Utilization of Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Theory to Evaluate Workplace Stress Experienced by Health Care Assistants in a UK In-Patient Dementia Unit after 10 Years of National Financial Austerity (2008-2018).

AIMS: Workplace stress for support workers in UK hospitals (Health Care Assistants; HCAs) is poorly understood. This study explores experiences of HCAs working in a National Health Service in-patient dementia unit after 10 years of national financial austerity (2008-2018). DESIGN: Qualitative evaluation. METHODS: 15 HCAs (42%) from a specialist dementia care Unit were interviewed. Interviews were guided by UK Health & Safety Executive published dimensions of work stress. Framework analysis was applied to interview transcriptions, corroborated by a follow-up focus group (6 HCAs). Post hoc interviews with 10 nurses were later introduced to obtain a balanced view of teamwork on the Unit. RESULTS: Health care assistants were altruistic regarding demands of dementia care but otherwise negative of most aspects of their work environment. Staff shortages had increased job demands: workload, poor shift rotas, and excessive reliance on inexperienced agency staff. According to HCAs, job resources of the care team were in significant deficit: nurses in charge were perceived as poor team leaders, had poor interpersonal skills, lacked respect for experienced HCAs, and deemed to be frequently absent from the ward so failing to support carers. HCAs' lack of decision-latitude exacerbated the situation. In contrast, nurses interviewed did not recognise the teamwork issues raised by HCAs, who were considered obstructive, unsupportive, lacked awareness of nurses' responsibilities, and of insights how understaffing meant excessive administration and time required to support patients' relatives. Such dissonant inter-group views caused considerable friction and exacerbated the work pressure. CONCLUSION: Study outcomes spotlighted impacts of socioeconomic issues for HCAs. Staff shortage, exacerbated by financial austerity measures (pre-COVID pandemic), increased job demands for HCAs but their psychosocial job resources were in serious deficit, so putting them at risk of burnout. Inter-group relations are key for a collaborative ethos, and are amenable to interventions. Such difficulties should not be allowed to fester.

Australian cancer nurses' experiences of burnout: Exploring the job demands and job resources of metropolitan cancer nurses during 2019-2020.

BACKGROUND: Existing studies that seek to understand nurses' experiences of burnout are dominated by cross-sectional, quantitative survey designs employing predetermined measures, often overlooking important job-related stressors that can be highly dependent on industry and professional contexts. Cancer nurses are a group of professionals who warrant special attention, as burnout in this profession is often attributed to high job demands and the challenge of caring for a vulnerable cohort of patients. A deeper understanding of the job demands associated with cancer nursing is required to provide insights about the work experiences of cancer nurses and identify aspects that mitigate burnout and stress. PURPOSE: This study describes the antecedents of burnout among Australian cancer nurses by focusing on the demands and resources inherent in their work. We aim to build on the existing literature by identifying job resources that may serve to mitigate the antecedents of burnout. METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: An in-depth interview study of cancer nurses across a spectrum of age and experience in Australian metropolitan public health care services was conducted over a 2-year period that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The job demands and resources model framed this study of job-related factors associated with burnout and conversely job resources that may foster work engagement. RESULTS: Patient aggression, workload, emotional demands, and abusive peers and managers were reported as distinct job demands, whereas job significance and supportive peers who demonstrated leadership, along with task variety, were identified as job resources. CONCLUSION: Australian cancer nurses work in an environment where job demands are increasingly disproportionate to job resources, leading to significant risk of burnout. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Our study identifies modifiable strategies for improving work conditions for this group who play a critical role in the health care system.

Work-Life Balance and Mental and Physical Health among Warsaw Specialists, Managers and Entrepreneurs.

Many studies have shown that low work-life balance (WLB) can be harmful to health. Poland is a country with one of the lowest indicators on the WLB scale among European countries but there are only a few studies about the connection between WLB and health. The present analysis aimed to answer the questions of whether the lower WLB among Warsaw's middle class correlates with poorer mental and physical health, and what life orientations and values typical of the middle class are related to work-life balance. Two surveys were conducted in the years 2003 and 2013 on the quota samples of 500 members of the Warsaw middle class: specialists, managers, and entrepreneurs. The current analysis has indicated the connection between a lower level of WLB and worse mental and physical health. Some middle-class life orientations are connected with a high WLB. The relationship between WLB and health was stronger in 2013 than in 2003. It can be considered a result of mentality and lifestyle changes and generational renewal. The study should be repeated in 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic as the work situation of the middle class may have changed.

