Safeguarding the workforce: A review of how organizations can sustain employee health during a pandemic

Abstract

This review paper synthesizes findings from previous studies investigating the role of COVID-19 safety climate in shaping employee behavior and attitudes across diverse contexts. Drawing primarily on longitudinal research, we examine how employees’ perceptions of their organization’s commitment to pandemic-related safety predict their adherence to COVID-19 guidelines at work, their compliance with such measures in their private lives, and their attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination. In line with our conceptual framework, accumulating evidence indicates that a strong organizational safety climate enhances compliance with COVID-19 measures and fosters positive attitudes toward vaccination. Furthermore, findings highlight the mediating role of social norms, showing that employees are more influenced by the behaviors they observe among colleagues (i.e., descriptive norms) than by perceived social approval or disapproval (i.e., injunctive norms). Moreover, a U.S.-based study reveals that political ideology moderates the effect of COVID-19 safety climate, with Republicans being more strongly influenced by their organization than Democrats. These findings underscore the importance of cultivating a supportive organizational safety culture during a pandemic, while adapting communication strategies to accommodate diverse viewpoints.