An Exploratory Study on Work Stress and Job Satisfaction during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hotel Sector Employees of Sri Lanka

Abstract

COVID-19 has affected employees worldwide, especially in the hotel industry, with restricted travel, limited incoming flights, and guests, which presents challenges for hotels and employees. Therefore, it is essential to investigate how COVID-19 has affected hotel employees' job satisfaction and work stress. This study aimed to determine whether the stress at work generated by COVID-19 directly affects the job satisfaction of hotel employees in Sri Lanka. The researcher recruited hotel employees in Sri Lanka through purposive sampling following a selective criterion; 18 years or older, locally employed, with two or more years of industry experience. The researcher, part of a larger mixed-method project, presented the qualitative findings in this article, using a qualitative research design with semi-structured interviews to collect employee responses (N = 7) before subjecting the responses to content analysis. Ultimately, the main findings indicated that work stress generated by COVID-19 partially impacted the job satisfaction of Sri Lankan hotel employees. Other factors reported included COVID-related financial issues and procedural changes that significantly affected employees. Several solutions presented in the findings to improve job satisfaction and work stress during COVID19 included effective financial management by hotels, and extra support, for example, counselling and improved workplace communication. Overall, the satisfaction of Sri Lanka’s hotel workers' jobs has been affected by work stress and partially by COVID-19. Therefore, future research should explore the influences of COVID-19 on job satisfaction and work stress among Sri Lankan hotel employees and throughout the world. Keywords: COVID-19; Work stress; Job satisfaction; Hotel employees; Sri Lanka