Effects of parenthood and gender on well-being and work productivity among Canadian academic research faculty amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has brought about enormous changes to all aspects of academic life. In spring 2020, we recruited faculty from Canadian universities who were asked to complete a survey about the perceived impact of the pandemic on aspects of their well-being and work productivity. Eight hundred ninety-nine academics from across Canada responded, reporting that the pandemic had had a significant negative impact on their mental health, work satisfaction, first-author publications, grants, and data collection. Overall weekly work hours dropped by 22% compared to prepandemic levels, from 45 hr/week to 35 hr. Though parents of children under the age of 13 managed to maintain an average of 30 hr/week despite juggling childcare and work duties, they nonetheless fared worse compared to nonparents and parents of older children on nearly all indicators of work productivity and well-being. Furthermore, mothers of young children reported having fewer uninterrupted work hours and spending more time as primary caregiver compared to fathers. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable negative impact on the self-reported well-being and work productivity of Canadian academics, and even more so among parents of young children. Mothers of young children may be particularly in need of additional support. These findings highlight the importance of adopting policies at the federal and institutional levels aimed at "leveling the playing field" for these groups as well as instituting creative childcare solutions that maintain health and safety while not further disadvantaging young parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (French) La pandemie de la maladie causee par le coronavirus (COVID-19) a suscite d'enormes changements dans tous les volets de la vie universitaire. Au printemps 2020, nous avons effectue un sondage parmi les membres du personnel d'universites canadiennes afin de connaitre les repercussions percues de la pandemie sur divers aspects de leur bien-etre et sur leur productivite. Ont repondu au questionnaire 899 personnes de partout au pays, lesquelles ont signale que la pandemie avait eu d'importantes repercussions negatives sur leur sante mentale, leur niveau de satisfaction au travail, le nombre de publications comme premier auteur, l'obtention de subventions et la collecte de donnees. Dans l'ensemble, le nombre d'heures travaillees par semaine a chute de 22 %, comparativement a celui d'avant la pandemie, passant de 45 a 35 heures. Bien que les parents d'enfants de moins de 13 ans aient reussi a maintenir un horaire moyen de 30 heures semaine, jonglant les services de garde et le travail, ils ont des resultats tres inferieurs aux personnes sans enfants ou aux parents d'enfants plus ages pour presque tous les indicateurs de productivite et de bien-etre. De plus, les meres de jeunes enfants ont rapporte avoir un nombre inferieur d'heures de travail ininterrompues et avoir consacre plus de temps comme principaux fournisseurs de soins en comparaison des peres. Ainsi, la pandemie de COVID-19 a eu d'importantes repercussions sur les niveaux autorapportes de bien-etre et de productivite des chercheurs universitaires canadiens, en particulier parmi les parents de jeunes enfants. Les meres de jeunes enfants ont peut-etre particulierement besoin de soutien supplementaire. Ces resultats mettent en relief l'importance d'adopter des politiques federales et institutionnelles visant a egaliser les chances pour ces groupes, de meme que d'etablir des solutions novatrices pour la garde d'enfants qui assurent la sante et la securite, sans desavantager les jeunes parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement Public Significance Statement The current findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable negative impact on the self-reported well-being and work productivity of Canadian academics, and even more so among parents of young children. Mothers of young children may be particularly in need of additional support. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)