Well-Being and Functioning at Work Following Thefts and Robberies: A Comparative Study.

Ilaria Setti,Valentina Sommovigo,Maria S Ferretti,Deirdre O'Shea,Peter G Van Der Velden,Piergiorgio Argentero,Gabriele Giorgi

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00168

Abstract

Thefts and robberies may be traumatizing experiences for employees. The aim of this study is to explore to what extent experiencing robberies and/or thefts at work affect workers' mental health, coping-self-efficacy, social support seeking, workload and job satisfaction. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, this research contributes to our understanding of the psychological sequelae of robbery and theft for employees working in small businesses. The few studies on the effects of robberies and thefts in the past have predominantly focused on bank employees. A sample of Italian tobacconists and jewelers completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire examining the experience of robbery and/or theft, social support seeking (Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced scale, COPE-IV), psycho-somatic well-being (General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-12), job satisfaction (a single item). Victims of thefts and/or robberies reported their PTSD symptoms (Impact of Event- Revised 6, IES-R-6) and trauma-related coping self-efficacy (Coping Self-Efficacy scale, CSE-7), based on the last event (N = 319). Descriptive analyses, ANOVA, ANCOVA and multiple regressions analyses have been carried out. The results indicated that victims of thefts and robberies experienced greater workload, higher psycho-physical complaints and greater tendency to seek social support in comparison with their non-affected counterparts. They additionally experienced more post-traumatic symptomatology and perceived lower coping self-efficacy, when compared to those who experienced thefts “only.” Multiple regression analyses revealed that CSE was positively related to job satisfaction, although the presence of psycho-physical symptoms was the main predictor of job satisfaction among both non-affected and affected employees. PTSD was not an independent predictor of job satisfaction. In sum, robberies and/or thefts exposure undermines differently workers' well-being.

Highlights

Robberies and thefts represent a serious threat to workplace safety
With regard to hypotheses 2 and 3, one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that workers affected by thefts and robberies had significantly higher PTSD-symptom levels [F(1, 303) = 22.43; p < 0.001; Cohen’s D = −0.58] and significant
Victims of multiple violence reported higher levels of psycho-somatic complaints, greater workload perceptions and higher levels of social support seeking compared to non-affected counterparts. They experienced higher levels of PTSD symptoms and weaker coping selfefficacy (CSE) perceptions compared to those who were exposed to thefts only

Summary

Introduction

Robberies and thefts represent a serious threat to workplace safety. For instance, in Italy the numbers of robberies and thefts in 2015 among retailers were 5,337 and 102,041 respectively (Istat, 2015). The present research focused on jewelers and tobacconists because their job characteristics (e.g., customer-facing, working alone or in a small team, handling valuables and selling items of value) may potentially increase workers’ risk for theft and robbery-related violence. The main purpose of this study was to investigate how experiencing robberies and/or thefts at work may affect workers’ psychological well-being and job satisfaction. Previous research has widely demonstrated that being exposed to traumatizing experiences—such as robberies—may negatively affect individuals’ mental health (Van der Velden et al, 1992; Hansen et al, 2014) with resulting effects on work-related aspects, such as job satisfaction (Giorgi et al, 2015b)

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