Salary Reduction Research Articles

Remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic

The start of the COVID-19 virus epidemic is having an impact on radical changes in the labor market. The difficult economic situation is a challenge for employers, candidates and recruiters. In recent months, the recruitment market has seen a decline in the work forces, redundancy, and a reduction in salaries. As a result of this situation, some workplaces have used the remote work model. The possibility of remote work can be a good solution for many employees, but in some cases, it can be a significant inconvenience, especially for employees who have underage children and perform their work duties at home. Aim of the article is present positive and negative aspects of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research presented in the article was aimed at assessing changes in working conditions and starting remote work. The positive effects of changes in workplaces include saving time, adjusting work to personal needs, and work-life balance. The disadvantages of taking up remote work include lack of direct contact with co-workers, blurring the boundaries between private and professional life, maintaining a constant presence at work, lack of social ties and isolation were identified as the most significant obstacles to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the negative aspects of working remotely, the respondents more often declared their willingness to work remotely also after the end of the pandemic.

An Overview of Different Types of Crime Stemming Directly or Indirectly from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The article discusses numerous issues related to the effects of the current pandemic on social and economic life in Bulgaria. The crisis has generated many problems that demand legislative measures if they are to be addressed properly. Several types of crimes tend to rise in number due to the situation of travelling bans, reduction of salaries or losing jobs, healthcare system deficiencies, social isolation. Crimes such as profiteering, frauds, some document crimes, and crimes against the health of others are in direct connection with the pandemic, while other crimes (e.g. cyber-crimes and domestic violence acts), having other problems at their root and occurring during prolonged lockdowns, are indirectly related to it. This was the reason for introducing certain amendments in the Bulgarian Criminal Code which are analysed and explained in the present article. Another important issue is that of outlining some future tendencies in crime rates and speculating on several criminogenic factors that are going to play the main role in tomorrow’s criminality and, consequently, in criminal trials.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on perceived stress levels of employees working in private organizations during lockdown

Background Worldwide, office employees have experienced two novel phenomena during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: working from home and reductions in their salaries. These phenomena have majorly impacted the lives of individuals as well as their families. The present study aims to measure the perceived stress levels among employees during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Pakistan. Methodology A cross-sectional approach was used to collect data from a sample of 385 employees working in three different IT-oriented private organizations. A semi-structured, Likert-scale questionnaire was used, containing the 10-item inventory from the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). A sociodemographic profile, working parameters, and frequency of PSS inventory were presented in the descriptive analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was made to compare the stress levels of the two groups resulting from their workloads and reductions in salary. Results An elevated perceived stress level (50.9%) was observed among the employees, showing a significant relationship with salary reduction and home work engagement (p<0.005). A strong negative correlation was observed (-0.860) for the salary reduction with PSS. Conclusion Working from home and reductions in salary caused increased perceived stress levels of the employees working in private organizations. Salary reductions proved to be a strong stressor, causing economic disruption and inability to cope with financial burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Families: An Empirical Study

The sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has left a huge impact on human lives. The current study is an attempt to fill the research gap concerning financial implications experienced by Indian working men and their families. A total of 101 men employed under different sectors of the economy were covered conveniently. Results show that with mean age 39.12 (SD=±7.7), most of the respondents were from the working-age group and the main source of income in their family. The study concludes that lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic grossly affected the livelihood of a large population. Working men experienced delayed salaries, increased workload, fear of uncertainty and reduction in salaries. Under existing uncertainty, a large number of men worried about their future, reduced income and opportunities to work. Financial and technical support through social security schemes and reformed healthcare systems has been recommended.

Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Families: An Empirical Study

The sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has left a huge impact on human lives. The current study is an attempt to fill the research gap concerning financial implications experienced by Indian working men and their families. A total of 101 men employed under different sectors of the economy were covered conveniently. Results show that with mean age 39.12 (SD=±7.7), most of the respondents were from the working-age group and the main source of income in their family. The study concludes that lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic grossly affected the livelihood of a large population. Working men experienced delayed salaries, increased workload, fear of uncertainty and reduction in salaries. Under existing uncertainty, a large number of men worried about their future, reduced income and opportunities to work. Financial and technical support through social security schemes and reformed healthcare systems has been recommended.

ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings: Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacy operations-2020.

Results of the 2020 ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings pertaining to pharmacy operational changes implemented in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are presented. Pharmacy directors at 1,437 general and children's medical/surgical hospitals in the United States were surveyed using a mixed-mode method of contact by email and mail. Survey completion was online. The response rate was 18.7%. Seventy-three percent of hospitals implemented changes to hospital units, including 46% that increased intensive care unit bed capacity; 94% made changes to pharmacy supply chain acquisition, changes to products, and/or increased inventory. Staffing changes were implemented by 69% of hospitals, with the most common being staffing reductions (55%) and salary reductions (16%). Medication-use changes were implemented by 86% of hospitals, with treatment guidelines for COVID-19 treatment (79%) and opening compassionate use or investigational drug studies (55%) being the most common. Changes in sterile compounding processes were implemented by 84% of hospitals. Personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages led to 71% of hospitals modifying PPE use standards in sterile compounding. Eighty-seven percent of hospitals changed operational activities, such as changing medication return practices (56%), medication reconciliation processes (46%), intravenous medication recycling (38%), and discharge counseling (37%). Hospitals experienced shortages of many medications, including albuterol inhalers (60%), sedatives and anesthetic agents (58%), neuromuscular blockers (43%), corticosteroids (34%), cardiovascular agents (24%), investigational agents (24%), and dialysis solutions (6%). The pharmacy profession responded to myriad threats to operations and patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

COVID-19 in Africa: Survey Analysis of Impact on Health-Care Workers.

.As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads across Africa, little is known about the impact of the pandemic on health-care workers (HCWs) in the region. We designed an anonymous survey distributed via e-mail and phone messaging to 13 countries through the African Hepatitis B Network. We obtained 489 analyzable responses. We used risk ratio analysis to quantify the relationship between binary variables and χ2 testing to quantify the statistical significance of these relationships. Median age of respondents was 30 years (interquartile range, 26–36 years) and 63% were physicians. The top three sources of information used by HCWs for COVID-19 management included the Ministry of Health of each country, the WHO, and social media. Forty-nine percent reported a decrease in income since the start of the pandemic, with the majority experiencing between a 1% and a 25% salary reduction. Sixty-six percent reported some access to personal protective equipment; only 14% reported appropriate access. Moreover, one third of respondents reported no availability of ventilators at their facility. Strikingly, the percentage of HCWs reporting never feeling depressed changed from 61% before the pandemic to 31% during the pandemic, with a corresponding increase in daily depressive symptoms from 2% to 20%. Most respondents (> 97%) correctly answered survey questions about COVID-19 symptoms, virus transmission, and prevention. Our survey revealed African HCWs face a variety of personal and professional context-dependent challenges. Ongoing support of HCWs through and after the COVID-19 pandemic is essential.

Corporate liquidity, supply chain and cost issues awareness within the Covid-19 context: evidence from us management reports’ textual analysis

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the management responses and intentions of 3,279 US firms from all industries, before and after the coronavirus outbreak, to identify the level of managerial concern about specific financial issues and potential economic costs of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses textual analysis of official management reports to search for specific single words in five domains related to corporate finance and governance. This paper focuses on the relative frequency of single words using a weighting scheme that adjusts for document length and for the inverse document frequency. This paper then uses t-tests to investigate the univariate differences across groups of reports before and after the US stock market crash in February 2020. Findings The applied textual and empirical analysis provides evidence that firms’ primary concerns relate to the disruption in supply chains, liquidity need and coronavirus-led recession. This paper also shows that the main cost reduction measure they are considering is salary reduction, rather than workforce reduction. This paper also shows evidence that firm managers are rather swift to provide coronavirus-related information in the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) corporate filings. Practical implications The findings provide a primary view of the directions, on which US firms will move in the near future, and thus, they can be used as tools for the formulation of appropriate government policies in the corresponding sectors, which could mitigate the economic risks related to the pandemic. At the business level, the disseminated knowledge can assist firms either in the same sector or in similar/related sectors to “locate” themselves within the map of the pandemic and to adjust or align correspondingly their strategies and decisions as they will have a view of the bigger picture. Originality/value The empirical analysis divulges US firms’ management primary concerns after the COVID-19 outbreak, and thus, offers insights to the processes taking place in the US business community and the formulating new corporate and economic reality.

