Presenteeism and job satisfaction among hospital environmental service workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A moderated mediation model

Abstract

ABSTRACT Presenteeism, i.e. attending work while ill, is known to be more prevalent among employees with a higher workload and/or job strain. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the workload and strain experienced by environmental service workers (ESW). Drawing on both the Effort-Recovery Model and Organizational Support Theory, the model presented in this study evaluates the direct and indirect relationships (i.e. through depressive symptoms) between presenteeism and job satisfaction amongst ESW amid the pandemic. It also evaluates the moderating role of perceived organizational support in this first relationship. A small sample of ESW working in a Canadian hospital participated in this exploratory study by completing an electronic questionnaire. The results show three main findings. First, presenteeism was positively related to depressive symptoms and negatively related to job satisfaction. Second, depressive symptoms were found to be one of the mechanisms through which presenteeism exerted its effect on job satisfaction. Third, perceived organizational support was found to moderate the negative relationship between depressive symptoms and job satisfaction, so this relationship became weaker as perceived organizational support increased. Overall, this pilot study is one of few that have focused on the experience of hospital-based ESW, and the pandemic's effects on their well-being.