The Role of Employee Relations in Shaping Job Satisfaction as an Element Promoting Positive Mental Health at Work in the Era of COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the mental health of employees. Deterioration of the well-being of workers is also caused by changes in the working environment. Remote working can affect both social interactions and job satisfaction. The purpose of the study is to examine what factors influence job satisfaction in the context of remote work caused by a pandemic. The study analyses whether employee relations and interpersonal trust are related to the level of perceived job satisfaction. The investigation started with a literature review and then research hypotheses have been formulated. Based on an empirical study, carried out on a sample of 220 IT employees during the pandemic, an analysis of the mediating role of trust in links between employee relations and perceived job satisfaction was conducted. The current study found that positive employee relations contribute to the level of job satisfaction. Additionally, trust is an important factor that mediates these relationships. Based on the results of the research, it was possible to describe the mechanism of shaping a supportive work environment during a pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; employee relations; job satisfaction; trust; well-being.

Figure 1

Parallel mediation model (n = 220). Indirect effects of employee relations on job satisfaction through interpersonal trust in colleagues and interpersonal trust in managers. Standardized effects estimates are presented. The effects on the direct path from employee relations to Job satisfaction depict the direct effect and the (total effect). * p = 0.028, *** p < 0.001.