Employees’ perception of the impacts of global health crisis on work performance and sentiments about future career: the case of early childhood education

Abstract

ABSTRACT Frontline workers who offered essential services in different industries during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic faced enormous challenges. This study presents the outcome of a survey that investigates employees’ sentiments, perceptions, and ergonomics in early childhood education while weathering the pandemic storms during in-person opening amidst the global health crisis. The results show that employees faced increased workload, psychological burden, and heightened uncertainty about health and social life as the pandemic raged. The teaching and non-teaching staff attributed the increased workload to additional paperwork requirements and worker shortages due to quarantine and self-isolation. Public health safety became a priority at the preschool to keep the students, staff, and their families safe. Despite the uncertain future, employees were resolute about career choices in early childhood education. The ‘family advocacy’ services, a unit that liaises with families to improve kids’ learning outcomes, utilized virtual communication technology during the pandemic (e.g. Zoom and Microsoft Teams) to limit physical contact, which produced positive results, including significant improvement in productivity, performance efficiency, and quality. Most workers remained hopeful about overcoming the prevailing workplace challenges caused by the pandemic.