Pixel International Conferences

Working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic have different specifics which depend on the constraints in different countries, as well as on the degree to which different employment sectors are affected [1]. In the field of HR management, attention has been paid to some innovative strategies needed to manage and stimulate human capital to increase productivity  in general, and in crisis conditions  [2, 3]. Customer service personnel and educators are two of the occupations having higher rates of burnout [5, 6, 7, 8] . The purpose of this study was to account for the responses and views of customer service employees in the telecommunications sector and university lecturers on their work experience over the entire period of hardship related to the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional study which comprised a randomized convenient sample of 945 volunteers and employed quantitative-qualitative design. Of all respondents, 237 people were telecommunications sector employees and 708 were university lecturers. The results revealed both differences and similarities in the responses of the two groups of respondents but in general, we can identify some common, universal needs. Different organizations are in the opinion that some of the key elements in maintaining their employees’ well-being, resilience and job satisfaction, both in conditions of crisis and in stability, are flexibility, preparedness and the compliance of the universal guidelines which outline the general needs with the job specificity.

Keywords: Burnout, perceived stress, remote work, COVID-19, work-life balance

References:

[1] Kirby LD, Qian W, Adiguzel Z, Afshar Jahanshahi A, Bakracheva M, Orejarena Ballestas MC, Cruz JFA, Dash A, Dias C, Ferreira MJ, Goosen JG, Kamble SV, Mihaylov NL, Pan F, Sofia R, Stallen M, Tamir M, van Dijk WW, Vittersø J, Smith CA. Appraisal and coping predict health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: An international approach. Int J Psychol. 2022; 57(1): 49-62. DOI: 10.1002/ijop.12770

[2] Janvee G, Anil Kumar S, Ashish, G. Human Capital in Knowledge-based Firms: Re-creating Value Post-pandemic. Human Systems Management. 2023; Pre-press: 1-15. DOI: 10.3233/HSM-220062

[3] Anjum N, Rahaman MS. Human Resource Management amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: Behavioral Implications for HR Practitioners. Journal of Advanced Research in Economics and Administrative Sciences. 2022; 3(1), 57-66. https://doi.org/10.47631/jareas.v3i1.398">DOI: 10.47631/jareas.v3i1.398

[4] Gressman PT, Peck JR. Simulating COVID-19 in a university environment. Math Biosci. 2020; 328: 108436. DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2020.108436

[5] Čopková R. The relationship between burnout syndrome and boreout syndrome of secondary school teachers during COVID-19. Journal of Pedagogical Research. 2021; 5(2: 138-151. http://dx.doi.org/10.33902/JPR.2021269824">DOI: 10.33902/JPR.2021269824

[6] Minihan Е, Adamis D, Dunleavy M, Martin A, Gavin B, McNicholas F. COVID-19 related occupational stress in teachers in Ireland. – International Journal of Educational Research Open. 2022; 3: 100114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2021.100114"> 10.1016/j.ijedro.2021.100114

[7] Pressley T. Factors Contributing to Teacher Burnout During COVID-19, Educational Researcher. 2021; 50(5): 325–327. DOI: 10.3102/0013189X211004138

[8] Saha S, Dutta T. A Study on the Psychological Crisis during the Lockdown Caused Due to COVID-19 Pandemic. Afr. J. Biol. Med. Res. 2020; 3 (2): 41-49.