Work Can Be Good—or Bad—for Your Health

Abstract

Abstract This chapter examines the many ways in which work and working conditions can affect health and contribute to health disparities. The physical environment can harm health through exposure to toxic conditions and chemicals and risk of workplace injury. Psychosocial as well as physical aspects of work influence health. Work-related stress plays an important role. Organizational justice, the extent to which processes and outcomes in the workplace are perceived to be fair and just, is among the many psychosocial influences associated with workers’ health. Workplace discrimination based on race/ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity is an aspect of organizational injustice. Other psychosocial influences thought to influence workers’ health include the balance between the demands made on a worker and the worker’s degree of control over how the work is performed, and the balance between the level of effort a worker must put into work and the rewards (e.g., pay and recognition) received. In addition to earnings, work-related resources such as health care insurance, paid sick leave, and paid parenting/caregiver leave can influence health. The chapter discusses strategies to improve health and reduce health disparities by improving economic, physical, and psychosocial working conditions.