Decent work among European early career researchers

Purpose Whereas the precarious nature of research careers is well-established, how this reality affects the subjective work experiences of early career researchers (ECRs) remains underexplored. To contribute to the growing literature on how academia impacts ECRs’ lives and well-being, this paper aims to examine this issue through the lens of decent work. Design/methodology/approach The authors surveyed 520 European ECRs, assessing their perceived decent work through five indicators: safe working conditions, access to health care, adequate compensation, free time and rest and complementary values. They tested whether ECRs’ perceived decent work was associated with the meaning they ascribed to work and, using mediation analyses, how life satisfaction and meaning in work articulated as outcomes of their perceived decent work. Findings Although no significant differences were found between academic stages (doctoral/postdoctoral), women tended to view their working conditions as less safe than men. The only cross-country difference concerned adequate compensation. Respondents’ perceptions of decent work were also linked to their work meaningfulness and life satisfaction, underlying that a job perceived as decent contributes to ECRs’ quality of life and work fulfilment. Practical implications The findings suggest that universities should pay attention to three aspects of ECRs’ work situation that shape their perceptions of holding decent jobs: adequate compensation for their work, congruence between personal/family values and those of their institutions and safe working conditions. Originality/value This study adds to the global conversation about the challenges facing ECRs in today’s academic labour market by applying the decent work concept to ECRs for the first time, thereby offering new insights into how this population perceives its working conditions.