Building Organisational Sustainability during the COVID-19 Pandemic with an Inspiring Work Environment

This article aims to analyse significant differences in four constructs: occupational stress, job satisfaction, work engagement, and work productivity among employees before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the paper is to develop a multidimensional model with these four constructs and analyse the differences in the strength of their effects on the model across two intersectional times: before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was implemented on a sample of 885 employees in Slovenian organisations. During COVID-19, Slovenia had one of the strictest lockdowns. Based on the research, we can confirm significant differences in the four analysed constructs among employees before COVID-19 and during COVID-19. Based on the results, we can confirm that occupational stress had a more negative effect on job satisfaction and work engagement during COVID-19 than before prior to it. Our research and conclusions highlight the measures with which organisations can reduce the problem of occupational stress and with which organisations can increase job satisfaction, work engagement and work productivity among employees during COVID-19. Based on this, organisations may be able to build a more supportive work environment during, and after, COVID-19.