Temporary Employees Enjoy Less Stress
Reem El-Khatib, American Staffing Association

Findings from a recent study show that permanent and temporary employees have similar quality of life—but temporary employees report lower levels of job-related stress.

The survey, conducted by research company Zogby International, compared the family time, stress, eating, and healthy living habits of more than 3,000 temporary and permanent employees. It found that the behavior of each group was similar to the other—for better or worse. Temporary workers, for instance, reported "eating as healthily (or unhealthily) as their permanent counterparts," according to the survey.

One difference, however, was in the level of job-related stress each group reported. Temporary employees have less work-related stress because they have "greater flexibility and more control over their employment decisions," the study said. Furthermore, 40% of the temporary workers polled by Zogby reported that their work does not cause stress in their personal life, compared to 36% of permanent employees.

A less-stressful employment arrangement is one reason job seekers choose temporary and contract work, according to the staffing employee survey conducted by ASA in 2006: 56% of respondents cited "less stress" as an important factor in their decision to become a staffing employee. "One in five participants in the ASA survey said that flexible work time, choice of assignments, or having time for family were extremely important factors in their decisions to become a temporary or contract employee," the report stated.

Both temporary and permanent employees "desire to balance lucrative careers and lifestyle priorities," the Zogby study concluded. "Temporary employment affords individuals many options."