This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between job stress and quality of life for hospital workers by type of employment.

Data were obtained for 361 workers in a large hospital 172 of whom were categorized as typical workers defined by permanent employee and 189 of whom were categorized as atypical workers defined by fixed-term contraction. Job stress was assessed using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF Questionnaire.

Atypical workers had significantly higher scores for job-related stress in the domains of insufficient control, over work, job insecurity, and lack of reward in the workplace compared with typical workers, who had higher scores for stress in the domains of job demands and occupational climate. Test scores also indicated that typical workers had a significantly better quality of life than atypical workers, especially in terms of mental health, social relationships and environment.

These findings suggested that factors contributing to job-related stress were different between typical and atypical hospital and typical workers are likely to have a better quality of life.