The consequences of informal employment on workers’ health and family well-being in Europe

INTRODUCTION: Informal employment, characterized by unregistered and unprotected employment arrangements, can be detrimental to the health and well-being of workers and their families. Because non-standard work with ambiguous employment arrangements is growing more common across Europe, informal employment is becoming a health risk for an increasing number of people. The aim of this study is to explore the link between informal employment and health, focusing on the effect of employment precariousness and accounting for macrostructural contextual factors. METHODS: A sample of workers aged 15-64 in Europe from the latest European Working Conditions Survey of 2021, will be used. Using logistic regression models, with standard employment as the reference, the consequences of informal employment on physical health, psychosocial health, and family well-being will be assessed. The effects of precarious conditions (employment insecurity, low material rewards, lack of rights and opportunities, and disempowerment) on the relationship will be tested. RESULTS: Based on existing theory, the results should reveal that informal employment is associated with adverse outcomes. Precarious employment conditions should have a stronger effect for informal workers and their families as opposed to workers in standard employment. The results will be analyzed in relation to country-based structural factors such as welfare state policies and labour market trends. CONCLUSIONS: The study will have implications for both research and policy. It will fill a critical research gap of the underexplored association between informal employment, workers’ health, and family well-being. Since non-standard work is growing in the European countries, the results should also demonstrate the importance of targeted policies to reduce the negative effect of this type of work to protect the health of not only workers, but the well-being of their families. KEY MESSAGES: • Informal employment is associated with adverse outcomes among workers and their families. • Employment precariousness is key to explaining how informality determines health and should therefore be at the core when adapting policies to the current labour market transformations.