Research on the influence of the COVID-19 epidemic on work stress of returning workers in China: A study based on empirical analyses of industrial enterprises

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 epidemic not only cast a shadow on China’s economic development but also caused phased panic and anxiety among the Chinese population. At the stage when the spread of the epidemic is not completely controlled, the business activities will surely cause employees to worry and produce a work stress reaction. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the impact of psychosocial stress caused by the COVID-19 epidemic on the work stress of returned workers. Furthermore, we explore the boundary conditions for reducing work stress from the perspectives of perceived organizational support, perceived social support and epidemic awareness. METHODS: Data were collected within two weeks after the Chinese government announced the work resumption of industrial enterprises. During this period, 526 returned workers participated in the study. RESULTS: The results showed that the psychosocial stress caused by the epidemic had a positive impact on work stress. Both perceived organizational support and perceived that social support can alleviate the impact of psychosocial stress on work stress. The moderating effect of epidemic awareness was only established in non-severe epidemic areas. CONCLUSIONS: In the current period of the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, the conclusions of this study have a certain theoretical significance and practical value.

How does fear of COVID-19 affect the mental well-being of waiters in Turkey

“…The potential spread of COVID-19 virus system undoubtedly generated individual concerns and worries [1]. Beyond all other fears associated with the pandemic, it appeared that people had the most worry at the spread of the infection itself, proliferating 1 ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7223-2543. 2 ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0318-1700.…”

Working conditions and anxiety levels of employees who have to work during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…C ¸itak and Pekdemir reported that anxiety levels of individuals who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic were higher than those who did not work [26]. In the literature, it is suggested that life-threatening pandemics increase anxiety levels of individuals due to the lack of effective treatment methods [2,6,27]. This is because anxiety is a vague and unpleasant feeling of fear that can emerge.…”

“…The coronavirus outbreak occurred as a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019 and was later named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization [1]. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused people around the world to face physiological and psychological stress [2]. It is reported that life-threatening pandemics increase individuals' anxiety levels, which in turn increases their avoidance behaviors and brings social life to a halt [3].…”

“…In the literature, it is emphasized that health problems such as anxiety and depression will increase in the coming years [21]. Research on stress and anxiety reveal that physiological and psychological destruction occurs especially in busy working groups, which negatively affects the health and organizational success of individuals [2,22]. In this context, the health problems of the employees who work during the pandemic process need to be determined.…”

College students’ compliance with government measures for social isolation and quarantine during the COVID-19 outbreak: A focus on psychological predictors

“…When the virus continued to be increasingly unmanageable, the Italian government imposed a lockdown throughout the country, with disciplinary consequences for those who did not respect the quarantine guidelines. The importance of strictly following governmentimposed rigid rules to contain the pandemic has created interest in the impact that the COVID-19 outbreak (and the subsequent control measures) had on the well-being of people who faced many changes in their lifestyles, especially health care workers and university students [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. It is critical to know which variables might have fostered compliance with the government's instructions.…”