The hidden costs of flexibility: A comparative study of OHS outcomes in using temporary agency work

Pille Strauss-Raats and Dragoș Adăscăliței
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Pille Strauss-Raats: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Dragoș Adăscăliței: Employment Research Unit, Eurofound, Ireland

Economic and Industrial Democracy, 2026, vol. 47, issue 2, 331-351

Abstract: This article addresses a gap in comparative research regarding the role of organisational factors in shaping occupational health and safety (OHS) outcomes when using temporary agency work (TAW). Using the Economic Pressures–Work Disorganisation–Regulatory Failure (PDR) framework, the article applies a comparative case study approach to analyse OHS outcomes in two sites of one multinational company. The findings reveal how differences in organisational practices embedded in different institutional contexts shape TAW use, influencing exposure to work-related injuries and exhaustion. These effects are particularly evident in the context of workforce segmentation, where trade-offs and unintended consequences emerge for the user firm.

Keywords: Comparative case study; exhaustion; OHS; PDR model; temporary agency work; work injury (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:47:y:2026:i:2:p:331-351

DOI: 10.1177/0143831X251332174

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