Exploring Managerial Job Demands and Resources in Transition to Distance Management: A Qualitative Danish Case Study.

Organizations worldwide have shifted to working from home, requiring managers to engage in distance management using information and communication technologies (ICT). Studies show that managers experience high job demands and inadequate guidance during COVID-19; therefore, the transition to distance management raises questions about the increase in managerial job demands and the impact on managers' well-being. This study aims to explore first-line managers' perceptions of job demands and available resources during the first year of the pandemic and understand the implications for first-line managers' well-being. First-line managers face complex and conflicting demands, making them more challenged in their management task than other management levels. We used the job demands-resources model in this qualitative, longitudinal empirical study. The study draws on 49 semi-structured interviews with seven first-line managers from a large pharmaceutical company in Denmark, whom we followed throughout the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, from May 2020 to May 2021. Our findings suggest that the first-line managers perceived increased emotional and practical demands. While the managers appreciated the initial guidance provided by the organization, they perceived the organizational support as outdated and superficial. As a result, to cope with the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and the shift to distance management, the managers relied on work engagement enablers such as social support. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic portrays unique circumstances in transitioning to distance management that require further exploration outside the COVID-19 context, the insights from this study can assist organizations in developing awareness about transitions to better support first-line management to embrace changes in the future.

Relationships and resilience at work and at home: Impact of relational coordination on clinician work-life balance and well-being in times of crisis.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unusually comprehensive crisis that has taken a toll on people in their roles both at work and at home, giving rise to a new normal. PURPOSE: Relational coordination theory shows how communicating and relating for the purpose of task integration drives positive outcomes for workers, their clients, and their employers. The ecological theory of work-family spillover shows how relational dynamics from work spillover into family life, and vice versa. We build upon these two theories to understand how relationships at work impact work-life balance and worker well-being, especially in times of crisis. METHODOLOGY: This study was based on surveys of clinicians affiliated with a large California health system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mediation and multilevel logistic regression models were used to assess how relational coordination among colleagues impacts well-being (job satisfaction and lack of burnout) through its effects on work-life balance (schedule control and personal time). RESULTS: A 1-point increase in relational coordination tripled clinician odds of having schedule control ( OR = 3.33, p < .001) and nearly doubled the odds of having adequate personal time ( OR = 1.83, p < .001). A 1-point increase in relational coordination nearly quadrupled odds of being satisfied with their job ( OR = 3.92, p < .001) and decreased odds of burnout by 64% ( OR = 0.36, p < .001). The impact of relational coordination on worker well-being was mediated by greater schedule control and personal time. CONCLUSION: Relational coordination among colleagues impacts worker well-being by enabling greater control over one's schedule and more personal time, thus creating a positive spillover from work to home in times of crisis. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: In times of crisis, leaders should prioritize relational coordination among colleagues in order to support their resilience both at work and at home.

Transformational Leadership, Employee Engagement, Job Satisfaction, and Psychological Well-Being among Hotel Employees after the Height of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Serial Mediation Model.

Over the past few years, great attention has been given to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences on employee psychological well-being (PWB), particularly in the hospitality industry. Like many aspects of human life, employee PWB is influenced by multiple factors. One of the factors that may affect employee PWB is transformational leadership (TLS). Accordingly, we aim through this study to empirically (1) examine the direct effect of transformational leadership on employee PWB and (2) investigate the potential independent and serial mediation effects of employee engagement (EEG) and job satisfaction (JS) on the TLS-PWB relationship after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were gathered using an online questionnaire from a convenience sample of 403 front-line employees from five-star hotels in Saudi Arabia. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with the bootstrapping technique was utilized to test the study hypotheses. Based on the demands-resources (JD-R) theory, the findings of this study reveal a significant positive effect of TLS on hotel employees' PWB. Additionally, drawing on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model, the two main contributions of this study are: (1) EEG and JS serially and independently have a significant partial mediational effect on the TLS-PWB relationship among hotel employees, and (2) EEG has a greater impact on the TLS-PWB relationship as an intervening variable than the two other mediators (JS, as well as EEG and JS serially). Based on these findings, hotel management should mainly consider developing and encouraging TLS behavior among their managers to promote EEG and increase JS among their followers, which consequently enhances their PWB and alleviates negative psychological outcomes due to experiencing a disaster such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The relationship between personal-job fit and physical and mental health among medical staff during the two years after COVID-19 pandemic: Emotional labor and burnout as mediators.

