Employees’ anxieties on contracting COVID-19: How employers can allay the fears

Abstract

Generally, workplaces are known to heighten people’s vulnerabilities to contracting coronavirus (COVID-19). As a result, COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a lot of anxieties among employees globally, thereby making them less productive. This paper sought to assess employees’ anxieties regarding contracting coronavirus and their views on how employers could allay their fears. The study gleaned data from a purposively selected sample of 12 employees working in Gauteng province - one of COVID-19 hotspots in South Africa. Gathering of qualitative data was achieved through cellphone interviews. The study is aligned with the theory of workplace anxiety. Moreover, the study is located within phenomenology research design and thematic analysis was utilized to analyze data. The findings of the study indicated that employees were anxious about: contracting COVID-19 at work; not able to adhere to social distancing; being stigmatized once tested positive; and not being able to foot medical bills for COVID-19 related illnesses once diagnosed with COVID-19. Employees expected employers to provide them with PPEs, initiate working in shifts and furnish employees with information regarding the virus. It is envisaged that findings of this study will help combat COVID-19, and mitigate employees’ anxieties so as improve their productivity. It is also anticipated that the findings of this study will further contribute making workplaces safer and promote achievement of the first three Sustainable Development Goals, namely; no poverty; zero hunger and good health and well-being