We also used valid operationalisations to measure both concepts. In line with Probst (2003), we measured job insecurity as a ‘rich’ concept, including both cognitive job insecurity (i.e. perceived chance of job loss) and affective GDC0449 job insecurity (i.e. worry about job loss). We also focused on the combination of task demands and autonomy. This

gave us the opportunity to assess, within each contract type, the proportion of jobs with four theoretically relevant combinations of job characteristics, both positive and negative. Finally, we did not operationalise Karasek’s four job types by a rough division of autonomy and task demands (e.g. by means of a crude median split), but based our division on substantive grounds, that is, on absolute answer category labels, which more accurately correspond to the categorisation of ‘low’ versus ‘high’ control and demands. Future research Some recommendations for future research are the following. First, the current study showed much diversity in the quality of working life and job insecurity among temporary workers. Therefore, future research should search for specific risk groups for health and well-being problems by focusing on temporary workers, especially agency workers, with a low quality

of working life and high job insecurity. Secondly, find more on-call work proved to be a distinct form of temporary employment. Therefore, future research should separate on-call work from other forms of temporary employment and should investigate the profile(s) of these workers more extensively. Thirdly, the quality of working life and job insecurity acted somewhat differently in explaining health and work-related attitudinal differences between contract types. Thus, future research should distinguish between these two factors in the context of employment contracts, most CH5183284 mw notably in relation to employability and turnover intention. Finally, longitudinal research is needed to test whether employment contracts and health and work-related attitudes affect each other reciprocally. To this

aim, we must study different career paths, not only in terms of contract transitions and transitions between employment and unemployment (e.g., Kompier et al. 2009; P. Virtanen et al. 2005), check details but also regarding quality of working life and job insecurity. In this way, we can discover which type of work leads to health and attitudinal problems (and eventually to unemployment), and which type of work serves as a stepping stone to healthier work. Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.