Workplace Stress and Anxiety During COVID-19

Dear Colleagues,

The global crisis caused by the outbreak of a novel coronavirus and the associated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed the working conditions for many. As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread social distancing policies, remote working has increased, and many organizations have started to use new digital applications. These changes have led to potential increases in workplace stress and anxiety.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unforeseen situation for many companies and workers. Prolonged remote work and having to learn and apply new ways of working and communicating challenged the old methods of working and forced workers around the world to take a digital leap. Socially isolated and digitally mediated work may have brought new and unseen challenges to companies and workers, which are now beginning to emerge. These may have long-lasting implications for worker wellbeing, satisfaction, and productivity. In some workplaces, remote work and safety measures due to the pandemic may not have been possible. Workers in these fields may have experienced increased stress and anxiety when at the workplace, impacting their work engagement and control.

This Topical Collection “Workplace Stress and Anxiety During COVID-19” seeks to publish papers (research, reviews) that report associations and findings on how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced workers in different fields and occupations. Workers’ coping and wellbeing at work are of particular interest. We are interested in themes related to digital communication and social media use at work, remote work, work–family conflict, burnout, work engagement, alcohol and drug problems at work, fear, and stress and anxiety at work.

Prof. Dr. Atte Oksanen
Dr. Iina Savolainen
Collection Editors

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