{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,30]],"date-time":"2025-09-30T10:09:50Z","timestamp":1759226990854,"version":"3.43.0"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,11]],"date-time":"2025-08-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754870400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003542","name":"Ministerium f\u00c3\u00bcr Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-W\u00c3\u00bcrttemberg","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Ministry of Science, Research and Art, Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Ministry of Science, Research and Art, Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003542","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Employers\u00c2\u00b4 association of the metal and electric industry Baden-W\u00c3\u00bcrttemberg"},{"name":"Open Access Publishing Fund of the University of T\u00c3\u00bcbingen"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This longitudinal mixed-methods study explores how one company group dealt with COVID-19 pandemic-related challenges and how employees and managers perceived work-related psychosocial demands in Germany.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Materials and methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We analyzed panel survey data from 322 employees and managers across diverse working fields, e.g., assembly line\/production, office, company medical service, and factory security service. Employees and managers were recruited from six German company sites in the federal states of Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg, and Lower Saxony of one large company group. The survey was conducted in August-October 2020, January 2021, and October-November 2021. Participants self-reported their perceived psychosocial demands from aspects of work organization, work environment, work content, and social relations at work during and retrospectively before the COVID-19 pandemic on a 5-point Likert scale. Additionally, nine managers were interviewed in September-October 2020 and April-May 2021 about pandemic-related changes in working conditions, organizational processes to adapt working conditions, and a culture of trust. For contextualization, we performed a comprehensive document analysis of prevailing national and federal laws and OSH-regulations for infection control in Germany.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Quantitative results revealed that participants perceived stable psychosocial demands during the pandemic. Psychosocial demands relating to work organization were perceived as stressful, especially for managers and company's medical service personnel. No statistically significant changes were identified with respect to psychosocial demand ratings during compared to before the pandemic. Qualitative results highlighted that a crisis management team, a culture of trust, extensive and transparent communication, and participatory approaches in change processes were key to managing pandemic-related challenges.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Our findings contribute to a contextualized understanding of how the design of good and sustainable working conditions ensuredwork ability during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. They highlight the importance of pandemic preparedness in an organization's psychosocial work design to successfully manage challenging times. The derived learnings for organizational pandemic preparedness on a meso-, macro-, and micro-level are of lasting significance with a view to future global challenges in terms of the design of good psychosocial working conditions.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0328410","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,11]],"date-time":"2025-08-11T17:23:07Z","timestamp":1754932987000},"page":"e0328410","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Pandemic preparedness in shaping psychosocial working conditions \u2013 insights for occupational safety and health from a longitudinal mixed-methods study during the COVID-19 pandemic at six company sites of one organization in Germany"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2263-3012","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jana","family":"Soeder","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Christine","family":"Preiser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anke","family":"Wagner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna T.","family":"Neunh\u00f6ffer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Falko","family":"Papenfuss","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Juliane","family":"Schwille-Kiuntke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Wittich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Esther","family":"Rind","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7855-3663","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Monika A.","family":"Rieger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0328410.ref001","unstructured":"International Labor Organization (ILO) & Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The impact of the 3 Ds on G7 labour markets: key issues. 2022. Available from: https:\/\/www.ilo.org\/global\/about-the-ilo\/how-the-ilo-works\/multilateral-system\/g7\/2022\/WCMS_842324\/lang--en\/index.htm [last access:2025-07-04]"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0328410.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"489","DOI":"10.5271\/sjweh.3968","article-title":"Psychosocial work exposures and health outcomes: a meta-review of 72 literature reviews with meta-analysis","volume":"47","author":"I Niedhammer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Scand J Work Environ Health"},{"issue":"42","key":"pone.0328410.ref003","first-page":"709","article-title":"Psychosocial Occupational Exposures and Mental Illness","volume":"119","author":"A Seidler","year":"2022","journal-title":"Dtsch Arztebl Int"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref004","unstructured":"European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). The OSH Framework Directive: European Framework Directive on Safety and Health at Work (Directive 89\/391 EEC). 