Individual responsibility and disconnection: Practitioner experiences of the first wave covid19 lockdown

ABSTRACT The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia called for a lockdown that impacted the delivery of social work and human services. This study investigated the experiences of 15 social work and human service practitioners in Southeast Queensland, Australia. Telephone and Zoom interviews were conducted with practitioners and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Three themes arose: 1) technology problems;2) flexibility in work roles;3) supportive and unsupportive organisations. Findings suggested that practitioners faced challenges due to poor technology, reduced role clarity, and in some cases limited organisational support. Findings also provided insight into benefits that included increased flexibility, regular communication from the organisation, and acts of kindness and care from individuals and organisations. A fundamental lesson from this study was the importance for organisations to nurture connections that demonstrated care for employees during times of crisis. IMPLICATIONS Social work and human service practitioners need continued support in accessing and using software and hardware in preparation for crisis. While practitioners displayed resilience and flexibility during the COVID19 lockdown, clarity about work roles and responsibilities is necessary. Employers play a vital role in maintaining practitioner wellbeing during crisis by showing care and connection between individuals and across the wider organisation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The emotional labour of academia in the time of a pandemic: A feminist reflection.

During the COVID19 pandemic, emotional labor has become an indispensable resource in social work, providing comfort, strength, and focus for many. Within the social work academy, emotional labor has been required to support students, especially as education has moved quickly into online and remote teaching modes. For the majority female social work educators, the pandemic has also led to a rise in caring responsibilities, especially for children. This personal essay explores the experience of a female, early career social work academic in negotiating the use of emotional labor simultaneously in paid and unpaid roles during the pandemic. This exploration is contextualised within the neoliberal university and its expectation of how emotional labor should be used to meet student and business needs. The essay questions the individualized practice and responsibility of emotional labor and questions alternative ways to meet the emotional needs of individuals, families, and universities during the COVID19 pandemic.