Wirth Tanja, Rohwer Elisabeth, Jaß Leonie, Harth Volker, Mache Stefanie
Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20459 Hamburg, Germany.
Behav Sci (Basel). 2025 Aug 19;15(8):1123. doi: 10.3390/bs15081123.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, hybrid work models are on the rise in public administration in Germany. Hybrid work poses new challenges for employees. Face-to-face contact with colleagues at the office may be limited, potentially affecting social relationships at work. This study aimed to examine job demands and resources pertaining to social relationships between employees in public administration with low and high face-to-face contact with colleagues. Furthermore, associations between social and personal resources with work engagement and the moderating role of face-to-face contact were explored.
A cross-sectional online survey was carried out in a German public administration. Validated instruments were used to measure job demands and resources regarding social relationships, occupational health literacy, work design competencies, and work engagement. Differences between employees with low and high face-to-face contact with colleagues were examined using Pearson's chi-square test and Welch's -test. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze associations between social and personal resources and work engagement. Simple moderation analyses were carried out to explore the role of face-to-face contact.
Overall, 127 employees in public administration completed the questionnaire. Employees with low face-to-face contact with colleagues at the office reported significantly higher fear of missing out at work and lower team cohesion and empowering leadership. Team cohesion as well as work design competencies and occupational health literacy (subscale willingness/responsibility) were significantly positively associated with work engagement, but no moderation effect of face-to-face contact could be observed.
To reduce job demands regarding social relationships and strengthen social resources of hybrid workers, organizational measures could be taken to foster regular face-to-face contact with colleagues (e.g., overlapping attendance days). Additionally, training programs on work design competencies and occupational health literacy could positively impact employees' work engagement.
自新冠疫情以来，德国公共行政部门的混合工作模式呈上升趋势。混合工作给员工带来了新的挑战。在办公室与同事的面对面接触可能会受到限制，这可能会影响工作中的社会关系。本研究旨在探讨德国公共行政部门中与同事面对面接触程度低和高的员工之间，与社会关系相关的工作需求和资源。此外，还探讨了社会资源和个人资源与工作投入之间的关联以及面对面接触的调节作用。
在德国一个公共行政部门开展了一项横断面在线调查。使用经过验证的工具来测量与社会关系、职业健康素养、工作设计能力和工作投入相关的工作需求和资源。使用Pearson卡方检验和Welch's t检验来检验与同事面对面接触程度低和高的员工之间的差异。使用多元线性回归分析社会资源和个人资源与工作投入之间的关联。进行简单的调节分析以探讨面对面接触的作用。
总体而言，127名公共行政部门的员工完成了问卷。在办公室与同事面对面接触程度低的员工报告称，他们在工作中明显更担心错过机会，团队凝聚力和赋能型领导水平也更低。团队凝聚力以及工作设计能力和职业健康素养（子量表意愿/责任感）与工作投入显著正相关，但未观察到面对面接触的调节作用。
为了减少与社会关系相关的工作需求并加强混合工作模式员工的社会资源，可以采取组织措施来促进与同事的定期面对面接触（例如，重叠出勤日）。此外，关于工作设计能力和职业健康素养的培训项目可能会对员工的工作投入产生积极影响。
