OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, MENTAL HEALTH, JOB SATISFACTION AND PERFORMANCE OF TEMPORARY WORKERS IN FRUIT GROWING

Danijela  Stojadinović; Nikola Radivojević; Aleksandar   Zdravković

doi:10.59267/ekoPolj2601165S

Authors

Danijela Stojadinović Academy of Applied Studies Southern Serbia, Partizanska 7, 16000 Leskovac, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6335-8101
Nikola Radivojević Academy at applied Studies Šumadija, Kosovska 8, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6137-4431
Aleksandar Zdravković Academy of Applied Studies Southern Serbia, Partizanska 7, 16000 Leskovac, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9906-3543

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59267/ekoPolj2601165S

Keywords:

Occupational health and safety, mental health, job satisfaction, performance of temporary worker, fruit growing, Republic of Serbia

Abstract

The paper analyses the associations between twotemporary work characteristics (workplace burnout andjob insecurity), job satisfaction, and mental health in fruitgrowing in the Republic of Serbia, as well as the role ofsatisfaction with employee care in these relationships.The research involved 1,359 seasonal workers engaged inpruning and harvesting tasks on fruit plantations. Usingstructural equation modelling the analysis explored causeand-effect associations. The findings reveal that job burnoutexerts a stronger influence on temporary workers’ mentalhealth than on job satisfaction, whereas job insecurityhas a more pronounced effect on job satisfaction than onmental health. Across these relationships, satisfaction withemployee care functions as a buffer, mitigating the adverseimpacts of burnout and job insecurity on both mentalhealth and job satisfaction - two critical determinants ofworkplace performance.

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