Changes in occupational mental and physical health and health symptoms during the economic recession

The Well-Being of Primary School Teachers during COVID-19

This study examines the self-rated health and well-being of Icelandic teachers just before and over a year after COVID-19 first appeared. We ask, what was the stress level in 2021 compared to 2019 and the impact of mental and physical health and health symptoms on perceived stress? Were there any changes in self-assessed mental and physical health? Were there any changes in self-assessed mental and physical health symptoms? The study is based on an online survey conducted in 2019 and 2021. A total of 920 primary school teachers answered the questionnaire in part or in full, after three reminders. The main findings show increased stress, worsening mental and physical health, and increasing mental and physical symptoms in 2021 compared to 2019. The results also show a higher percentage of women than men reporting high stress, with women scoring higher on the PSS scale, but the gender patterns for mental and physical health are less clear. The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic had negative consequences on the health and well-being of the teachers. The study demonstrates the importance of school authorities keeping an exceptionally watchful eye on the welfare and well-being of teachers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bullying and Harassment in Downsized Workplaces: What Can We Learn from the 2008 Icelandic Economic Collapse?

Research shows that bullying is a significant workplace issue. A previous study showed increased sickness-related absences among municipality employees during the Icelandic economic crisis in 2008. This led to the following research questions: has bullying and/or harassment increased between the time points of the study up to seven years after the crisis? Did bullying and/or harassment change depending on downsizing? Are quantitative job demands, role conflicts and social support connected to bullying and/or harassment at work and if so, how? The study is based on a four-wave longitudinal balanced panel dataset consisting of those who work within the education and care services operated by Icelandic municipalities. It was seen that bullying and harassment had increased between the time points of the study. Furthermore, employees in downsized workplaces, workplaces with higher quantitative job demands, more role conflicts and less support were more likely to experience bullying and/or harassment than employees in other workplaces. Since the effects may prevail for several years, the study demonstrates that the consequences of downsizing need to be carefully considered and that managers must be supported in that role. As economic crises tend to occur periodically, presently due to COVID-19, the knowledge is both of theoretical and practical importance.

Organizational Downsizing, Work Conditions, and Employee Outcomes: Identifying Targets for Workplace Intervention among Survivors

This study broadly assesses the association of organizational downsizing to work conditions and employee outcomes, and the extent to which work conditions mediate the association of downsizing to employee outcomes, thereby serving as targets for workplace intervention to reduce the harmful effects of downsizing on surviving workers. The cross-sectional data came from a national probability sample of 2297 U.S. workers. A parallel multiple-mediator model with multiple outcomes was estimated, adjusting for personal, occupational, geographic, and temporal covariates. Exposure to downsizing was the predictor. A set of 12 work conditions, representing four dimensions of the work environment, served as simultaneous mediators (Work Role: work demands, role conflict, role ambiguity, and work autonomy; Interpersonal Relationships: supervisor aggression, coworker aggression, friendship formation, and dysfunctional leadership; Rewards: distributive justice and promotion opportunities; Security: job insecurity and employment insecurity). A set of 16 employee consequences, representing five categories of outcomes, served as simultaneous outcomes (Inability to Detach from Work: negative work rumination and inability to unwind after work; Energetic Resource Depletion: physical, mental, and emotional work fatigue; Negative Affect: depression, anxiety, and anger; Positive Affect: happiness, confidence, and vigor; Health: physical and mental health; Work Attitudes: job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions). The results indicated that downsizing had an adverse association with nine of the 12 work conditions (higher levels of work demands, role conflict, supervisor aggression, dysfunctional leadership, job insecurity, and employment insecurity, and lower levels of friendship formation, distributive justice, and promotion opportunities) and all 16 employee outcomes. Moreover, the associations of downsizing to the employee outcomes were indirect, collectively mediated by the nine work conditions. This study provides the broadest evaluation of the deleterious effects of downsizing on U.S. workers surviving a downsizing, identifies affected work conditions that can serve as targets for workplace interventions, and provides insight into why organizational downsizing often fails to deliver anticipated financial and performance benefits to organizations. In terms of serving as targets for workplace intervention, some work conditions meditated the associations of downsizing to a broad set of employee outcomes, whereas other work conditions were specific to certain outcomes. The broad mediators should be targets of any intervention aimed at reducing the adverse effects of downsizing, with additional workplace targets depending on the class of outcomes to be addressed by the intervention.

Employment exit and entry among U.S. adults with and without arthritis during the Great Recession. A longitudinal study: 2007-2009, NHIS/MEPS

BACKGROUND

Negative employment consequences of arthritis are known but not fully understood. Examining transitions in and out of work can provide valuable information.

OBJECTIVE

To examine associations of arthritis with employment during the Great Recession and predictors of employment transitions.

METHODS

Data were for 3,277 adults ages 30-62 years with and without arthritis from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey followed in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2008-2009. Employment (working vs. not working) was ascertained at baseline and five follow-ups. We estimated Kaplan Meier survival curves with 95% confidence intervals (CI) separately for time to stopping work (working at baseline) and starting work (not working at baseline) using Cox proportional hazards regression models with hazard ratios (HR).

RESULTS

Arthritis was significantly associated with greater risk of stopping work (HR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.3-2.2; adjusted HR= 1.5, 95% CI = 1.1-2.0) and significantly associated with 40% lower chance of starting work (HR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.4-0.8), which reversed on adjustment (HR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0-2.2). Employment predictors were mixed by outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

During the Great Recession, adults with arthritis stopped work at higher rates and started work at lower rates than those without arthritis.