Association of workplace infection control and perceived organizational support on worker loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic

TL;DR

Workplace infection control measures during the pandemic were linked to lower worker loneliness, but this effect was reduced when considering perceived organizational support.

Contribution

This study identifies how workplace infection control and perceived organizational support jointly influence employee loneliness during the pandemic.

Findings

Workers in workplaces with fewer infection control practices had higher odds of loneliness.

Adjusting for perceived organizational support reduced the association between infection control and loneliness.

Proactive infection control was linked to lower loneliness after adjusting for various factors.

Abstract

Research has not fully determined the impact of the infection control practices adopted in workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic on employees’ feelings of loneliness. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between these control measures and employees’ loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, including their relationship with perceived organizational support (POS).

A prospective cohort study was conducted via an internet-based questionnaire. Of the 27,036 responses, data from 10,562 were analyzed. Workplace infection control practices were divided into four groups based on the number of practices adopted by participants. The odds ratios (ORs) of loneliness associated with each workplace infection control practice were calculated using multilevel logistic regression analysis.

Among the participants, 22.1, 23.6, 22.2, and 32.1% worked at companies that implemented 0–2, 3–5, 6–7, and 8 or more infection control practices, respectively. Loneliness was reported by 6.3% of the participants. After adjustments for sex and age, the OR of the group with the fewest infection control practices was 1.91 (95% CI: 1.54–2.37, p < 0.001) compared with the group with the most practices adopted. Adjusting the model for household income, education, occupation, telecommuting frequency, and family cohabitation decreased the OR for the group with the fewest infection control practices adopted to 1.54 (95% CI: 1.20–2.99, p = 0.001). After adjustments for either POS, these associations became non-significant.

Proactive infection control practices at work were positively associated with workers’ experiences of loneliness. Conversely, loneliness owing to fewer infection control practices was attenuated after adjusting for POS.

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