Returning to the Workplace During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Concerns of Australian Workers

Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-021-09990-7 Returning to the Workplace During the COVID‑19 Pandemic: The Concerns of Australian Workers Daniel Griffiths1 · Luke Sheehan1 · Caryn van Vreden1 · Peter Whiteford2 · Alex Collie1 Accepted: 4 June 2021 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021 Abstract Purpose To determine the nature and prevalence of workers’ concerns regarding workplaces reopening during the pandemic. To identify characteristics of workers and industries where particular concerns are more common. Method Prospective cohort study of 1063 employed Australian adults, enrolled at the start of the pandemic. Data on attitudes to workplaces reopening were collected 1 July–30 September 2020. The frequency of concerns describes infection risk and changes to work and impact on home life. Regression models examined associations between demographic and industry factors with reopening concerns. Results More than four in five (82.4%) of workers reported concerns about workplace infection risk. Just over half (53.4%) reported concerns about impacts to work and home life. Concerns were more prevalent for workers reporting psychological distress, financial stress, and among those exclusively working from home. Concerns regarding infection risk were common for workers in health care (IRR 1.16, 95% CI [1.01, 1.33]), retail (IRR 1.31, 95% CI [1.06, 1.61]), and accommodation/food service industries (IRR 1.25, 95% CI [1.01, 1.55]). Concerns regarding changes to work and home life were more common for female workers (IRR 1.24, 95% CI [1.07, 1.43]), and partners/spouses with dependent children (IRR 1.44, 95% CI [1.16, 1.79]). Conclusion Concerns of COVID-19 infection in the workplace are common. Many workers are also concerned about changes to their work and home life. The prevalence of concerns is related to the nature of work and responsibilities at home. Actions that reduce risk of workplace transmission, coupled with effective communication of infection controls, may alleviate worker concerns whilst recognising workers’ family and social circumstances. Keywords COVID-19 · Infection risk · Working from home · Hygiene · Social distancing Introduction It is clear that workplaces have been a major source of COVID-19 transmission, and that some workplaces are higher risk than others [1]. Strategies to reduce workplace transmission have ranged from the introduction of infection control measures [2] through to business closures, sometimes with government financial support for affected businesses, individuals or both. Where possible business transitioned to remote or virtual working arrangements, more common in high income countries [3]. Accordingly, there * Alex Collie 1 School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia 2 Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia has been a global shift in the way work is conducted, with large sections of the workforce spending extended periods of time away from their ‘usual’ or pre-COVID workplace, or working at their usual workplace but under substantially modified working conditions. Following periods of lockdown, businesses and workplaces will begin to reopen. In some nations infection rates are low, enabling a gradual return to workplaces across most industries. Communitywide or workplace-based immunisation programs may also enable more workers to return to the workplace. Several changes to work and workplaces may leave workers concerned about their future. Some workers may be concerned about the risk of occupational infection. Others may have adjusted to a new way of working and be concerned about losing the benefits of their modified working situation, such as more time spent with family. Still others may be concerned that their job role will have changed or about their ability to work productively under modified arrangements. Understanding the nature of workers’ concerns, and 13 Vol.:(0123456789) Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation identifying those most concerned, will assist businesses and governments to more effectively address and alleviate workers concerns as the pandemic unfolds. Infection risk is not equitable amongst workers [4]. Infection risk leading to COVID-19 has been highlighted for workers in essential occupations such as health and aged care workers, bus drivers and meat-processing workers [5, 6], many of whom interact in-person with members of the public or closely other workers and have been required to continue work at their usual workplaces throughout the pandemic period. Individuals working in indoor settings such as offices may be susceptible to airborne transmission, or on public transportation when commuting to and from work [7]. Risk of infection, and the perception of risk, is also influenced by outbreaks of COVID-19 within workers’ localities. For example, in Australia, the setting of this study, infection risk increased during a second wave of COVID-19 localised within the state of Victoria in mid-2020, which led to largescale business closures and a working from home directive for many industries in that state [8]. The impacts of working from home are well described and include reported improvements in quality of life, more time with family, as well as some potential disadvantages such as work intensification and less ability to switch off [9]. As workplaces reopen, at-home workers may risk losing advantages like increased time with family and friends and fewer transportation costs, while others may desire return to the workplace in order to reduce perceived or actual negative consequences of working from home. Workplaces are highly diverse settings. Understanding the extent of worker concerns, and characteristics of individuals who are most concerned about workplaces reopening during the COVID-19 can inform evidence-based strategies to help address and alleviate those concerns. Methods Design, Setting and Participants We report findings from a prospective cohort study on work loss and health during the COVID-19 pandemic [10, 11]. Participants were employed in a paid job prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, or were self-employed, and were aged 18 years or older, residing in Australia. Participants enrolled into the study between 27 March and 12 June 2020, and completed a 20-min baseline survey (either via online or a telephone survey). Recruitment consisted of promoting an online survey via social and general media, via newsletters distributed by community sector and industry groups, and personal networks. Additional participants were recruited into a telephone version of the survey via random digit dialling conducted by a third-party market research company. 13 This study reports findings from the third survey of the longitudinal study, conducted 3 months after the baseline survey, with data collected between 1 July and 30 Se (...truncated)