The roles of negative career shocks and work-life balance in depression during pandemic

Abstract

During this pandemic, workers across the globe — either temporary or permanent — remained the most vulnerable segment. Drawing upon affective event theory, this study discusses how COVID-19 impacted the individual’s career, work and family roles, as well as their psychological wellbeing. Data from 324 employees were collected from the service organizations in which layoff plans were implemented, and was then analyzed after achieving the model fit. The results highlighted a positive association between negative career shocks and depression. Similarly, the imbalance between work and home life positively mediated between negative career shocks and depression. In addition, a multi-group analysis between permanent vs. temporary employees revealed that employees with permanent contracts are more vulnerable during this pandemic, as compared to temporary workers. This study draws the attention of human resource managers and policymakers to devise remedial strategies for prevailing in the post-pandemic period to reduce the employees’ career- and health-related concerns.