BACKGROUND: In the context of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, research on personal-job fit and physical and mental health was inadequate. We aimed to explore the relationship between personal-job fit and physical and mental health among medical staff during the two years after COVID-19 pandemic and verify emotional labor and burnout as mediators. METHODS: A total of 2868 medical staff from two general hospitals, were included from July 3 to July 27, 2022, in Wuhan, China. SPSS was used for statistical description, and AMOS was used for structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the mediating effect of emotional labor and burnout. RESULTS: In the SEM, the total effect of personal-job fit on physical and mental health was significant (ß = 0.855, 95 % CI: 0.748-0.972). The mediating effect of surface acting between personal-job fit and physical and mental health was significant (ß = 0.078, 95 % CI: 0.053-0.110). The mediating effect of burnout was significant (ß = 0.220, 95 % CI: 0.175-0.274), but the mediating effect of deep acting was not significant (ß = 0.006, 95 % CI: -0.013-0.025). The chain mediating effect of surface acting or deep acting and burnout between personal-job fit and physical and mental health was significant (ß = 0.082, 95 % CI: 0.059-0.108; ß = 0.049, 95 % CI: 0.038-0.063). LIMITATIONS: Owing to the cross-sectional study, causal relationship, and direction of effects among variables could not be determined. CONCLUSIONS: Personal-job fit has significant direct and indirect effects on physical and mental health. Monitoring and intervening in personal-job fit, emotional labor, and burnout might be effective ways to promoting physical and mental health among medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PH WINS 2021 Methodology Report.

CONTEXT: The Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) was fielded in 2014 and 2017 and is the largest survey of the governmental public health workforce. It captures individual employees' perspectives on key issues such as workplace engagement and satisfaction, intention to leave, training needs, ability to address public health issues, as well as collects demographic information. This article describes the methods used for the 2021 PH WINS fielding. PH WINS: PH WINS 2021 was fielded to a nationally representative sample of staff in State Health Agency-Central Offices (SHA-COs) and local health departments (LHDs) from September 13, 2021, to January 14, 2022. The instrument was revised to assess the pandemic's potential toll on the workforce, including deployment to COVID-19 response roles and well-being, and the country's renewed focus on health equity and "Racism as a Public Health Crisis." PH WINS 2021 had 3 sampling frames: SHAs, Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC) members, and LHDs. All participating agencies were surveyed using a census approach. PARTICIPATION: Overall, staff lists for 47 SHAs, 29 BCHC members, and 259 LHDs were collected, and the survey was sent to 137 446 individuals. PH WINS received a total of 44 732 responses, 35% of eligible respondents. The nationally representative SHA-CO frame includes a total of 14 957 individuals, and the nationally representative LHD frame includes 26 933 individuals from 439 LHDs (decentralized and nondecentralized). CONSIDERATIONS FOR ANALYSIS: PH WINS now offers a multiyear, nationally representative sample of both SHA-CO and LHD staff. Both practice and academia can use PH WINS to better understand the strengths, needs, and opportunities of the workforce. When using PH WINS for additional data analysis, there are a number of considerations both within the 2021 data set and when conducting multiyear and multiple cross-sectional analyses.

Job burnout and its influencing factors in Chinese medical staffs under China's prevention and control strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the influencing factors of burnout among grassroots medical staff in China so as to provide a reference for improving their physical, psychological, and social statuses under China's prevention and control strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring the sustainable supply of high-quality medical resources. METHODS: This study was performed on medical staff in five primary hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China, from May 1, 2022, to June 1, 2022, using a general information questionnaire and Maslach Burnout Inventory Scale. SPSS 25.0 and Stata 15.0 were used for two-track data entry and analysis. The OLS regression model was established to analyze the influencing factors for the job burnout of health care personnel. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy valid questionnaires were analyzed. The total score of job burnout was (30.16 ± 10.99). The scores of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and self-achievement were (9.88 ± 3.839), (11.99 ± 5.68), and (8.29 ± 5.18), respectively. Feeling depressed and stressed after the pandemic, days working over the past week, and work hours per shift had a positive impact on the Maslach Burnout total score. Increased income and hours working every week had a negative impact on the Maslach Burnout total score. However, sex, age in years, degree, professional title, job category, workplace, marital status, years in practice, health status, active management of health, idea of resignation, and promotion after the pandemic did not affect the Maslach Burnout total score. CONCLUSION: The job burnout of medical staff is affected by health conditions, working conditions, the psychological consequences of a pandemic, wages and marital status. Hospital managers should formulate incentive measures according to different psychological changes in medical staff to create a good medical working environment under the normalization of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control.

