Being an accountant, cook, entertainer and teacher—all at the same time: Changes in employees' work and work‐related well‐being during the coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic

Abstract

I n March 2020, the world was hit by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic which led to all-embracing measures to contain its spread. Most employees were forced to work from home and take care of their children because schools and daycares were closed. We present data from a research project in a large multinational organisation in the Netherlands with monthly quantitative measurements from January to May 2020 (N = 253-516), enriched with qualitative data from participants' comments before and after telework had started. Growth curve modelling showed major changes in employees' work-related well-being reflected in decreasing work engagement and increasing job satisfaction. For work-non-work balance, workload and autonomy, cubic trends over time were found, reflecting initial declines during crisis onset (March/April) and recovery in May. Participants' additional remarks exemplify that employees struggled with fulfilling different roles simultaneously, developing new routines and managing boundaries between life domains. Moderation analyses demonstrated that demographic variables shaped time trends. The diverging trends in well-being indicators raise intriguing questions and show that close monitoring and fine-grained analyses are needed to arrive at a better understanding of the impact of the crisis across time and among different groups of employees.

Individual Differences and Changes in Self-Reported Work Performance During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…For example, a longitudinal study conducted between September 2019 and April 2020 (Möhring et al, 2021) found an overall decline in work satisfaction because of the first national lockdown in Germany, particularly among working mothers and among childless employees who had to switch to shorttime work. Another study conducted between January and May 2020 (Syrek et al, 2021) found general decreases in work engagement, increases in job satisfaction as well as initial declines in work-nonwork balance, workload, and autonomy need satisfaction, followed by recovery patterns in May 2020. Finally, a study conducted between April and June 2020 (Meyer et al, 2021) showed that female employees with low partner support experienced higher levels of exhaustion during the lockdown in Germany.…”

Telework Experience of Pedagogues during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Strong Learning Seniors and Relaxed Leaders?

“…The uniqueness of the situation also changed the provision of education on a global level [39]. Research shows that employees attempted to fill different roles, create new procedures, and control work-life balance [40]. Issues like poor work conditions, difficulties with students and families, and other problems with work organization became clear as factors limiting the success of telework [39].…”

“…Neuropsychological disorders are influenced by the mandatory additional effort required to organize education activities [43]. It is important to note that women's mental health has been harmed more due to the COVID-19 restrictions than men's [40]. Bearing in mind the fact that there are more female teachers, it can be forecast that the education sector might be faced with future challenges related to teacher burnout and withdrawal due to fatigue.…”

“…When teleworking, employees experience problems in interpersonal relations and challenges due to professional isolation [30,49]. Thus, managerial and organizational support in the education field is also of great importance [40].…”

Individual Differences and Changes in Self-Reported Work Performance During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…For example, a longitudinal study conducted between September 2019 and April 2020 found an overall decline in work satisfaction due to the first national lockdown in Germany, particularly among working mothers and among childless employees who had to switch to short-time work (Möhring et al, 2021). Another study conducted between January and May 2020 found general decreases in work engagement, increases in job satisfaction, as well as initial declines in work-nonwork balance, workload, and autonomy need satisfaction, followed by recovery patterns in May 2020 (Syrek et al, 2021).…”