Stress at Work and Well-being Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective The aim of the study is to analyze the development of conditions at work and health-related variables (notably exhaustion) in Switzerland longitudinally before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Questionnaire data were collected from a population-based sample of 1,553 employees in February 2020 and 1 year later. Health and well-being associated with (a) working conditions in general and (b) COVID-19–specific predictors such as worries about being infected and conditions for working at home were analyzed using analysis of (co)variance and multiple regression. Results Conditions at work and well-being were stable overall, even indicating slight improvements, notably for men compared with women. Both an index representing stressors and resources at work in general (Job Stress Index) and a COVID-19–related demand index showed consistent effects on health and the effect of COVID-19–related demands was stronger if the Job Stress Index deteriorated than when it improved.