Social Determinants Of Health Case Study

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The Effects of the Workplace on Social Determinants of Health

Employment and working conditions can provide financial security, social status, personal development, social relations, and self-esteem and protection form physical and psychological hazards (Block, Sheila & Grace-Edward Galabizi, 2011.) Precarious employment is low-standard, low wages, short contracts, little to no job security or benefits. Lack of employment is associated with physical and mental health problems that include depression, anxiety and increased suicide rates. Canada’s unemployment rate eased from 7.1% to 7% in October 2015 (Bloomberg), exhibiting that job insecurity has been increasing steadily in Canada during the past decade. The Precarity Penalty and Health
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Precarious employment is low-standard, low wages, short contracts, little to no job security or benefits. The type of employment I possessed was a part-time position as a manager but since my availability was open, I was allotted full-time hours. Although I was working 40-45 hours a week, which could be seen as stable, that left little time for relaxing, letting my body get the physical rest it needed, and performing household tasks due to exhaustion. This lead to my becoming ill quite often (once or twice a month on average) and since I was not being paid on salary, I did not receive any benefits or sick days. Therefore, when I was sick I received no pay, which made me go into work sick and not get the rest needed. The overall environment that this company emanates is stressful, as the expectation from head office (HO) is unrealistic, as most members of HO do not come into the store very often to understand what changes need to occur. That unrealistic expectation was communicated to the management team, by threatening our job positions in hopes to make us produce results. The stress of this expectation is one of the many reasons that lead to my choice to leave the company. Together the low wages, no benefits, and high stress environments are what leaded to the reoccurrence of my depressed and continuous illness (i.e. ear infections, the flu, multiple …show more content…
There are a number of successful ways of achieving movements like the one from Bell Let’s Talk. Having the population educated about the SDH, and demand their public policy-makers to communicate on what is being done for fix this issue. People should also become involved with agencies, organizations, and institutions whose mandates include promoting health and preventing illness, equal and secure employment, and sustainable income. Agencies such as ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) and OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) are available to those who need financial support when unemployed or not making enough money in the current job. Three key focuses explained by The Precarity Penalty will be the bases for recommendations for change in