2021. Available from: https:\/\/osha.europa.eu\/en\/legislation\/directives\/the-osh-framework-directive\/the-osh-framework-directive-introduction [last access: 2024-10-16]"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref005","author":"Eurofound"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref006","unstructured":"German Federal Ministry of Justice. Act on the Implementation of Measures of Occupational Safety and Health to Encourage Improvements in the Safety and Health Protection of Workers at Work (Arbeitsschutzgesetz, ArbSchG). 2023. Available from: https:\/\/www.gesetze-im-internet.de\/englisch_arbschg\/englisch_arbschg.html [last access: 2025-07-04]"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref007","year":"2014"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0328410.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"205","DOI":"10.1038\/s41398-022-01946-6","article-title":"Mental disorders following COVID-19 and other epidemics: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"12","author":"CMC Leung","year":"2022","journal-title":"Transl Psychiatry"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-016-2720-y","article-title":"Mental health outcomes in times of economic recession: a systematic literature review","volume":"16","author":"D Frasquilho","year":"2016","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1388996","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1388996","article-title":"Exploring organizational aspects that promote health-related preventive behavior: using the example of work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection control measures in Germany, August 2020 to November 2021","volume":"12","author":"J Soeder","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref011","unstructured":"Hoffmann L, Jankowiak S, Beck D, Tisch A, Sommer S, Robelski S. Betrieblicher Umgang mit psychischer Belastung durch die Corona-Pandemie. Eine repr\u00e4sentative Betriebsbefragung von dem Institut f\u00fcr Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB) und Bundesanstalt f\u00fcr Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin (BAuA). [How companies dealt with psychosocial demands caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A representative company survey by the Institute for employment research (IAB) and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA)] 2021. Available from: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.21934\/baua:berichtkompakt20211109 [last access: 2025-07-04]"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref012","author":"Eurofound"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0328410.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2020-043908","article-title":"Adjusting working conditions and evaluating the risk of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic in different workplace settings in Germany: a study protocol for an explorative modular mixed methods approach","volume":"10","author":"E Rind","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0328410.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1433","DOI":"10.3390\/vaccines10091433","article-title":"Factors associated with the COVID-19 vaccination status of higher education students: results of an online cross-sectional survey at six universities in southwestern Germany","volume":"10","author":"AT Neunh\u00f6ffer","year":"2022","journal-title":"Vaccines (Basel)"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1186\/1472-6963-7-85","article-title":"Why, and how, mixed methods research is undertaken in health services research in England: a mixed methods study","volume":"7","author":"A O\u2019Cathain","year":"2007","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref016","article-title":"Navigating the Future of Organisational Health Services Research in Germany and beyond: a Position Paper","volume":"86","author":"L Ansmann","year":"2024","journal-title":"Gesundheitswesen"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0328410.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"92","DOI":"10.1258\/jhsrp.2007.007074","article-title":"The quality of mixed methods studies in health services research","volume":"13","author":"A O\u2019Cathain","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Health Serv Res Policy"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0328410.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"614","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20010614","article-title":"Assessing differences in attitudes toward Occupational Safety and Health measures for infection control between office and assembly line employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany: a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a repeated employee survey","volume":"20","author":"J Soeder","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref019","unstructured":"Unipark & Questback. Online Umfrage Einfach Erstellen. Developing Online-Survey Easily. 2011. Available from: https:\/\/www.unipark.com [last access: 2025-07-04]"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0328410.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1186\/s12995-021-00331-1","article-title":"COPSOQ III in Germany: validation of a standard instrument to measure psychosocial factors at work","volume":"16","author":"H-J Lincke","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Occup Med Toxicol"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0328410.