Does Fear of COVID-19 Effect Presenteeism? A Research in the Context of Perception of Job Insecurity

Year 2022, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 242 - 265, 30.07.2022

Tugay Öney , İnan Eryılmaz , Halil Şimşek

Abstract

There has caused a significant increase in the perception of job insecurity in the labor market, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing precarization, self-employment or working from home practices has become the new normal with the catalyst effect of the pandemic. In this period, when employers are experiencing financial difficulties, especially under pandemic conditions, the behavior of presenteeism (so-called presence at work) has become widespread in workplaces due to the increased possibility of economic and employment losses for employees. This research aims to test the relationship between participants' fears of COVID-19 and presenteeism behavior and the mediating role of job insecurity in this assumed relationship. For this purpose, the questionnaire containing the research scales and research questions prepared by the authors using the quantitative research method was delivered electronically to the participants working in the private sector. Research analyzes were carried out with 471 data collected using the convenience sampling method. According to the research findings, the fear of COVID-19 directly and indirectly affects the behavior of presenteeism. Despite the predictive relationships between the variables, it was seen that qualitative job insecurity did not have any statistical interaction with COVID-19 and presenteeism behavior.

Keywords

Perception of Job Insecurity, Presenteeism, Fear of COVID-19

COVID-19 Korkusu Presenteizmi Etkiler mi? İş Güvencesizliği Algısı Bağlamında Bir Araştırma

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemisi, iş gücü piyasasında süregelen iş güvencesizliği algısını perçinlemiştir. Son dönemlerde artan prekarizasyon, serbest çalışma veya evden çalışma uygulamaları pandeminin katalizör etkisiyle yeni normal olmuştur. İşverenlerin özellikle pandemi şartlarında finansal zorluk yaşadığı bu dönemde, çalışanların ekonomik ve istihdam kayıpları yaşama ihtimalinin artması nedeniyle işyerlerinde presenteizm (işte sözde var olma) davranışı yaygınlaşmıştır. Bu kapsamda araştırma, katılımcıların COVID-19 korkuları ile presenteizm davranışı arasındaki ilişkiyi ve varsayılan bu ilişkide iş güvencesizliğinin aracılık rolünü sınamayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda nicel araştırma yöntemi kullanılarak araştırma ölçekleri ve yazarların hazırladığı araştırma sorularını içeren anket, katılımcılara elektronik ortamda ulaştırılmıştır. Araştırma analizleri, kolayda örneklem yöntemi kullanılarak toplanan 471 veri ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma bulgularına göre COVID-19 korkusu presenteizm davranışını doğrudan ve dolaylı olarak etkilemektedir. Değişkenler arasındaki yordayıcı ilişkilere rağmen nitel iş güvencesizliğinin COVID-19 ve presentezim davranışı ile istatistiksel açıdan herhangi bir etkileşim içerisinde olmadığı görülmüştür.

Keywords

COVID-19 Korkusu, İş Güvencesizliği Algısı, Presenteizm

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