Burnout: A Call to Action From the AUA Workforce Workgroup.

PURPOSE: We hypothesize burnout has failed to improve and certain demographics may be disproportionately affected. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The AUA Workforce Workgroup examined work from the annual AUA Census over the past several years. Particular to this study, relevant burnout-related data were examined from the past 5 years. RESULTS: In 2021, 36.7% of urologists reported burnout compared to 36.2% in 2016. Burnout in men decreased from 36.3% to 35.2%, but increased in women from 35.3% to 49.2%. When examined by age, the largest increases in burnout were seen in those <45 years old, increasing from 37.9% to 44.8%, followed by 45-54 years old, increasing from 43.4% to 44.6%. When asked about the effect of COVID-19 on burnout, 54% of urologists didn't feel COVID-19 impacted burnout. Beyond burnout, only 25.0% of men and 4.6% of women reported no conflict between work and personal responsibilities, while 25.7% of men and 44.7% of women resolved these conflicts in favor of work or were unable to resolve them. Of respondents, 22.5% of men and 37.1% of women were "dissatisfied" with work-life balance. Similarly, 33.6% of men reported their work schedule does not leave enough time for personal/family life, compared to 57.5% of women. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, urologists have higher burnout now when compared to 2016. The gender discrepancy has vastly widened with women experiencing burnout at an increased rate of 14% compared to 2016, while burnout in men decreased by 1%. Burnout has increased the most in those <45 years old. Further action is needed to substantiate the causes of burnout.

Which Aspects of Work Safety Satisfaction Are Important to Mental Health of Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland?

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic increased the occupational burden experienced by healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to investigate a change in work satisfaction during the pandemic and specific factors contributing to mental health among healthcare providers. We obtained data from 367 healthcare professionals. Respondents were asked about their satisfaction with selected aspects of work (clarity of procedures, access to personal protective equipment, the flow of information, financial stability and general security) during the epidemic and retrospectively how satisfied they were before the outbreak. They also completed measures assessing mental health: the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale and the Insomnia Severity Index. The results showed that satisfaction with all safety-related work aspects decreased during the pandemic. The flow of information and financial stability were significant predictors of WHO-5, PHQ-9 and ISI scores. GAD-7 scores were predicted by satisfaction with the clarity of procedures, the flow of information and financial stability. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed the lives of everyone. However, due to conditions of employment in Polish healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic put a great financial strain in addition to pandemic stressors specific to medical staff.

Physician exhaustion and work engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal survey into the role of resources and support interventions.

BACKGROUND: Physicians increasingly show symptoms of burnout due to the high job demands they face, posing a risk for the quality and safety of care. Job and personal resources as well as support interventions may function as protective factors when demands are high, specifically in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the Job Demands-Resources theory, this longitudinal study investigated how monthly fluctuations in job demands and job and personal resources relate to exhaustion and work engagement and how support interventions are associated with these outcomes over time. METHODS: A longitudinal survey consisting of eight monthly measures in the period 2020-2021, completed by medical specialists and residents in the Netherlands. We used validated questionnaires to assess job demands (i.e., workload), job resources (e.g., job control), personal resources (e.g., psychological capital), emotional exhaustion, and work engagement. Additionally, we measured the use of specific support interventions (e.g., professional support). Multilevel modeling and longitudinal growth curve modeling were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: 378 medical specialists and residents were included in the analysis (response rate: 79.08%). Workload was associated with exhaustion (γ = .383, p < .001). All job resources, as well as the personal resources psychological capital and self-judgement were associated with work engagement (γs ranging from -.093 to .345, all ps < .05). Job control and psychological capital attenuated the workload-exhaustion relationship while positive feedback and peer support strengthened it (all ps < .05). The use of professional support interventions (from a mental health expert or coach) was related to higher work engagement (estimate = .168, p = .032) over time. Participation in organized supportive group meetings was associated with higher exhaustion over time (estimate = .274, p = .006). CONCLUSIONS: Job and personal resources can safeguard work engagement and mitigate the risk of emotional exhaustion. Professional support programs are associated with higher work engagement over time, whereas organized group support meetings are associated with higher exhaustion. Our results stress the importance of professional individual-level interventions to counteract a loss of work engagement in times of crisis.

