The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Occupational Stress in Restaurant Work: A Qualitative Study

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 18; no. 19; p. 10378
• Main Authors: Lippert, Julia F, Furnari, Mackenzie B, Kriebel, Charlie W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 02.10.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Customer services; Data collection; Donations; Employees; Employment; Employment interviews; Food industry; Food service; Food service industry; GDP; Gross Domestic Product; Health care expenditures; Health care policy; Health insurance; Humans; Medical research; Mental health; Occupational health; Occupational safety; Occupational stress; Occupational Stress - epidemiology; Pandemics; Population levels; Psychological stress; Qualitative research; Restaurants; SARS-CoV-2; Shutdowns; Stress; United States - epidemiology; Viruses; Workers; United States; United States > US; Chicago Illinois; COVID-19; occupational stress; restaurants
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910378

The economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted the food service industry-one of the largest workforce sectors in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the occupational stressors experienced by restaurant and food service workers during the COVID-19 pandemic through a detailed assessment of their lived experiences. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns within data from sixteen semi-structured interviews with people employed or recently employed in the restaurant industry during July of 2020. Five themes were highlighted including fear of being exposed to the COVID-19 virus while working under inadequate safety policies, job insecurity, inconsistent pay and hours and a lack of health benefits and paid time off, all of which increased occupational stress and led to uncertainty if respondents would return to the restaurant industry. Hardships associated with the pandemic were mitigated by the support and connections fostered by the communities built within the restaurants. Results led to several recommendations to address the social and economic contributors to occupational stress at the structural and population levels which can be used in the current and post-pandemic workplace.