallie 2007; Kalleberg 1983). Research has focused on the impact of a range
of job characteristics including skill and skill change (Cappelli et al., 1997),
job control or the amount of decision making an individual has about aspects
of their job (Gallie et al. 1998), job insecurity (Burchell et al. 2002; Scherer
2009) and flexible work arrangements (Russell et al. 2009a). Literature
on high performance workplace strategies has also looked at the impact on
employee well-being (Appelbaum et al. 2000).
We focus on work pressure for several reasons. Work pressure has impor-
tant implications for employees’ physical and mental well-being. It is associ-
ated with a wide range of psychological distress measures and physical health
problems such as stomach problems and sleep difficulties (Fairris and Brenner
2001; Wichert 2002). Higher levels of work intensity have been found to lead
to substantial reductions in employee well-being, as measured by job satisfac-
tion and by indices of affective well-being (Warr 1987). The effects of work
pressure can also spill over to home life leading to negative outcomes for
workers’ families: previous research has found that work pressure is strongly
linked to work-to-family conflict (Gallie and Russell 2009; McGinnity and
Calvert 2009). Conversely, reduced pressure has potential benefits for employ-
ers through reduced absenteeism and increased organizational commitment
(Burchell et al. 2002). Finally, as we are interested in recessionary effects, it
might be argued that work pressure is more closely linked to current market
conditions than other outcomes such as job satisfaction. Capturing the impact
of the recession on work pressure can potentially highlight the wider implica-
tions of the economic downturn for those who still have jobs.
Work pressure is not simply a measure of the demands of work but
also encompasses individuals’ capacity to meet these demands, which will
be influenced by their skills and capabilities (Gallie 2005). Work pressure
Work Pressure in Recession 287
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/London School of Economics.
To continue reading
Request your trial