In three studies across several industries in the United States, workers who experienced insecure wages reported worse physical health symptoms, including poor sleep quality, headaches, stomach problems, and back pain. This study was published online Journal of Applied Psychology.

Study author Dr. Gordon Thayer, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at Emrion Business School in France, said: “Wage volatility is associated with lower-paying jobs and poorer health for freelancers in the gig economy, as well as higher-paid professionals working in finance, sales and marketing, where commissions and performance bonuses are common. It was also related to the house.”

In one study, 85 tip-dependent US workers (waiters, delivery drivers, maids, etc.) completed daily online surveys over a two-week period about their total daily income and health status. The participant reported receiving a tip 80% of the workday, with an average daily tip total of $36.18 for him, averaging a quarter of his total earnings.

Large fluctuations in daily wages over 2 weeks were associated with negative physical health symptoms and poor sleep quality. The study found that this relationship became stronger when unstable wages accounted for a larger proportion of participants’ total wages.

In another study, 375 participants in the United States worked an average of 29 hours per week on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Participants he surveyed weekly for three weeks, and the results were similar to the study on tipped workers.

Sayre conducted a final online survey of 252 high-income finance, marketing, and sales employees. Workers responded to her monthly survey over a three-month period and found that the less dependent they were on commissions and bonuses, the less harm to their health was caused by wage volatility.

Mindfulness, or focusing on the present moment, has been shown to reduce stress in work and other aspects of life. Although this study measured individual mindfulness, it did not help reduce the physical symptoms associated with unstable wages. wage volatility had little effect on

Employers should consider whether insecure forms of wages (e.g. tips, piecework, performance bonuses, commissions) are necessary, with more stable forms of remuneration accounting for a greater proportion of workers’ total earnings. Thayer said it needs to be done.

Thayer said legislation could improve the lives of millions of Americans dependent on variable incomes, including a federal minimum wage increase of $2.13 an hour and more protection for gig workers. there is.

“Union is another way workers can secure stronger protection against precarious wages,” he added. This should help protect the health of workers in many industries.”

The findings do not prove that insecure wages cause health symptoms, only that there is a correlation between them.