The COVID-19 pandemic and outbreak response represent a global crisis that has affected various aspects of people’s lives, including work. Speculation is rife about the impact of the crisis on employees. Countries and organizations worldwide have categorized some work as essential and, by extension, other work as nonessential. This study aims to investigate the impact of the pandemic by examining the relationship between work disruptions (at time 1) and general distress (at time 2) through various work stressors, contrasting the experiences of employees in essential versus nonessential work. For employees with essential jobs, there is a significant indirect effect of work disruptions on general distress through hindrance stressors. This relationship is not found for employees with nonessential jobs. The general distress of these employees is more strongly affected by disruptions through social stressors (here, social isolation). Hence, this study demonstrates how general distress is affected in different ways for employees conducting essential work and those conducting nonessential work. We further highlight the importance of considering social stressors in this relationship, especially for nonessential work. Organizational change communication quality mitigates the relationship between isolation and general distress for employees with nonessential jobs, but not for those with essential jobs.

COVID-19 大流行和疫情应对代表了一场全球危机，它影响了人们生活的各个方面，包括工作。关于危机对员工的影响的猜测盛行。世界各地的国家和组织已将一些工作归类为必要工作，进而将其他工作归类为非必要工作。本研究旨在通过各种工作压力源检查工作中断（时间 1）和一般痛苦（时间 2）之间的关系，对比员工在基本工作和非基本工作中的经历，来调查大流行的影响。对于从事重要工作的员工，工作中断通过阻碍压力源对一般痛苦产生显着的间接影响。这种关系不适用于从事非必要工作的员工。这些员工的普遍痛苦更强烈地受到社会压力源（这里是社会孤立）造成的干扰。因此，本研究展示了从事基本工作和从事非基本工作的员工如何以不同方式影响一般痛苦。我们进一步强调了在这种关系中考虑社会压力因素的重要性，尤其是对于非必要的工作。组织变革的沟通质量减轻了从事非必要工作的员工的孤立感和一般痛苦之间的关系，但对于从事重要工作的员工却没有。我们进一步强调了在这种关系中考虑社会压力因素的重要性，尤其是对于非必要的工作。组织变革的沟通质量减轻了从事非必要工作的员工的孤立感和一般痛苦之间的关系，但对于从事重要工作的员工却没有。我们进一步强调了在这种关系中考虑社会压力因素的重要性，尤其是对于非必要的工作。组织变革的沟通质量减轻了从事非必要工作的员工的孤立感和一般痛苦之间的关系，但对于从事重要工作的员工却没有。