Changes to Employment and Role

Nearly half of respondents (n=278; 43.7%) reported either decreased hours of employment, threatened termination or actual termination of employment since the onset of the pandemic (Table 2). While there was no significant difference between employment setting and employment termination, significantly more respondents employed in general practice reported a decrease in work hours (p<0.001) and threatened termination of employment (p=0.007).
Some 22.0% (n=140) of respondents reported having considered resignation. The primary reasons for considering resignation related to concern for personal physical (n=74; 52.9%) and psychological safety (n=61; 43.6%), lack of job security / reduced hours (n=71; 50.7%), and family safety (n=60; 42.9%). This concern for safety was beyond the concerns with the virus with qualitative comments describing increased public aggression “I’ve never been snarked and sniped at, or hung up on, so much in my life” and “Increase in mental health presentations due to isolation…… Increase in domestic violence presentations”.
Table 2. Changes to employment