Burnout and Mental Health and Well-Being of School Nurses After the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Cross-Sectional Survey.

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between job stressors, COVID-19-related concerns, burnout, and mental health and well-being among school nurses, and whether any of these associations are mediated by burnout. Based on stratified proportional sampling, data collection was conducted by an online questionnaire distributed to 600 school nurses in Taiwan. A total of 256 participants aged between 27 and 62 years (mean = 47.08; standard deviation = 7.28) returned questionnaires. Results showed that burnout was the main mediating variable that fully mediated the relationship between COVID-19-related concerns and mental health and well-being. The effects of job stressors on mental health and well-being included direct negative effects (ß = -.29) and indirect negative effects (ß = -.67) through mediating factors. School health managers should be more aware of burnout and mental health and well-being among school nurses under the impact of COVID-19.

The Mediating Role of Sense of Coherence and Striving for Work-Life Balance on Intention to Leave From Nurses' Burnout.

High turnover and understaffing are significant issues plaguing the healthcare system. Some of the leading reasons of turnover include child-bearing and -rearing, stress related to working, and health concerns. With the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this problem of turnover worsened due to increased risk of infection and escalating workload. This study aimed to clarify and validate the effect of burnout on intention to leave among full-time nursing professionals and the structural relationship with sense of coherence (SOC) and striving for work-life balance (S-WLB). Secondary analyses of data obtained from a previous study was carried out; a hypothesized model was tested for goodness of fit and a final model was developed. Burnout directly affected intention to leave (P < .001). It also affected intention to leave through SOC and S-WLB (P < .01); SOC lessened the effect of burnout on S-WLB, therefore reducing its impact on intention to leave. Effective strategies need to be developed to improve the SOC and WLB of nurses to alleviate the effects of burnout and thus reduce the likelihood of turnover. Improving their ability to grasp and deal with emergencies and ambiguous situations, as well as providing emotional and tangible support can be other ways to retain nursing professionals.

Experiences of intensive care unit nurses working with COVID-19 patients: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.

Objectives: Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses are at the forefront of fighting and treating the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and are often directly exposed to this virus and at risk of disease, due to their direct care for infected patients. This study aims to synthesize the experiences of ICU nurses working with COVID-19 patients. Methods: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies were undertaken. A systematic literature search in four databases, including Web of Sciences, Scopus, Embase, and PubMed (including Medline), was performed. Original qualitative studies and the qualitative section of mixed method studies, written in English, which focused on the experiences of only ICU nurses working with COVID-19 patients, were included. Results: Seventeen qualitative studies and two mixed-method studies were included in the review. As a result of the inductive content analysis, six main categories were identified, as follows: "distance from holistic nursing," "psychosocial experiences," "efforts for self-protection and wellbeing," "organizational inefficiency," "job burnout," and "emerging new experiences in the workplace." Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that healthcare authorities and policymakers can facilitate the provision of high-quality patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic through appropriate planning to provide adequate support and training, prevent shortages of nursing staff and equipment, and provide adequate attention to the psychological needs and job satisfaction of ICU nurses. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=256070, identifier: CRD42021256070.

Professional challenges of nurses working during the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: The diverse list of tasks and needs related to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic may lead to different professional experiences in nurses working with patients infected with and not infected with SARS-CoV-2. The aim of the study was to measure the professional challenges of nurses working during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted in 2021 in a group of 151 nurses. The following scales were used: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), the Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R), the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ-SF), the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey (MBIHSS). RESULTS: Nurses working with patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 showed a positive correlation between workload and emotional exhaustion (ρ = 0.26, p = 0.02), as well as positive correlations among control, community and depersonalization (ρ = 0.25, p = 0.02; ρ = 0.23, p = 0.04). Among nurses working with uninfected patients, positive correlations were found among control, community, fairness and emotional exhaustion (ρ = 0.40, p = 0.000; ρ = 0.41, p = 0.000; ρ = 0.25, p = 0.03), as well as correlations between control and depersonalization (ρ = 0.33, p = 0.01), and among control, community and personal accomplishment (ρ = 0.23, p = 0.05; ρ = 0.27, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Nurses working during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic with infected and uninfected patients both experienced a variety of psychosocial challenges in coping with the demands of their work, social relationships and personal life. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(1):112-24.

