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Covid-19 pandemic-related changes in teleworking, emotional exhaustion, and occupational burnout: a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort study

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Title: Covid-19 pandemic-related changes in teleworking, emotional exhaustion, and occupational burnout: a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort study
Authors: Anshu Uppal, Nick Pullen, Hélène Baysson, Stephanie Schrempft, Aminata Rosalie Bouhet, María-Eugenia Zaballa, Julien Lamour, Mayssam Nehme, Idris Guessous, Silvia Stringhini, Elsa Lorthe, Isabelle Arm-Vernez, Andrew S. Azman, Delphine Bachmann, Antoine Bal, Jean-François Balavoine, Rémy P. Barbe, Julie Berthelot, Gaëlle Bryand-Rumley, François Chappuis, Prune Collombet, Sophie Coudurier-Boeuf, Delphine S. Courvoisier, Carlos de Mestral, Paola D’ippolito, Richard Dubos, Roxane Dumont, Nacira El Merjani, Antoine Flahault, Natalie Francioli, Clément Graindorge, Séverine Harnal, Samia Hurst, Laurent Kaiser, Gabriel Kathari, Omar Kherad, Pierre Lescuyer, Arnaud G. L’Huillier, Andrea Jutta Loizeau, Chantal Martinez, Shannon Mechoullam, Ludovic Metral-Boffod, Natacha Noël, Francesco Pennacchio, Didier Pittet, Klara M. Posfay-Barbe, Géraldine Poulain, Caroline Pugin, Viviane Richard, Déborah Rochat, Khadija Samir, Hugo Santa Ramirez, Etienne Satin, Philippe Schaller, Claire Semaani, Stéphanie Testini, Déborah Urrutia-Rivas, Charlotte Verolet, Pauline Vetter, Jennifer Villers, Guillemette Violot, Nicolas Vuilleumier, Ania Wisniak, Sabine Yerly
Contributors: Arm-Vernez, Isabelle, Azman, Andrew, Bachmann, Delphine, Bal, Antoine, Balavoine, Jean-François, Barbe, Remy, Berthelot, Julie, Bryand, Gaelle, Chappuis, François, Collombet, Prune, Coudurier-Boeuf, Sophie, Courvoisier, Delphine, De Mestral, Carlos, D'ippolito, Paola, Dubos, Richard, Dumont, Roxane, El Merjani, Nacira, Flahault, Antoine, Francioli, Natalie, Graindorge, Clément, Harnal, Severine, Hurst, Samia, Kaiser, Laurent, Kathari, Gabriel, Kherad, Omar, Lescuyer, Pierre, L'Huillier, Arnaud, Loizeau, Andréa, Martinez, Chantal, Mechoullam, Shannon, Metral-Boffod, Ludovic, Noël, Natacha, Pennacchio, Francesco, Pittet, Didier, Posfay Barbe, Klara, Poulain, Géraldine, Pugin, Caroline, Richard, Viviane Adissa, Rochat, Michèle Deborah, Samir, Khadija, Santa-Ramirez, Hugo, Satin, Etienne, Schaller, Philippe, Semaani, Claire, Testini, Stéphanie, Urrutia Rivas, Deborah, Verolet, Charlotte, Vetter, Pauline, Villers, Jennifer Annick M., Violot, Guillemette, Vuilleumier, Nicolas, Wisniak, Ania, Yerly Ferrillo, Sabine, Specchio-COVID19 study group, Arm-Vernez, I., Azman, A.S., Bachmann, D., Bal, A., Balavoine, J.F., Barbe, R.P., Berthelot, J., Bryand-Rumley, G., Chappuis, F., Collombet, P., Coudurier-Boeuf, S., Courvoisier, D.S., de Mestral, C., D'ippolito, P., Dubos, R., Dumont, R., Merjani, N.E., Flahault, A., Francioli, N., Graindorge, C., Harnal, S., Hurst, S., Kaiser, L., Kathari, G., Kherad, O., Lescuyer, P., L'Huillier, A.G., Loizeau, A.J., Martinez, C., Mechoullam, S., Metral-Boffod, L., Noël, N., Pennacchio, F., Pittet, D., Posfay-Barbe, K.M., Poulain, G., Pugin, C., Richard, V., Rochat, D., Samir, K., Ramirez, H.S., Satin, E., Schaller, P., Semaani, C., Testini, S., Urrutia-Rivas, D., Verolet, C., Vetter, P., Villers, J., Violot, G., Vuilleumier, N., Wisniak, A., Yerly, S., Arm-Vernez I, Azman A. S. Bachmann D. Bal A. Balavoine J. F. Barbe R. P. Berthelot J. Bryand-Rumley G. Chappuis F. Collombet P. Coudurier-Boeuf S. Courvoisier D. S. de Mestral C. D'ippolito P. Dubos R. Dumont R. Merjani N. E. Flahault A. Francioli N. Graindorge C. Harnal S. Hurst S. Kaiser L. Kathari G. Kherad O. Lescuyer P. L'Huillier A. G. Loizeau A. J. Martinez C. Mechoullam S. Metral-Boffod L. Noel N. Pennacchio F. Pittet D. Posfay-Barbe K. M. Poulain G. Pugin C. Richard V. Rochat D. Samir K. Ramirez H. S. Satin E. Schaller P. Semaani C. Testini S. Urrutia-Rivas D. Verolet C. Vetter P. Villers J. Violot G. Vuilleumier N. Wisniak A. Yerly S. (ed.), Specchio, Covid study group (ed.)
