Emerging Issues – Page 2 – Work, Stress, and Health

Improving the Safety, Health, and Well-Being of Workers with Non-Standard Work Arrangements: A Research Roadmap for Healthy Work Design and Well-being

November 13, 2021November 12, 2021

Gaps remain in our understanding of the determinants and consequences of work design overall and non-standard work arrangements (NSWAs) specifically on worker safety, health, and well-being. This poster presents efforts by the Healthy Work Design and Well-being (HWD) Cross-Sector council to identify and address these gaps and advance the HWD National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). The poster aims to improve awareness of the research gaps identified in the HWD NORA and to expand partnerships that will further advance worker well-being.

Changes in Job Demands and Resources for Fire-Based First Responders due to COVID-19

November 12, 2021November 12, 2021

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. fire service personnel have reported increased physical and mental demands. The purpose of this study is to dive deeper into the experiences of the US fire service and examine these demands and identify resources to mitigate imbalance. Semi-structured interviews with fifteen US fire departments illuminated additional job demands and potential resources in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although preliminary findings indicate more discussion surrounding resources compared to demands, further analysis is needed to identify key themes in the data.

Workplace Accommodation: Supporting workers with mental and physical disabilities

November 13, 2021November 12, 2021

In order to understand how workplace accommodations and supports impact the health and wellbeing of workers with disabilities in the US, Canada, and three Scandinavian countries, we used a crowd sourcing website to collect survey information from workers with disabilities across a variety of occupations. Disability acceptance and disability social rejection were consistently associated with organizational accommodation and treatment of workers with disabilities. COVID-19 demands and stressors were associated with increased burnout, job dissatisfaction, and stress. There were differences in how respondents perceived accommodation and treatment based on their country.

Job Insecurity and the Moderating Role of Economic Dependence and Job Satisfaction: What Happens When You Really Need or Love Your Job?

November 13, 2021November 12, 2021

Researchers have consistently found that job insecurity is related to a number of poor health and well-being outcomes. Despite this, the extent to which this relationship may be moderated by job satisfaction or financial dependence on the job has not been sufficiently investigated. Our study found support for the moderating role of economic dependence and job satisfaction in the relationship between job insecurity and life satisfaction. In addition, we also found that economic dependence moderates the relationship between job insecurity and self-rated health.

Pushed to Attend: Does Presenteeism Pressure Predict Presenteeism Behavior, Work Engagement, and Extra-Role Behaviors?

November 13, 2021November 12, 2021

This study examines whether organizational pressure to attend work when unwell (i.e., presenteeism pressure) incrementally predicts worker well-being and performance outcomes above and beyond other known predictors. Using data collected from Amazon?s Mechanical Turk (MTurk; NTime 1 =561), preliminary analyses show that presenteeism pressure predicted presenteeism behavior above and beyond presenteeism climate. Planned additional analyses (target NTime 2 =400) will test lagged incremental prediction of job engagement, organizational citizenship behaviors, and counterproductive work behaviors three months later. These results contribute further evidence that presenteeism pressure poses a substantial and unique threat to both workers and organizations.

Examining Physical Activity, Barriers to Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior for American Office Workers Experiencing Mandatory Work from Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic

November 13, 2021November 12, 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine possible changes in physical activity, barriers to physical activity, and sedentary behavior for full-time American office workers who experienced a period of mandatory work from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional survey study found that WFH was associated with additional energy and motivation to exercise and having a workout partner. However, physical activity was associated with exercising for health or stress reduction only when working at one?s workplace (WAW). As a practical implication, employees could capitalize on their energy and motivation to exercise when WFH.

Worker commitment to addressing burnout pre and post COVID-19.

November 13, 2021November 12, 2021

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a multi-union, joint labor-management team of mental health staff prioritized burnout at their public-sector worksite. A comprehensive set of interventions to address root causes was in its implementation phase when the global pandemic both interrupted those plans and exacerbated burnout for all healthcare workers. This team is now exploring what changes to their original interventions might be needed to address the massive post-pandemic burnout which they and co-workers are experiencing. They plan to lead a series of focus groups at their facility, to better understand how their colleagues experienced the last year, and what efforts would be meaningful and feasible now.

Early career challenges on the frontlines: Emergency medicine residents’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

November 13, 2021November 12, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted countless challenges and novel stressors on healthcare workers. Emergency medicine residents have been on the frontlines of this crisis from the very start and have encountered a variety of unique stressors and challenges throughout this global crisis. Research presented here seeks to provide insight into emergency medicine residents? experiences through a mixed-methods longitudinal survey administered beginning in March 2020 and continuing to present day. Results provide a continuous and detailed storyline of challenges and coping mechanisms that emergency medicine residents have reported throughout this global crisis.

Work in the Time of the Pandemic: Changes in the Quality of Working Life and Their Socio-Demographic and Work-Based Determinants

November 13, 2021November 12, 2021

Based on a heterogeneous sample of employees in Switzerland, the current study primarily aims to understand how the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic reflect in important aspects of the working life, such as income, workload, or working conditions. Subsequently, we seek to inspect whether the type of experienced changes in the quality of the working life are linked to employees? socio-demographic situation and social support available at their workplace, thereby unraveling potential risk and protective factors.