Occupational Stress and Its Impact on Working Mothers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Through discourse analysis methodology of an online forum and a review of the existing literature, this chapter aims to examine the interceding role of work and the moderating role of resilience in the relationship between occupational stress and well-being of working mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. While work and family are pertinent in a woman's life, she is faced with a dilemma: to either be a full-time worker or a full-time mother; yet, she tries to balance the two, which in turn subjects her to stress, both at work and inside the domestic sphere. Not only do mothers have to manage the home, but they also have to manage/maintain their jobs. Yet, adhering to this hope of the work/life balance affects a working mother's ability to maintain paid employment or gain a promotion because she has to, at times, prioritize taking care of her children in the face of high work stress. At the same time, high work stress may be problematic, resulting in neglect. (Working mothers may be forced to dedicate time to work for fear of getting fired and ignore the needs of their children.)