Covid-19 Pandemic and Human Resource Management in Nigeria: The Realities

Diseases are not alien to human society. Corona virus disease 2019 is highly dreaded due to its high infectious capacity and its worldwide coverage. It violates geographical boundaries to attack people of all colours, races and ages, which represent the human resource of the organisations and countries. When the health of the employees is compromised, the productive activities within an organisation and nation will suffer. Using secondary source of data, it was discovered that there is high reduction in the quantity of goods and services produced on the part of the organisations, thereby resulting in low mobility of labour, low recruitment, poor human resource planning, reduction in wages and salaries, frustration of employment contracts and layoffs. It is recommended that government should create a post covid-19 enabling environment where businesses can thrive, organisations should provide the health and safety equipment to employees at workplace, employees should adhere to all safety measures in order to curb the pandemic and use the lockdown to improve their skills and competences by taking advantage of the online programmes that are related to their job performance.

Editorial: The New Year

The year 2020 seemed to be one in which things steadily continued to get worse, with each event more terrible than its predecessor. The pandemic has overshadowed everything, and has affected many aspects of our economy. The expression “do more with less” has added significance in our current situation. Budgets have been cut, staff have been laid off or furloughed, and others have had salary reductions. Our profession showed resilience, creativity, and determination in the face of great odds. New service models and ways of working emerged, and how libraries operate will be forever changed. We have successfully proven that we can work remotely. Virtual meetings and conferences are here to stay for a number of reasons, including holding down costs and enabling greater participation. Services like contactless pick up and going fine free were welcome additions and exemplify the spirit of community during a crisis. I personally learned the importance of advance disaster and emergency planning, which included a Zoom call with internationally recognized emergency and disaster planning expert Guy Robertson.

Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic Estimated in the Financial Statements and the Auditor`s Report

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on all aspects of life, but also on the financial reporting of companies and on the activity of auditors. The paper aims to highlight the importance of reporting in the financial statements the subsequent events caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also of the aspects that can significantly influence the going concern of companies' activities, respectively how these effects can cause changes in the quality of audit services. The study was conducted on a sample of 60 companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, analyzing the components of the annual reports for the financial year 2019, namely the financial statements, the administrator's report and the independent auditor's report. The results showed that the effects generated by the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact in most of the industries studied, affecting both companies to carry out activities by closing borders, reducing or even closing certain activities, stopping travel and hindering communication with suppliers, customers or investors, reduced sales, deferred payments or the need to optimally manage costs and available resources, as well as at the level of employees by performing work at home, technical unemployment or salary reductions, but also at the level of the client-auditor relationship, by limiting travel in business interest. Most of the estimated effects of the pandemic were presented in the administrator's report, some of the effects being mentioned in the explanatory notes to the financial statements. From a statistical point of view, the companies' declaration of the effects of the pandemic was correlated with the size of the auditor, the opinion issued by him and the average number of employees. The study showed that certain auditors assessed the risks posed by subsequent events reported by companies, presenting insignificant uncertainties in some cases, but also significant uncertainties regarding the going concern of the activity of some companies.

Radiographers' perspectives on the emerging integration of artificial intelligence into diagnostic imaging: The Ghana study.

IntroductionThe integration of artificial intelligence (AI) systems into medical imaging is advancing the practice and patient care. It is thought to further revolutionise the entire field in the near future. This study explored Ghanaian radiographers’ perspectives on the integration of AI into medical imaging.MethodsA cross‐sectional online survey of registered Ghanaian radiographers was conducted within a 3‐month period (February‐April, 2020). The survey sought information relating to demography, general perspectives on AI and implementation issues. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analyses.ResultsA response rate of 64.5% (151/234) was achieved. Majority of the respondents (n = 122, 80.8%) agreed that AI technology is the future of medical imaging. A good number of them (n = 131, 87.4%) indicated that AI would have an overall positive impact on medical imaging practice. However, some expressed fears about AI‐related errors (n = 126, 83.4%), while others expressed concerns relating to job security (n = 35, 23.2%). High equipment cost, lack of knowledge and fear of cyber threats were identified as some factors hindering AI implementation in Ghana.ConclusionsThe radiographers who responded to this survey demonstrated a positive attitude towards the integration of AI into medical imaging. However, there were concerns about AI‐related errors, job displacement and salary reduction which need to be addressed. Lack of knowledge, high equipment cost and cyber threats could impede the implementation of AI in medical imaging in Ghana. These findings are likely comparable to most low resource countries and we suggest more education to promote credibility of AI in practice.