Remote and on-site work stress severity during the COVID-19 pandemic: comparison and selected conditions.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to explore whether remote and on-site work stress during the COVID-19 pandemic was experienced with different severity. The second goal was to investigate stress conditions at both working modes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 946 individuals working in the education system and BSS sector in different Polish organizations. The following tools were used: the Brief Scale of Vocational Stress by Dudek and Hauk, the Polish version of the scales to measure work-family conflicts by Grzywacz, Frone, Brewer and Kovner, Meyer and Allen's Affective, Continuance, and Normative Commitment Scales in the Polish adaptation by Banka, Wolowska and Bazinska, the Satisfaction with Job Scale by Zalewska. RESULTS: The analysis of intergroup differences revealed that remote work stress severity was significantly lower than on-site work stress severity. The regression analyses proved that work-family conflict and job satisfaction were significant predictors of remote and on-site work stress. Continuance commitment positively predicted on-site work stress. Both models turned out to be statistically significant. The variables included in the models explained 39% and 35% of the variability of the remote work and on-site work stress, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Remote work is associated with lower stress severity than on-site work. For both types of work, the higher the level of work-family conflict, the higher the level of stress severity, but the higher the job satisfaction, the lower the stress severity. Continuance commitment is positively related to on-site stress, which means that people who work for an organization and see no alternative feel more stressed. Such an effect was observed only in the case of on-site work. The study findings are discussed in light of previous research, and implications for organizational practice are considered. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(1):96-111.

Ongoing Remote Work, Returning to Working at Work, or in between during COVID-19: What Promotes Subjective Well-Being?

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a massive turn to remote work, followed by subsequent shifts for many into hybrid or fully returning to the office. To understand the patterned dynamics of subjective well-being associated with shifting places of work, we conducted a nationally representative panel survey (October 2020 and April 2021) of U.S. employees who worked remotely at some point since the pandemic (N = 1,817). Cluster analysis identified four patterned constellations of well-being based on burnout, work-life conflict, and job and life satisfaction. A total return to office is generally more stressful, leading to significantly lower probabilities of being in the optimal low stress/high satisfaction constellation by Wave 2, especially for men and women without care obligations. Remote and hybrid arrangements have salutary effects; moving to hybrid is especially positive for minority men and less educated men, although it disadvantages White women's well-being.

The status of emotional labour and its influence on job burnout among village doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Village doctors in China are not only the gatekeepers of rural residents' health but also the net bottom of the medical security system. However, emotional labour is increasingly threatening the stability of the rural primary medical system. In addition, the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has further exposed the vulnerability of human resources in China's rural health system. This study aims to evaluate the current situation of emotional labour among village doctors and explore the impact of emotional labour on job burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in December 2021 in Shandong Province. We used structured questionnaires to collect data, including sociodemographic characteristics, emotional labour, and job burnout. Data were analysed by t test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, and hierarchical multiple linear regression. RESULTS: A total of 1,093 village doctors from Shandong Province participated in the study. More than half of the participants were male (62.40%) and were between 41 and 50 years old (53.43%). The total mean score of emotional labour was 3.17 ± 0.67, of which the surface acting (SA) score was 2.28 ± 0.90, and the deep acting (DA) score was 3.91 ± 0.93. There were significant differences in SA according to gender and work content (P < 0.05) and in DA according to gender, age, education level, and work content (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that SA was positively correlated with job burnout (P < 0.001), and DA was negatively correlated with job burnout (P < 0.001). Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis revealed that 29% of the variance in job burnout is attributable to SA (ß = 0.530, P < 0.001) and DA (ß = -0.154, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Village doctors in Shandong Province performed moderate levels of emotional labour during the COVID-19 pandemic. SA had a significant positive effect on job burnout, while DA had a significant negative effect on job burnout among village doctors. Administrators should enhance training on emotional labour for village doctors to play a positive role in alleviating their job burnout.