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Cited by 9Employment, Labor, and Gender StudiesEmployment and Welfare StudiesJob Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior

“Bad jobs”: a case study of toilet attendants.

Open access
Adriaenssens, Stef, Hendrickx, Jef·2019·Employee Relations: The International Journal
DOI 10.1108/er-11-2017-0263
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Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge of precarious and low-quality jobs with the study of toilet attendants, an ideal typical case of low-wage manual service workers who are excluded from secure wages, decent working conditions, and employment protection. Design/methodology/approach An extensive survey with standardized questionnaires (n=107) and in-depth interviews (n=10) of toilet attendants in Belgian towns, mostly Brussels and Ghent. Results are compared to the work quality of low-skilled workers, and the within-group position of necessity workers is analysed. Findings Toilet attendants definitely occupy “bad jobs”, measured by the higher prevalence of informal and false self-employed statuses, more intense work-life conflicts and verbal aggression from clients, and a lower job satisfaction. In all these respects, they perform worse than other low-skilled workers. Concurrently, there is a strong within-group divide between necessity workers and those who see the job as an opportunity. Despite a similar job content, necessity workers less often earn a decent wage, suffer more from customer aggression, lack social support and pleasure from work. Mechanisms related to self-selection and the absence of intrinsic rewards explain these in-group differences. Originality/value This contribution indicates, first, that job insecurity spills over into poor working conditions, work-life conflicts, and customer aggression. Furthermore, it documents that jobs are not necessarily bad in themselves, but become problematic when taken up by people with too few choices and too pressing socio-economic needs. Problems of sub-standard jobs are not merely job problems but problems of workers in a certain position.

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Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • General and sexual harassment are more frequently observed/documented in sanitation than water research.

    “General harassment, including taunting, teasing, name calling, and throwing things at women or girls is more frequently observed in sanitation [138, 168, 174, 175, 181, 187, 190, 263] than water research [168,199] Sexual harassment, including verbal harassment, peeping, flashing, and male masturbation is also more frequently documented in sanitation [171-174, 189, 190, 214, 217, 226, 231, 233]”

    From Water, sanitation, and women’s empowerment: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis (2022) · cites this paper as [263]

  • Female toilet attendants in Europe reported poor treatment by patrons who refused payment.

    “and female toilet attendants in Europe reported poor treatment by patrons who refused payment [263].”

    From Water, sanitation, and women’s empowerment: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis (2022) · cites this paper as [263]

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. BRAVERMAN, H. [1974] 1998. Labor and monopoly capital. The degradation of work in the twentieth century, New York, Monthly Review Press.
  2. DORMANN, C. & ZAPF, D. 2004. Customer-related social stressors and burnout. Journal of Occupational and Health Psychology, 9, 61-82.
  3. DUDENHÖFFER, S. & DORMANN, C. 2015. Customer-related social stressors: meaning and consequences across service jobs. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 14, 165-181.
  4. EICHHORST, W. 2015. The unexpected appearance of a new German model. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 53, 49-69.
  5. JAHODA, M. 1982. Employment and unemployment. A socio-psychological analysis, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
  6. PARENT-THIRION, A., VERMEYLEN, G., VAN HOUTEN, G., LYLY-YRJÄNÄINEN, M., BILETTA, I. & CABRITA, J. 2012. Fifth European working conditions survey. In: CONDITIONS, E. F. F. T. I. O. L. A. W. (ed.). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
  7. Hansez, Isabelle, Etienne, Anne-Marie , & Geurts, S. (2006). Le questionnaire d'interaction Travail- Famille de Nijmegen: résultats préliminaires et intérêt pour la clinique. Revue Francophone de Clinique Comportementale et Cognitive, 11(2), 1-13.
  8. Kautonen, Teemu, Palmroos, Jenni, & Vainio, Pekka. (2009). "Involuntary self-employment" in Finland -a bleak future? International Journal of Public Policy, 4(6), 533-548.
  9. Song, Guoping, & Liu, Haihua. (2010). Customer-related social stressors and emotional exhaustion: the mediating role of surface and deep acting. Social Behavior and Personality, 38(10), 1359- 1366.

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Authors
Adriaenssens, S., & Hendrickx, J.
Affiliations
KU Leuven (BE)
ORCID
Venue
Employee Relations: The International Journal
Publisher
Emerald
Published
2019-04-01
Volume
41
Issue
3
Pages
489-505
ISSN
0142-5455 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1108/er-11-2017-0263
OpenAlex
W2922135983
Cited by
9
References
53
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2020: 1
FWCI
1.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Employee Relations (publishedVersion)
  • Lirias (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Employment, Labor, and Gender Studies
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Employment and Welfare Studies
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
Keywords
bad jobs, precarious employment, job insecurity, work-life conflict, customer aggression, informal self-employment, job satisfaction, low-skilled workers, self-selection, intrinsic rewards, working conditions

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