Hierarchical Analysis of Forms of Support for Employees in the Field of Health Protection and Quality of Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Desired Post-Pandemic Forms of Support

Izabela Dembińska, Agnieszka Barczak, Tomasz Rostkowski, Sabina Kauf and Natalia Marska-Dzioba ()
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Izabela Dembińska: Faculty of Economics and Engineering of Transport, Maritime University of Szczecin, 70-500 Szczecin, Poland
Agnieszka Barczak: Department of System Analysis and Marketing, Faculty of Economics, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, 70-310 Szczecin, Poland
Tomasz Rostkowski: Human Capital Institute, Collegium of Business Administration, Warsaw School of Economics, 02-554 Warszawa, Poland
Sabina Kauf: Department of Logistics and Marketing, Institute of Management and Quality, Opole University, 45-040 Opole, Poland
Natalia Marska-Dzioba: Institute of Economics and Finance, University of Szczecin, 70-453 Szczecin, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-21

Abstract: Issues of employee support during the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic period are of an interdisciplinary nature. Moreover, these should be considered from both an epistemological and a practical perspective. The aim of this study was to determine what forms of support for employees in terms of health and quality of work were provided by employers during the pandemic and what forms of support will be expected by employees after it ceases. The research process was carried out in two stages: primary and secondary exploration and quantitative clarification. In the first stage, a systematic review of the literature and a critical analysis of the so-called grey literature was performed. In the second stage, computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) methodology was used. Ward’s method was used for data analysis. The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic forced employers to search for new solutions to enable the continuation of their business activities, which consisted of switching from the traditional form of work to a remote form. The transition to the remote work mode changed the approach to the forms of work support provided for employees, with particular emphasis on the health of employees and the quality of work. The changes in the forms of support for employees in terms of health and quality of work were either bottom-up or top-down. Employers tried to provide access to remote infrastructure as much as possible, but the consequences of remote work in terms of the physical and mental health of employees were rarely noticed or considered. After the pandemic, online health support and access to the appropriate equipment and tools for remote work are unlikely to be needed.

Keywords: employee; COVID-19; post-pandemic; health; quality of work; Ward’s method; hierarchical method; clustering method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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