Outsourcing is widespread, both in Canada and internationally. But public discussion about the impacts of contracting out have focused on the health implications for others, usually the general public, rather than for the workers themselves. Contracting out jobs is a cost-cutting strategy used by many governments. However, important questions have surfaced about the immediate and longer-term health and social costs for workers whose jobs have changed as a result of outsourcing.
This qualitative study offers a snapshot of the health and social impacts of contracting out two years after it occurred, from the perspectives of men and women employed as cleaners and housekeepers for the City of Toronto. It provides their insights into the immediate and longer-term health and social impacts of contracting out. It offers the perspectives of those affected, as well as a discussion about extension of this policy both within the City of Toronto and for other governments.
Read: Health Impacts of Contracting Out: Policy Brief
For media inquiries please contact Jo Snyder, jo@wellesleyinstitute.com