Challenges in acquiring support for employee treatment and work balance in small- and medium-sized enterprises in
Etsuko Yoshikawa1, Hitomi Abe2, Noriko Nishikido3
1Faculty of Nursing, Japanese Red Cross Collage of Nursing, Tokyo, Japan.
Objectives:
This study aims to elucidate a few of the challenges experienced by employees of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan while attempting to acquire support to strike a balance between medical treatment and work during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods:
This descriptive qualitative study was conducted from February to March 2022 on SMEs. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 11 SMEs. Data collection focused on two key areas: (1) changes and challenges in medical treatment and health support at work during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) ideas and strategies for coping with the crisis. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing.
Results:
Thematic analysis produced five main themes: difficulties in access to health services, rapid spread in teleworking, necessity of various responses depending on the situation, anxiety, and no major changes.
Conclusions:
SMEs in Japan faced difficulties in implementing regular support to help employees balance between medical treatment and work during the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, the incorporation of information and communication technology to stem the spread of the COVID-19 infection has advanced to continue to work for employees with a high risk of infection.
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