The Impact of the Implementation of Preventive Measures Due to COVID-19 on Work Design and Early Childhood Professionals’ Well-Being—A Qualitative Study

Susan Gritzka, Peter Angerer, Reinhard Pietrowsky and Mathias Diebig
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Susan Gritzka: Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine (IASUM), Centre for Health and Society (CHS), Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich Heine University (HHU) Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Peter Angerer: Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine (IASUM), Centre for Health and Society (CHS), Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich Heine University (HHU) Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Reinhard Pietrowsky: Institute of Experimental Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Heinrich Heine University (HHU) Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Mathias Diebig: Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine (IASUM), Centre for Health and Society (CHS), Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich Heine University (HHU) Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-30

Abstract: The reopening of child-care programs during COVID-19 demanded comprehensive preventive measures. Research to date has overlooked this reopening process as well as early childhood professionals’ (ECPs) implementation efforts and resulting changes in their work practices and well-being. As a result, this study sought insights into (1) the practical implementation of measures, (2) perceptions and evaluations of measures, (3) changes in work characteristics, and (4) its impact on well-being. Qualitative interviews were conducted with German child-care managers ( N = 27) between June and August 2020. The semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and content-analyzed using MAXQDA. ECPs, through a combination of high effort and engagement, ensured the feasibility of most preventive measures. This included practices which were perceived to be unreasonable or ones which were stricter than practices required for the public. This exacerbated the critical work characteristics (e.g., high workload, overtime, and multitasking) from pre-pandemic scenarios and led to new work demands (e.g., changes in work content and social interactions). ECPs maintained intensive work demands and consequently suffered from broad strain outcomes (e.g., worry, exhaustion, anger, fear of infection, and reduced psychological sense of community). This study highlights the adverse psychosocial work environment of ECPs despite the necessity of ensuring health and safety at work.

Keywords: child care; occupational health and safety; COVID-19; preventive measures; well-being; work demands; early childhood professionals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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