Repercussion of COVID-19 on equipoising work and life among women frontline healthcare workers

Abstract

This pandemic will remain as a major social issue for the unforeseeable future. It has changed each part of our lives, counting the manner in which we work. Specifically, it has an adverse influence on frontline healthcare workers. Furthermore, this healthcare worker population is predominantly women. Our society is entangled in the preconceived idea of gender bias in taking care of the kinfolk. On the other hand, their workload has been increased due to the increasing cases of covid-19. During a pandemic, the obligation of care is properly moved from the individual patient to shield the soundness of the enormous local area. They were liable for long work-hours, floods of patients, severe Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the approaching danger of low supplies, including PPE; and the emotional misery from potentially getting the sickness or sending it to friends and family. Thus, women struggle to balance their career and personal lives, leading to stress and burnouts. In other sectors, high levels of stress and burnouts will affect employees’ contribution and productivity in an organisation. In the case of the health sectors, it is a matter of life and death. The healthcare worker disengagement will affect their performance, which in turn would lead to poor medical treatment and healthcare services. Great psychological wellness is totally needed for general wellbeing and prosperity. Supporting a sound balance between work and personal activities isn't just significant for a healthy wellbeing and a legitimate relationship, but it can also upgrade workers’ productivity and performance. This emotional stress seems to have gone unaddressed in this pandemic and needs someone to intervene in the situation and bring the balance. Thus, this paper explores a conceptual framework towards the impact of the pandemic on the women frontline healthcare workers.