Predictors of job satisfaction among German teachers during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Abstract Background To contribute the containment of the infections during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, changes in working conditions occurred worldwide. In the school context, teaching was changed several times to distance learning and teachers were forced to work from home. This increasing spatial separation between work and private life increased the potential for conflicts. Based on the theoretical assumption that stressors worsen job satisfaction and resources increase satisfaction, the aim of our study was to identify the predictors of teachers’ job satisfaction during the pandemic. The focus on job satisfaction is interesting because the concept is often related to health-related aspects from a public health perspective. Methods A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted among German teachers in March 2021. After data cleaning, 31,089 participants were included in the analyses. The survey consisted of established instruments (e.g., COPSOQ) and self-developed items if necessary. A multiple linear regression was performed to predict teachers’ job satisfaction by stepwise inclusion of sociodemographic, work-related and covid-specific variables. Results Overall, the regression revealed that especially work-related variables were strong predictors of job satisfaction. The analyses showed that higher levels of meaning of work, autonomy and predictability of work increased job satisfaction. In contrast, increased emotional stress, feelings of unfair treatment, and work-privacy conflicts deteriorated job satisfaction. Conclusions The present study identified important predictors of job satisfaction which may be used to derive specific recommendations for improving teachers’ job satisfaction during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The relevance of job satisfaction for the scientific and public discourse becomes apparent because it was closely related to teachers’ somatic and mental health. Key messages • Teachers’ job satisfaction during the pandemic can be further improved by making appropriate adjustments, particularly in work-specific requirements. • Improving job satisfaction significantly contributes to promoting teachers’ health.


Background:
To contribute the containment of the infections during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, changes in working conditions occurred worldwide. In the school context, teaching was changed several times to distance learning and teachers were forced to work from home. This increasing spatial separation between work and private life increased the potential for conflicts. Based on the theoretical assumption that stressors worsen job satisfaction and resources increase satisfaction, the aim of our study was to identify the predictors of teachers' job satisfaction during the pandemic. The focus on job satisfaction is interesting because the concept is often related to healthrelated aspects from a public health perspective.

Methods:
A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted among German teachers in March 2021. After data cleaning, 31,089 participants were included in the analyses. The survey consisted of established instruments (e.g., COPSOQ) and self-developed items if necessary. A multiple linear regression was performed to predict teachers' job satisfaction by stepwise inclusion of sociodemographic, work-related and covidspecific variables.

Results:
Overall, the regression revealed that especially work-related variables were strong predictors of job satisfaction. The analyses showed that higher levels of meaning of work, autonomy and predictability of work increased job satisfaction. In contrast, increased emotional stress, feelings of unfair treatment, and work-privacy conflicts deteriorated job satisfaction.

Conclusions:
The present study identified important predictors of job satisfaction which may be used to derive specific recommendations for improving teachers' job satisfaction during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The relevance of job satisfaction for the scientific and public discourse becomes apparent because it was closely related to teachers' somatic and mental health. Key messages: Teachers' job satisfaction during the pandemic can be further improved by making appropriate adjustments, particularly in work-specific requirements. Improving job satisfaction significantly contributes to promoting teachers' health.
Abstract citation ID: ckac131.273 Working re-organisation due to the pandemic may negatively affect workers' quality of life

Background:
From the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic imposed many changes in the organization of our personal and professional life, allowing a shift to teleworking and hybrid working arrangements worldwide. The persistence of this condition determined the integration of these changes in the daily routine, and our aim was to investigate how these changes could affect workers' Quality of Life (QOL) in the long run.

Methods:
An online questionnaire was administered to 650 workers employed in an Italian company in July 2021. The domains considered were socio-demographic characteristics, QOL (WHOQOL-bref and Healthy Days), lifestyle, health status, physical activity, and work-related factors. Comparisons were performed with non-parametric tests.

Results:
Among the 332 respondents (response rate = 51.1%), 79.2% were white-collar workers. The concern for the pandemic affected workers' QOL, especially in the physical health and the environmental domains (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively), with lower values in subjects reporting the highest values of concern. A similar effect was found also for healthy days concerning physical and psychological health, and the ability to perform usual activities (p = 0.003, p = 0.003, and p = 0.029, respectively). As well, changes in working arrangements significantly affected the environmental and physical domains (p = 0.023 and p = 0.015, respectively) and the ability to do usual activities (p = 0.011), with lower values in those who interrupted the working activity. Workers whose activity required a shift to teleworking reported higher scores in the physical health domain (p = 0.041) and a higher number of days with good physical health (p = 0.002), while a lower number of days with good psychological health (p = 0.006).

Conclusions:
These preliminary data revealed that organizational strategies adopted in working scenarios to contain the spread of COVID-19 may have an impact on workers' QOL, as well as the concern for the pandemic.

Key messages:
Changes in the working arrangements due to pandemic may negatively affect the workers' Quality of Life, especially for those who had to interrupt their working activity. The shift to telework, even if appearing to be beneficial for physical health perception, seems to negatively affect workers' psychological health.

Background:
Research shows an important association between job exposures and various health-and employment-related outcomes. On contrast, little is known about the impact of job exposures on the employment status after medical rehabilitation. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the association between job exposures and employment, unemployment, and disability pension entry 2 years after rehabilitation.

Methods:
A retrospective cohort study was performed based on the scientific use file ''SUFRSDLV15B'' of the German Pension Insurance containing rehabilitation and occupational data at a monthly level. We included n = 597,021 insured persons aged iii522 European Journal of Public Health, Volume 32 Supplement 3, 2022