Abstract

Background: The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the workplace, both in terms of the number of cases among the working population and the massive modifications necessary to cope.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the influence of COVID-19 on wage earners' working conditions and health in the Middle East and South Africa (MENA) region.

Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted between the mid of November and the end of December 2021 among the wage- earning population. Sample included n = 7555 participants obtained through an online survey.

Results: Work post attendance was clearly lower during the epidemic. 42.4%, 49.2% expressed concern about possible job loss, 53.2% expressed concern about finding a new job if they lost their current job, 56.7% expressed concern about salary reduction, 69.1% expressed concern about becoming infected at work, and 77.2% expressed concern about being a virus transmitter. A total of 33.5% of individuals who went to work on a regular basis did so with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and 37.1% did so without proper protection measures. A total of 19.8% of workers felt their health had deteriorated, 64.9% reported having serious difficulty sleeping in the previous month, and 64.2% were at risk of poor mental health. The consumption of sleeping drugs, opioids, and painkillers increased significantly in comparison to the pre-pandemic period.

Conclusion: At the height of the pandemic, the findings presented here provide a very disturbing picture of the standard of working conditions and the health of employees living in the MENA region. When compared to available comparisons, we typically see unhealthy working circumstances and significant decline in health markers.