Managing furloughs: how furlough policy and perceptions of fairness impact turnover intentions over time

Given the increasing application of cutback strategies in the workplace, and an underlying need to understand explanatory process at work, we investigated the effects of one cutback strategy to deal with economic uncertainty – furloughs. Equity theory and social exchange theory guided our predictions in explaining the mechanisms through which furloughs affect turnover intentions. Quantitative data collected at two time periods during the “Great Recession”, after cutbacks were announced and implemented, provided evidence that assessments of psychological contract breach and work overload affect the relationship between furlough experience and turnover intentions. To investigate how the additional stressors of a pandemic affected the proposed model, a follow-up content analysis of employee discussions around cutback policies during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. This analysis provided support for the model, and also identifies several additional themes brought on by the pandemic (trust, and health and safety), with many employees exhibiting feelings of anxiety and fear around cutback policies and the status of their employment in general. Our results have implications for many organizational cutback initiatives, including salary reductions and decreased organizational resources, that are implemented during times of crisis.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on income and opportunities of ophthalmologists in India: Ophthalmologists' Workplace Expectations and Satisfaction Survey (OWESS) Report 1.

Purpose:To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the income and surgical training opportunities among the ophthalmologists in India and their opinion on salary reduction during this period.Methods:A questionnaire in the form of a Google survey was sent to ophthalmologists across India on May 1, 2021. The data collected until May 11, 2021 was analyzed.Results:A total of 1057 ophthalmologists all over India participated in the survey. Of the respondents, 559 (52.9%) were women and 730 (69.1%) were young ophthalmologists (below the age of 40 years). Salary reduction was reported by 569 (53.8%) of the respondents. The categories suffering the maximum salary reduction were – young ophthalmologists (407, 55.8%) (P < 0.001), women (304, 54.4%) (P < 0.001), and private sector employees (457, 67%) (P < 0.001). More women ophthalmologists (438, 78.4%) felt it was unfair to reduce the salary during the pandemic, as compared to men (330, 66.3%) (P < 0.001). A reduction in surgical training opportunities was reported by 689 (65.2%) of ophthalmologists. The categories who suffered the maximum loss of surgical training opportunities were young ophthalmologists (565, 77.4%) (P < 0.001), women ophthalmologists (415, 74.2%) (P < 0.001), and ophthalmologists in the government sector (147, 82.6%) (P < 0.001).Conclusion:Ophthalmologists in India, especially women and the younger professionals, had to face salary reduction and loss of surgical training opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most ophthalmologists in India do not favor a reduction in salary. There is a need to formulate policies to safeguard ophthalmologists, especially women and younger generation from future crises in training, employment, and income.

The state of neuro-oncology during the COVID-19 pandemic: a worldwide assessment.

BackgroundIt remains unknown how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed neuro-oncology clinical practice, training, and research efforts.MethodsWe performed an international survey of practitioners, scientists, and trainees from 21 neuro-oncology organizations across 6 continents, April 24–May 17, 2020. We assessed clinical practice and research environments, institutional preparedness and support, and perceived impact on patients.ResultsOf 582 respondents, 258 (45%) were US-based and 314 (55%) international. Ninety-four percent of participants reported changes in their clinical practice. Ninety-five percent of respondents converted at least some practice to telemedicine. Ten percent of practitioners felt the need to see patients in person, specifically because of billing concerns and pressure from their institutions. Sixty-seven percent of practitioners suspended enrollment for at least one clinical trial, including 62% suspending phase III trial enrollments. More than 50% believed neuro-oncology patients were at increased risk for COVID-19. Seventy-one percent of clinicians feared for their own personal safety or that of their families, specifically because of their clinical duties; 20% had inadequate personal protective equipment. While 69% reported increased stress, 44% received no psychosocial support from their institutions. Thirty-seven percent had salary reductions and 63% of researchers temporarily closed their laboratories. However, the pandemic created positive changes in perceived patient satisfaction, communication quality, and technology use to deliver care and mediate interactions with other practitioners.ConclusionsThe pandemic has changed treatment schedules and limited investigational treatment options. Institutional lack of support created clinician and researcher anxiety. Communication with patients was satisfactory. We make recommendations to guide clinical and scientific infrastructure moving forward and address the personal challenges of providers and researchers.

Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Performance of Small and Medium Business Enterprises in Abuja-FCT, Nigeria

It is obvious that corona virus pandemic has seriously disrupted the world economy and continuing to ravage the existence of businesses. The small and medium businesses are worst hit. This study specifically identifies the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the performance of SMEs business in Abuja and providing recommendations on how their businesses can improve and perform effectively during this falling economy and the numerous challenges caused by the pandemic. The study adopted a quantitative research technique using data collection method through the administration of structured questionnaire and on 10 selected SMEs with 100 respondents in Municipal Area Council in Abuja which were selected purposively to elicit insights into the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses. Findings from the analysis indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect includes: loss of competent staff resulting from reduction in staff salary, low revenue or income generation, lack of patronage, and lack of sincerity on the part of government to reduce the prevalence of the pandemic. The SMEs are often faced with problems such as: inability to pay salaries, repay loans and rent. Most respondent suggested that government should introduce a well monitored and structured palliative schemes, poverty alleviation programs, reduced interest rates, relax loans and defer tax payments. There are related variables that were not mentioned in this study. It is therefore necessary to consider them in future research work.

PMH34 Economic Crisis and Its IMPACT on the Mental Health of Nursing and Medical Personnel in Imathia Municipality Greece

To investigate the possible impact of the financial crisis on the nursing and medical personnel’s mental health in the prefecture of Imathia, in north Greece and the influence of demographic, financial and professional data in occurrence of anxiety and depressive disorder. The sample constituted by 112 employees of nursing and medical personnel of public alongside private health institutions in the prefecture of Imathia. The survey was conducted by using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30). The first part of the questionnaire comprised of demographic and questions regarding theis profession. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS v23. The 25% of the sample appear to be anxious, 16% depressed but only 4,46% experience stress. The variables that show strong correlations on anxiety and depression mostly affecting employees on the way they work/ live, and their psychopathology are age (increasing age), working sector (public or private sector) workers in the private sector are related to the occurrence of anxiety disorders), the years of work (both young workers and the most experienced show signs of anxiety disorders), marital status (widowed, divorced and married women, are more related to the occurrence of anxiety and depression), the salary reduction (the workers who have been reduced ≥200€ from their salary and above) and work insecurity. Financial crisis created anxiety, stress and depression in nursing and medical employees of Imathia prefecture. Measures to provide work security are required in order to create a stable environment of health care workers.

Burnout among Portuguese healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundDuring COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have had high workload and have been exposed to multiple psychosocial stressors. The aim of this study was to evaluate HCWs in terms of the relative contributions of socio-demographic and mental health variables on three burnout dimensions: personal, work-related, and client-related burnout.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire spread via social networks. A snowball technique supported by health care institutions and professional organizations was applied.ResultsA total of 2008 subjects completed the survey. Gender, parental status, marriage status, and salary reduction were found to be significant factors for personal burnout. Health problems and direct contact with infected people were significantly associated with more susceptibility to high personal and work-related burnout. Frontline working positions were associated with all three dimensions. Higher levels of stress and depression in HCWs were significantly associated with increased levels of all burnout dimensions. Higher levels of satisfaction with life and resilience were significantly associated with lower levels of all burnout dimensions.ConclusionsAll three burnout dimensions were associated with a specific set of covariates. Consideration of these three dimensions is important when designing future burnout prevention programs for HCWs.

