Work-Life Balance and Academic Productivity Among College of Medicine Faculty Members During the Evolution of the COVID-19 Pandemic- The New Normal

ABSTRACT

Background: The persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation strategies have shaped a new environment in which we live and work. Objective(s) To evaluate academic medicine faculty members' work stress, home stress, productivity, and self-care in the spring of 2021 compared with the spring of 2020. Method(s) A 93-question survey was distributed in March 2020 and again in March 2021. Data were collected on demographic, family, and academic characteristics;work distribution and productivity before and during the pandemic;perceived stress related to work and home activities;and self-care. Differences were assessed using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Result(s) There were 231 (n = 141 women, n = 90 men) faculty members who responded in the spring of 2020 and 118 (n = 60 women, n = 58 men) faculty members who responded in the spring of 2021. A greater proportion of women compared with men reported increased work stress in both surveys. By the spring of 2021, work stress had decreased significantly for men but not for women. A significantly higher proportion of women reported increased stress related to securing funding for research, scholarly productivity, teaching, advising, administrative responsibilities, and clinical responsibilities compared with men. Although research productivity had increased for both genders by the spring of 2021, a larger proportion of women reported disturbed sleep and diet. Caring for young children increased home stress regardless of faculty members' gender. Conclusion(s) Faculty members who are men have more likely adapted to the ''new normal'' by lowering work stressors and increasing productivity, whereas women more likely have adapted by decreasing self-care. The lingering effects of the pandemic have maintained higher work stress, particularly for women and especially for faculty members with young children. Institutional efforts to support those disproportionately affected and ensure well-being of faculty members are critically needed to promote gender parity post-pandemic..