Workers' Stress During the First Lockdown: Consequences on Job Performance Analyzed With a Mediation Model

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Pandemic Research
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented challenges to the workforce.
• Understanding the relationship between workplace stressors and job performance is crucial for employee well-being.
• Pandemic-related changes, such as teleworking, have altered work dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mediating role of worker stress in the relationship between pandemic-related stressors and job performance.
• To identify specific factors contributing to increased stress and decreased job performance during a pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Path analyses were employed using MPlus software.
• A sample of 459 Canadian workers was analyzed.
• The study examined the indirect effects of various stressors on job performance through worker stress.

Main Results:

• Four significant indirect associations were identified.
• Work-life balance dissatisfaction, being a woman, and marital tensions were linked to lower job performance via increased stress.
• Teleworking was associated with higher job performance due to its negative association with stress.

Conclusions:

• Targeting specific stressors through interventions can improve job performance.
• Addressing work-life balance, gender-specific challenges, and marital tensions is important for mitigating negative impacts on performance.
• The findings highlight the benefits of teleworking for maintaining job performance during challenging times.