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"372","DOI":"10.1177\/1094428114548590","article-title":"Missing Data","volume":"17","author":"DA Newman","year":"2014","journal-title":"Organizational Research Methods"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref022","volume-title":"Discovering statistics using R","author":"A Field","year":"2014"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref023","volume-title":"R: A language and environment for statistical computing","author":"Team RC","year":"2021"},{"issue":"13","key":"pone.0328410.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1753","DOI":"10.1177\/1049732315617444","article-title":"Sample Size in Qualitative Interview Studies: Guided by Information Power","volume":"26","author":"K Malterud","year":"2016","journal-title":"Qual Health Res"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref025","unstructured":"Preiser, C, \u00d6g, E, Amperidou, O, Linder, V, Wagner, A, Rieger, M, Rind, E. Navigating challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in leadership. First results from qualitative interviews with leaders in companies in Germany. 2022. Available from: https:\/\/www.egms.de\/static\/en\/meetings\/dkvf2022\/22dkvf216.shtml [last access: 2025-07-04]"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref026","volume-title":"Qualitative Content Analysis: Methods, Practice and Software","author":"Stefan","year":"2023","edition":"2"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref027","article-title":"Zweite Aktualisierung der \u201eRetrospektiven Phaseneinteilung der COVID-19- Pandemie in Deutschland\u201c [Second update of the \u2018retrospective phasing of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany\u2019]","author":"J Schilling","year":"2022","journal-title":"Epidemiologisches Bulletin"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref028","unstructured":"Robert Koch-Institute (RKI). Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 7-day incidences by state and county. 2022. Available from: https:\/\/infektionsradar.gesund.bund.de\/de\/covid\/inzidenz [last access:2024-10-16]"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref029","unstructured":"European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Data on the daily number of new reported COVID-19 cases and deaths by EU\/EEA country. 2022. Available from: https:\/\/www.ecdc.europa.eu\/en\/publications-data\/data-daily-new-cases-covid-19-eueea-country [last access:2024-10-16]"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref030","unstructured":"Eurofound. Short-time working allowance, measure DE-1957-1\/2460 (Germany) - factsheet. 2022. Available from: https:\/\/static.eurofound.europa.eu\/covid19db\/cases\/DE-1957-1_2460.html [last access: 2025-07-04]"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref031","author":"E Strobel","year":"2023"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref032","unstructured":"German Federal Ministry of Health. Verordnung zum Anspruch auf Schutzimpfung gegen das Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus-Impfverordnung \u2013 CoronaImpfV) [Ordinance on the entitlement to vaccination against SARS-CoV-2]. 2021. Available from: https:\/\/www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de\/fileadmin\/Dateien\/3_Downloads\/C\/Coronavirus\/Verordnungen\/CoronaImpfV_EN_080221.pdf [last access: 2025-05-05]"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0328410.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0302020","article-title":"Changes in mental distress among employees during the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany","volume":"19","author":"S Casjens","year":"2024","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0328410.ref034","first-page":"179","article-title":"Increase in Mental Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic-The Role of Occupational and Financial Strains","volume":"119","author":"N Dragano","year":"2022","journal-title":"Dtsch Arztebl Int"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref035","author":"G Wong","year":"2017","journal-title":"Quality and reporting standards, resources, training materials and information for realist evaluation: the RAMESES II project. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0328410.ref036","article-title":"DNVF-Memorandum III - Methods for Health Services Research, Part 4 - Concept and Methods for Organizational Health Services Research. Chapter 2 - Methodological Approaches for Organizational Health Services Research: Measures, Data Sources, Data Collection and Data Analysis","volume":"81","author":"L R\u00f6lker-Denker","year":"2019","journal-title":"Gesundheitswesen"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref037","unstructured":"European Agency for Safety and Health for Work (EU-OSHA). Hierarchy of prevention and control measures. Available from: https:\/\/oshwiki.osha.europa.eu\/en\/themes\/hierarchy-prevention-and-control-measures. 2022."},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref038","unstructured":"World Health Organization (WHO). Considerations for public health and social measures in the workplace in the context of COVID-19: Annex to Considerations in adjusting public health and social measures in the context of COVID-19. 2020. Available from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/i\/item\/WHO-2019-nCoV-Adjusting_PH_measures-Workplaces-2020.1 [last access: 2025-07-04]"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0328410.ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1097\/JOM.0000000000002741","article-title":"Health Care Organization Policies for Employee Safety and COVID-19 Pandemic Response: A Mixed-Methods Study","volume":"65","author":"S Siddique","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Occup Environ Med"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0328410.ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4067","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20054067","article-title":"Exploring Transfer Potentials of the IMPROVEjob Intervention for Strengthening Workplace Health Management in Micro-, Small-, and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Germany: A Qualitative Study","volume":"20","author":"A Wagner","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref041","unstructured":"European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). Managing psychosocial risks in European micro and small enterprises: Qualitative evidence from the Third European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER 2019) - Executive Summary. 2022. Available from: https:\/\/osha.europa.eu\/en\/publications\/summary-managing-psychosocial-risks-european-micro-and-small-enterprises-qualitative-evidence-third-european-survey-enterprises-new-and-emerging-risks-esener-2019 [last access: 2024-10-16]"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0328410.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"285","DOI":"10.1007\/s41449-019-00154-1","article-title":"Well-Being and Health-related Interventions in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Meta-Analytic Review","volume":"73","author":"C Gerhardt","year":"2019","journal-title":"Zeitschrift f\u00fcr Arbeitswissenschaft"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref043","unstructured":"Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung e.V. (DGUV) & Bundesamt f\u00fcr Bev\u00f6lkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe (BBK). [German Social Accident Insurance and Federal Office for Civil Protection]. Handbuch Betriebliche Pandemieplanung [Handbook of operational pandemic planning]. 2010. Available from: https:\/\/www.dguv.de\/de\/praevention\/themen-a-z\/biologisch\/pandemieplanung\/index.jsp [last access: 2024-10-16]"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref044","unstructured":"German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. SARS-CoV-2-Arbeitsschutzverordnung (Corona-ArbSchV) [SARS-CoV-2 Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance]. 2021. Available from: https:\/\/www.bundesanzeiger.de\/pub\/publication\/5QH1uegEXs2GTWXKeln\/content\/5QH1uegEXs2GTWXKeln\/BAnz%20AT%2022.01.2021%20V1.pdf?inline [last access: 2024-10-16]"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0328410.ref045","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1082","DOI":"10.3390\/vaccines11061082","article-title":"Assessing Attitudes and Participation Regarding a Pilot COVID-19 Workplace Vaccination Program in Southern Germany Considering the Occupational Health Perspective-A Mixed Methods Study","volume":"11","author":"A Wagner","year":"2023","journal-title":"Vaccines (Basel)"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref046","article-title":"A new framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions: update of Medical Research Council guidance","volume":"374","author":"K Skivington","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0328410.ref047","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1507","DOI":"10.1016\/S0277-9536(99)00045-3","article-title":"Integrating response shift into health-related quality of life research: a theoretical model","volume":"48","author":"MA Sprangers","year":"1999","journal-title":"Soc Sci Med"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref048","volume-title":"Thinking, fast and slow","author":"D Kahneman","year":"2012"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref049","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"26","DOI":"10.1186\/s12995-020-00277-w","article-title":"Comparing perceived psychosocial working conditions of nurses and physicians in two university hospitals in Germany with other German professionals - feasibility of scale conversion between two versions of the German Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ)","volume":"15","author":"WorkSafeMed Consortium","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Occup Med Toxicol"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref050","unstructured":"World Health Organization (WHO). WHO Member States conclude negotiations and make significant progress on draft pandemic agreement. Proposal to be submitted to World Health Assembly in May for consideration. 2025. Available from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/16-04-2025-who-member-states-conclude-negotiations-and-make-significant-progress-on-draft-pandemic-agreement [last access: 2025-04-17]"},{"key":"pone.0328410.ref051","unstructured":"World Health Organization (WHO). Pandemic prevention, preparedness and response accord. 2025 Available from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/questions-and-answers\/item\/pandemic-prevention--preparedness-and-response-accord [last access: 2025-06-27]"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0328410.ref052","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1007\/s40664-022-00490-w","article-title":"Wollen und k\u00f6nnen \u00e4ltere Besch\u00e4ftigte l\u00e4nger erwerbst\u00e4tig bleiben, wenn sich ihre Arbeit verbessert?","volume":"73","author":"N Garthe","year":"2023","journal-title":"Zbl Arbeitsmed"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0328410","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,11]],"date-time":"2025-08-11T17:23:20Z","timestamp":1754933000000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0328410"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Damiano","family":"GIRARDI","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,11]]},"references-count":52,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,11]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0328410","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,11]]}}}