Measuring the Impact of COVID-19 on Hematology-Oncology Trainees: A Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment

Introduction:While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of clinical care, research, and medical training, its impact on hematology-oncology trainees and professional development has not been described. The American Society of Hematology (ASH) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) sought to assess the impact of COVID-19 on fellows enrolled in hematology-oncology programs.Methods:In spring 2020, ASH and ASCO developed and administered a survey by e-mail to active hematology-oncology fellow members. Response formats used both a semi-Likert scale and open-ended text. Questions focused on fellow experiences and how changes in their programs have impacted their personal and professional lives across several domains. Multiple-choice responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and NVivo software was used for qualitative analysis of open-ended questions.Results:Respondent demographics are described in Table 1. Of 2,306 trainees, 620 (27%) responded to the survey. Most respondents continued patient care responsibilities during the pandemic (80%). Almost half of all trainees (47%) reported that they felt less productive than usual. Stress and/or anxiety about the current situation was the most cited factor affecting productivity in the overall cohort (Figure 1). One-third (33%) of respondents had volunteered or were assigned to clinical/non-clinical COVID-19-related efforts. Of the 90 visa holders in our cohort, 30% (N=27) reported experiencing issues with their visa/immigration status.Eight percent of respondents stated their career plans had changed due to COVID-19. Of those who said their plans had changed, 30 respondents were considering careers in academia pre-pandemic and 11 were considering private practice. However, only 14 respondents were considering academia post-pandemic while 19 were interested in private practice. Overall, most respondents had concerns about at least one of the following: salary reductions, availability of networking events, family well-being, mental health and obtaining a job (Figure 2).The prevalence of burnout increased from 22% (N=105) before the pandemic to 33% (N=161) during (p<.001). Of the respondents who did not report burnout before COVID-19, 22% noted new-onset burnout during the pandemic. New-onset burnout prevalence varied based on the type of work respondents performed: no COVID-related work (17%), COVID-related non-clinical work (26%), and COVID-related clinical work (34%) (p<0.01).The open-ended responses yielded several consistent themes. Clinical and educational constraints were enumerated: lost learning opportunities due to low patient volumes, unavailability of colleagues to discuss cases, and overall low perceived quality of virtual learning. Trainees also reported reduced motivation to complete work within a stipulated time frame due to lack of robust discussions in the virtual environment and technological challenges in navigating educational resources. Trainee research was also severely impacted as laboratories closed, experimental animal colonies were lost, and many research activities ceased. Respondents also expressed concern that cuts in research training initiatives and budgets would jeopardize faculty positions for graduating fellows and that funding for travel and conferences was suspended.Fellows' recommendations for ASH and ASCO included improved online education, virtual research training and networking opportunities, practical guidance on caring for immune-compromised patients during the pandemic, increased funding resources for trainees, mental health resources, and advocating on behalf of trainee visa holders.Conclusions:Hematology-oncology trainees reported their training experiences have been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority of trainees are concerned about the negative impact on career opportunities, research funding, financial well-being, and mental health. Burnout increased during COVID-19, especially in trainees who were assigned to specific COVID-related efforts. Training programs and professional societies can support trainees by increasing trainee research funding, online networking and learning opportunities, mental health resources and, support for international trainees.DisclosuresVelazquez Manana:Corbus Pharmaceuticals: Other: Immediate family member stock ownership; Portola Pharmaceuticals: Other: Immediate family member stock ownership; Midatech: Other: Immediate family member stock ownership. Wun:Glycomimetics, Inc.: Consultancy.

Working conditions and health in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic: Minding the gap

BackgroundThe emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has had major consequences in the workplace, both in terms of the number of cases among the working population and the enormous changes made to cope with it. The objective of this study is to describe the impact of COVID-19 on the working conditions and health of wage-earners in Spain. MethodsCross-sectional study carried out between the end of April and the end of May 2020 among the wage-earning population. Sample included n = 20,328 participants obtained through an online survey. ResultsA situation of high-strain was reported by 44.3% of workers, 42.6% were concerned about possible job loss, 75.6% about finding a new job if they lost the present one, 69.7% were worried about salary reduction, 68% about becoming infected at work and 72.3% of being a transmitter of the virus. Among those who regularly went to work, 13.1% did so with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and 71.2% stated that they had done so without adequate protection measures. 36.7% of workers believe that their health worsened, 41.6% had severe trouble sleeping during the last month, 55.1% were at risk of poor mental health and consumption more than doubled of tranquilisers and opioid analgesics, compared to the pre-pandemic situation. ConclusionThe impact of COVID-19 on the wage-earning population has been enormous, with high exposures to harmful working conditions and very poor health indicators, which, compared to the pre-pandemic situation, means significant deterioration. Important inequalities are observed according to class, gender, age and wage.