COVID-19, and the lockdown requirement, altered our daily lives, including the restructuring of work and socio-familial organisation of millions of people. Through two studies, we explored how workers experienced this period. The first, qualitative study (N = 30) aimed to understand how workers lived through lockdown by identifying the key elements that shaped their experiences. Thematic content analysis revealed four emerging themes: (1) work and socio-health situation in which lockdown was experienced; (2) consequences on work organisation and resources available for change; (3) work–life balance management; and (4) psychosocial consequences and coping with the situation. The second, quantitative study (N = 332) explored the socio-health situation, new work organisation, work–life balance, and psychosocial consequences and coping strategies developed during this period, analysing participants’ differences in terms of gender, working modality (on-site or teleworking) and care responsibilities through ANOVA analysis. Results revealed the non-democratic nature of the pandemic, with differences and similarities according to gender, working modality and having or not having dependents. Results are discussed identifying areas that need to be addressed to ensure the well-being of workers.

This article explores the socio-labor conditions in which people worked during confinement, analyzing the predictors of work-related stress, according to work modality (face-to-face or teleworking), from a holistic and quantitative (N = 328) point of view. To identify predictors of stress, correlational analyses and multiple hierarchical regressions were conducted with individual, organizational, and societal variables. Furthermore, to analyze the possible modulating role of gender, caregiving, and the level of responsibility in organizations in the relationship between predictor variables and work stress, the macro process of Hayes et al. (2017) was used. Our results show that work–family conflict and ruminative thoughts predict stress in both modalities. In teleworking modality, the hours dedicated to work predicted stress, and in face-to-face modality, safety measures and perceived economic threat (tendentially). Being in charge of persons moderated the relationship between ruminative thoughts and economic threat, and stress in face-to-face. Results are discussed by identifying good practices that can improve workplace risk prevention strategies.

Dependency and care assistance during old age has become an increasing focus of debate and change in society. Consequently, people must cope with diverse and even contradictory values and ideas about the issue. This study aimed to understand the social representations of dependency based on the dialogical approach of the Social Representations theory. Total 26 semi‐structured interviews were conducted in the Basque Country (north of Spain) with relatives, care workers, and older adult care recipients. The thematic analysis results show that social representations are articulated around seven themes, reflecting people's tensions and contradictions at cultural, organizational, and relational levels. In addition, the polyphasic and dynamic nature of social representations is discussed, addressing current public debates about the meaning of dependency in a changing sociocultural context.