Being temporary employed : an in-depth study of four social workers in Germany

Sammanfattning: Labour markets in Europe are changing from permanent employment to more flexible structures. Atypical work such as temporary work become more prevalent. In Germany, there is a high share of temporary work contracts within social work. The aim of this study was to understand what temporary employment means for the employees and which effect it has on the lives of the employees. The chosen method for this study was a qualitative research method with in-depth interviews of four temporary employed social workers in Germany. The analysis was done through a hermeneutic phenomenological approach based on the concept of Van Manen (1997). The study found that temporary employment is perceived differently by each person and depends on personal factors, such as age, family status, private back-up systems, being responsible for others and career prospects. Temporary employment can be a chance of trying out different work fields and developing a boundaryless career through gaining specific skills within different employments. When founding a family and being financial responsible for a family, temporary employment can be problematic, and the perceived job insecurity can be high. Here, the transition period after each contract is a highly insecure time for the employee. Further impacts are the inability of getting loans and a disadvantageous position on the housing market. Back-up systems such as the welfare state as well as private mechanisms such as financial support within a family are crucial when being temporary employed.