A Collaborative Research Study of Psychological Assessment and Research Evaluation (PARE) and iOrbitnews.com
The study identified the condition of emotional security and assurance of employees under the ECQ and MECQ condition on health risks of COVID-19 in their working environment. Factors were also associated with the primary concern of privately owned companies on the welfare and health risks of their employees during these critical conditions. The phenomenological aspect of employees’ opinions, whether there exists a sincere concern of administrative policies on supervisory level management to their welfare, is of great concern to employees exposed on a daily basis to unknown potential carriers of the virus. This is a main threat to their safety and security as results of this study have illuminated.
Overview: A one month study was conducted by PARE with the collaboration of IOrbitnews.com:
- in order to identify awareness of employees to health risks factors on their duties and responsibilities at designated work environments
- in order to ascertain if privately owned companies in Angeles City were constructing contingencies for employees’ safety and ensure minimal health risks for COVID-19 contamination of their assigned frontliners in order to sustain the company’s financial subsistence during the pandemic crisis.
- In order to discover the condition of emotional security of employees exposed to potential viral contamination.
Participants of the Study
A total of 1,069 respondents residing and working under privately-owned companies in Angeles City were interviewed utilizing a semi-structured, open-ended questionnaire.
Methods of the Study
PARE utilized social platforms, personal interviews, online inquiries and group discussions on zoom, facebook etc. in order to gather empirical data and ensure confidentiality of the participants in this study. Every interview and discussion were recorded, every response were exactly encoded in recordings and questionnaires. Thematic Coding and Content Analysis identified salient themes from the data in which the results of this study were drawn. Data was gathered from June 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020.
Summary / Results and Discussion
- Low Feelings of Security on Health Risks (Verbatim)
More than 80% of the respondents indicated that they were at high risk to potential infection resulting to high levels of stress and anxiety during working hours.
“Eku pin balu obat buri dakami pang paluban at makiharap kareng tau, makananu ku patche miawa ku…ing pamilya ku aku mu asahan da…”
“Balang abak maliswas ya ing bisor mi…magtxt yang magtxt na maranun kami dapat, samantalang maranun nakaming mumunta obra, buri napa masmaranun uling atin kami tatagalan kota, utus kanu king babo, ala ya ata pakyalam na mika cobid kami….”
“Sa panahon ngayon, dapat magingat talaga, teka, di naman lilitaw pangalan ko dito ha? Sigurado ka? Cge cge…meron naman online enrolment eh bakit pa dapat kami makiharap sa tao? Akala ko magaling sa computer mga taga rito at diparin wasto ang sistema kingina, sila kaya humarap sa mga dumarating na cliente…”
“Ot ren naming milukluk ot edawari apuna na malala ing cundisyun ngeni panaun ayti… isabak dakami pa king alanganin, ta bayaran de ospital ko diyos ko…”
“Reng aliwa, uwa nalang uwa gang nanu pa sabyan daring king babo, pasipsip la kasi, pero patche miawa la, nanu agawa naming pamag sipsip da?…”
- Sense of being Utilized for Companies Interests (Verbatim)
More than 88% of the respondents indicated that they felt being used by their company rather than expressing concern for their risk of infection.
“Tanyang ala kung pera okarin la? No work no fay kami eh… Ngeni uning ala lang daratang a pera paluban dakami gang deli-deli- delikadung ayne?…”
“Balakusa ratirati ikami sopan da, ngeni balamu ala lang isip na miawa kami unimung makanyan, kesyo katal mabangkrap lakanu, ala kanu panweldu, enung mete nakami man, atin kami akwa sweldu?”
“Sana ila namu makirungut banta ila magnerbyus, omitas naku prisyun king nerbiyus ku..”
“Kung sino pa ang maraming datung sila pa ang gusto pang kumita samantalang kami pang kain lang sa pamilya ok na, tapos gagamit gamitin kapa, kahit na delikado…”
- Awareness of Health Risks on COVID-19 Virus (Verbatim)
All of the respondents indicated that they were highly aware of health risks on COVID-19 infection but had no choice but to comply.
“O lakwas naman abalu mu king balita pamu abalu muna, ot ela ata manalbe telibisyun?..”
“Gang ita mung telan na makaawa na, king abak ampo gapganapun eka dakal atalan kanita? Manos nakupin manos gang lagi ku makamwan na magshort time ku obra eh…”
“Maraming bagay na dapat iconsider sa ganitong sitwasyon, sino ba ang hindi makaka alam kung papano dapat umiwas, sa internet, fb, dami ng mga ha ha ha, sa news, radio, dami eh, kahit na naka takpan na nga tulad sa hospital nahahawa parin eh, eh kami pa kaya dito?..”
“Sa dumaraming cases ng COVID sa Angeles, hindi naman sulusyn ang dapat huwag na magtrabaho eh, ika nga, dapat magadjust sa panahon, hindi ba kaya ng onlne? Kaya naman eh, tamad lang sila, eh sa pagkakaalam ko halos lahat ng ——————– na ngayon online eh, bakit sila hindi nila kaya? Magtanong ka man sa ibang mga ——————— tingnan mo, work from home sila sa panahon ngayon.”
“Gang naman ika kaluguran, makanini namu pin obra mu magkasakit kapa cobid? Nyapin aku eku tatalan aysusme, lalaut ku patche atin daratang..”
Conclusion: From the 1,069 respondents residing and working under privately owned companies in Angeles City that were interviewed, more than 80% cited the following:
a. They indicated low feelings of security on health risks on COVID-19 infection.
b. They indicated a sense of being utilized for company’s interests despite of health risks on COVID-19 infection.
c. They indicated that they were very much awareness of health risks on COVID-19 infection but had no choice but to comply with their employer.