Well-being among contract healthcare workers: Balancing job demands and personal resources

Abstract

Orientation: Contract-based healthcare workers often face disproportionate challenges, such as job insecurity, limited career advancement opportunities and unequal pay, despite performing similar duties to permanent staff.
Research purpose: This study investigates the moderating role of personal resources in the relationship between job demands and employee well-being among contract healthcare workers.
Motivation for the study: Given the rising reliance on contract healthcare staff, it is crucial to understand how their well-being can be protected and sustained under high-demand working conditions.
Research approach/design and method: Data were collected from 221 contract healthcare workers in a public hospital using structured questionnaires. Moderated regression analysis was employed to test both direct and interaction effects of job demands and personal resources on well-being.
Main findings: Job demands negatively predicted well-being, while personal resources had a significant positive effect. Furthermore, personal resources buffered the adverse effects of high job demands, confirming their moderating role.
Practical/managerial implications: Human resource strategies should not only manage job demands but also strengthen personal resources through resilience training, psychological coaching and self-efficacy development. Such initiatives can enhance psychological safety and support workforce sustainability.
Contribution/value-add: This study extends the Job Demands–Resources and Conservation of Resources frameworks by providing empirical evidence of the moderating role of personal resources. It offers actionable insights for improving well-being among contract healthcare workers operating under demanding conditions.