The perceived risk of being infected at work: An application of the job demands–resources model to workplace safety during the COVID-19 outbreak

Abstract

Safety at work, both physical and psychological, plays a central role for workers and organizations during the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. Building on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model applied to safety at work, in this study we proposed that the perceived risk of being infected with COVID-19 at work can be conceptualized as a job demand (i.e., a risk factor for work-related stress), whereas those characteristics of the job (physical and psychosocial) that help workers to reduce or manage this risk can be conceived as job resources (i.e., protective factors). We hypothesized that the perceived risk of being infected at work is positively associated with emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, we hypothesized that job resources, in terms of safety systems, communication, decision-making, situational awareness, fatigue management, and participation in decision-making, are negatively associated with emotional exhaustion. We also hypothesized that job resources buffer the association between perceived risk and emotional exhaustion. Overall, 358 workers (meanage = 36.3±12.2 years) completed a self-report questionnaire, and the hypothesized relationships were tested using moderated multiple regression. Results largely supported our predictions. The perceived risk of being infected at work was positively associated with emotional exhaustion, whereas all the job resources were negatively associated with it. Furthermore, safety systems, communication, decision-making, and participation in decision-making buffered the relationship between the perceived risk of being infected at work and emotional exhaustion. In a perspective of prevention and health promotion, this study suggested that organizations should reduce the potential risk of being infected at work, whenever possible. At same time, those characteristics of the job that can help workers to reduce or manage the risk of infection should be strengthened.

The Perceived Risk of Being Infected With COVID-19 at Work, Communication, and Employee Health: A Longitudinal Application of the Job Demands-Resources Model

“…Empirical evidence, although still scant, supports the idea of an association between the perceived risk of infection at work and communication on the one hand (i.e., as a job demand and a job resource, respectively), and negative outcomes for the individual on the other. A recent research by Falco et al [6] has shown that PRIW was positively associated with emotional exhaustion, a core component of job burnout [32], whereas communication was negatively associated with it. However, the study by Falco et al employed a cross-sectional design, which did not inform about the direction of the associations.…”

“…Risk perception can be conceptualized as the "subjective assessment of the probability of a specified type of accident happening and how concerned we are with such an event" (p.152) [20], which implies a cognitive and an emotional or affective component of risk perception [21,22]. Recently, researchers around the world have focused on the perceived risk of COVID-19 infection, both in the general population [23,24] and among workers, including healthcare professionals [25][26][27] as well as workers from different occupational sectors [6,28]. The growing attention towards the risk of infection at work is consistent with the fact that workplaces and the organization of work have some features that may enhance the spread of SARS-CoV-2, such as, for example, physical proximity and frequent social interactions [29].…”

“…Communication is a central element of a good team work that refers to the exchange of good-quality (e.g., effective, clear and honest) information and feedbacks across team members (i.e., colleagues and supervisors) [6][7][8][9]30]. In this study we conceived communication as a job resource.…”

“…In this study we conceived communication as a job resource. Indeed, high-quality communication may play a motivational role by being functional in achieving work objectives, in terms of both safety outcomes and productivity [6]. Furthermore, good communication allows workers to complete tasks more effectively, thus fostering employees' perception of their competence [7].…”

“…Hence, to promote more sustainable working conditions aimed at fostering employees' health and wellbeing during the ongoing pandemic, work-related factors that may lead to both physical and psychological consequences related to COVID-19 risk (e.g., contracting COVID-19 and psychophysical symptoms associated to work-related stress, respectively) need to be thoroughly considered and addressed. In the light of this scenario, in this longitudinal study we investigated the association over time between two work-related factors linked to COVID-19 risk, namely the perceived risk of being infected at work (PRIW) with COVID-19 [6] and communication among team members [7][8][9], on the one hand, and psychophysical strain, in terms of psychophysical symptoms related to work-related stress (WRS), on the other [10,11]. More specifically, building on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model [12,13] applied to safety at work [14][15][16], we conceptualized PRIW as a job demand (i.e., a risk factor for WRS), which may have negative consequences on employee's health and well-being over time.…”