Abstract
The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing restrictive measures to combat infections led to a significant change in working life and social work within working communities. Workers had to switch to telecommuting quickly, which also affected the interactions between co-workers. In this research, we examined Finnish social workers’ experiences of their work communities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored (1) how the restrictive measures affected social workers’ work communities and (2) what types of factors promoted and challenged the cohesion of social networks and mutual trust between colleagues. The conceptual framework was based on social capital theory, in which social relations are seen as a resource of a community. The data utilised in the study were social workers’ diaries (n = 33) written from mid-March until the end of May 2020. The data were analysed by a qualitative content analysis. The results highlight how the multilocation of work, fear of viral infection and varying attitudes towards the viral outbreak affected the interactions between colleagues in the early stages of the pandemic, increasing tensions and feelings of social distance between co-workers. The common professional value and knowledge base of social work, as well as remote work practices developed during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, supported interactions between colleagues. Although remote interaction options were developed, they could not, however, fully replace the advantages of face-to-face interactions and everyday informal encounters between colleagues, the importance of which is essential for developing and maintaining the social capital of work communities.
Highlights
In the early part of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread worldwide
The diary was instructed to be written based on three questions: (1) What kinds of observations and experiences do you have about the phenomena and challenges that occur in the lives of social work clients during the pandemic? (2) What challenges do social work and its practices face during a pandemic? (3) What kind of thoughts does the pandemic period evoke in you as a social work professional? The authors of the diaries were instructed to write in a free-form manner but to mark the dates of their writings and send the completed journals to the research group at the end of May
We first analyse the impact of the restrictions on the communal structures and links through which interaction and collegial support become realised in work communities
Summary
In Finland, exceptional circumstances were declared on 16 March, and the Emergency Powers Act was introduced. This act contained extensive restrictions to combat the spread of the coronavirus which had significant social implications, extending to both work and private life. Education at different levels was quickly transferred to distance education, and the teleworking option was recommended, where possible. Public services reduced their operations, nonurgent services were cancelled and some services were implemented online. The restrictions had significant impact on social work organisations and working methods and social work teams [1]
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