Source: BMC Public Health
BMC Public Health, Vol 25, Iss 1, Pp 1-19 (2025)
BMC public health, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 282
Publisher Information: Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Subject Terms: Organizational change, Male, Adult, Burnout, Professional / psychology, Emotional exhaustion, Switzerland / epidemiology, COVID-19 / epidemiology, Cohort Studies, Humans, COVID-19/epidemiology, COVID-19/psychology, Burnout, Professional/epidemiology, Burnout, Professional/psychology, Female, Teleworking, Cross-Sectional Studies, Middle Aged, Switzerland/epidemiology, Pandemics, Emotional Exhaustion, Diagnosed burnout, Remote work, Work from home, Burnout, Professional, 174.957, SARS-CoV-2, Research, COVID-19, COVID-19 / psychology, Burnout, Professional / epidemiology, Teleworking / statistics & numerical data, Public aspects of medicine, RA1-1270, Switzerland
Description: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant shifts to teleworking, raising questions about potential impacts on employee wellbeing. This study examined the association between self-reported changes to teleworking frequency (relative to before the pandemic) and two indicators of occupational burnout: emotional exhaustion and professionally diagnosed burnout.Data were derived from two samples from a digital cohort study based in Geneva, Switzerland: one population-based, and one from a sample of workers who were likely mobilized in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Emotional exhaustion was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (EE-MBI), while self-reported diagnosed burnout was assessed by asking participants if they had received a professional diagnosis of occupational burnout within the previous 12 months. Participants were categorized based on self-reported telework frequency changes: "no change," "increase," "decrease," "never telework," and "not possible to telework." Adjusted regression models for each of the study samples were used to estimate associations between telework changes and burnout outcomes, accounting for sociodemographic, household, and work-related factors.In the population-based sample of salaried employees (n = 1,332), the median EE-MBI score was 14 (interquartile range: 6-24), and 7.3% reported diagnosed burnout. Compared to those reporting no change in telework frequency (19% of the sample), those reporting a decrease (4%) and those reporting that teleworking was not possible (28.7%) had significantly higher emotional exhaustion scores (adjusted beta (aβ) 5.26 [95% confidence interval: 1.47, 9.04] and aβ 3.51 [0.44, 6.59], respectively) and additionally reported higher odds of diagnosed burnout (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 10.59 [3.24, 34.57] and aOR 3.42 [1.22, 9.65], respectively). "Increased" (28.9%) and "never" (19.4%) telework statuses were not significantly associated with burnout outcomes. These trends were mirrored in the "mobilized-workers" sample, with the exception that those reporting that teleworking was not possible did not report significantly higher odds of diagnosed burnout compared to those reporting no change in telework frequency.Decreased teleworking frequency and not having the possibility of telework were associated with higher emotional exhaustion and diagnosed burnout. As organizations reconsider their telework policies in a post-pandemic era, they should consider the impact of such organizational changes on employee wellbeing.
Document Type: Article
Other literature type
File Description: application/pdf
Language: English
ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-21142-z
Access URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39849408
https://doaj.org/article/1e07b51064c34e1495efcbb12433493e
http://nbn-resolving.org/urn/resolver.pl?urn=urn:nbn:ch:serval-BIB_A1EF7323C1BF4
https://serval.unil.ch/notice/serval:BIB_A1EF7323C1BF
https://serval.unil.ch/resource/serval:BIB_A1EF7323C1BF.P001/REF.pdf
Rights: CC BY NC ND
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....0c8b32e64d6bb96ebea063c22f76af85
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:The COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant shifts to teleworking, raising questions about potential impacts on employee wellbeing. This study examined the association between self-reported changes to teleworking frequency (relative to before the pandemic) and two indicators of occupational burnout: emotional exhaustion and professionally diagnosed burnout.Data were derived from two samples from a digital cohort study based in Geneva, Switzerland: one population-based, and one from a sample of workers who were likely mobilized in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Emotional exhaustion was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (EE-MBI), while self-reported diagnosed burnout was assessed by asking participants if they had received a professional diagnosis of occupational burnout within the previous 12 months. Participants were categorized based on self-reported telework frequency changes: "no change," "increase," "decrease," "never telework," and "not possible to telework." Adjusted regression models for each of the study samples were used to estimate associations between telework changes and burnout outcomes, accounting for sociodemographic, household, and work-related factors.In the population-based sample of salaried employees (n = 1,332), the median EE-MBI score was 14 (interquartile range: 6-24), and 7.3% reported diagnosed burnout. Compared to those reporting no change in telework frequency (19% of the sample), those reporting a decrease (4%) and those reporting that teleworking was not possible (28.7%) had significantly higher emotional exhaustion scores (adjusted beta (aβ) 5.26 [95% confidence interval: 1.47, 9.04] and aβ 3.51 [0.44, 6.59], respectively) and additionally reported higher odds of diagnosed burnout (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 10.59 [3.24, 34.57] and aOR 3.42 [1.22, 9.65], respectively). "Increased" (28.9%) and "never" (19.4%) telework statuses were not significantly associated with burnout outcomes. These trends were mirrored in the "mobilized-workers" sample, with the exception that those reporting that teleworking was not possible did not report significantly higher odds of diagnosed burnout compared to those reporting no change in telework frequency.Decreased teleworking frequency and not having the possibility of telework were associated with higher emotional exhaustion and diagnosed burnout. As organizations reconsider their telework policies in a post-pandemic era, they should consider the impact of such organizational changes on employee wellbeing.
ISSN:14712458
DOI:10.1186/s12889-024-21142-z