Examining burnout in the electrical sector in Ontario, Canada: A cross-sectional study

Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia; Ali Bani-Fatemi; Aaron Howe; Simrat Ubhi; Mitchel Morrison; Harseerat Saini; Vijay Kumar Chattu; Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia; Ali Bani-Fatemi; Aaron Howe; Simrat Ubhi; Mitchel Morrison; Harseerat Saini; Vijay Kumar Chattu

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2023060

AIMS Public Health

2023, Volume 10, Issue 4: 934-951. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2023060

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Brief Report

Examining burnout in the electrical sector in Ontario, Canada: A cross-sectional study

1.
Restore Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2.
Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health, School of Rural and Northern Health, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
3.
Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4.
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
5.
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
6.
Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
7.
Center for Evidence-based Strategies, Global Health Research and Innovations Canada Inc (GHRIC), ON, Toronto

Received: 21 July 2023 Revised: 27 October 2023 Accepted: 06 November 2023 Published: 14 November 2023

Workers in the trades sectors often experience mental health issues and decreased work ability due to occupational stress, workplace hazards and living in danger or constant fear of injury. Understanding the impacts of psychosocial risk factors on construction workers' mental health can aid in decreasing workplace injuries, lessening disabilities and increasing worker productivity. In this study, we focus on understanding and assessing the mental health and wellness of individuals in the electrical sector that are members of the Employer Engagement Project (EEP) from the Ontario Electrical League (OEL). The subset of potential participants included electricians and plumbers in Ontario working for small to medium sized employers (SME). The recruitment took place in 2022, with a total of 82 participants who completed a survey collecting demographic information, assessing the importance and availability/satisfaction of workplace factors and stress-and burnout-related questions. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0. Two-sample Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to test for associations between the availability of work-related factors and burnout scores among the participants. Burnout scores were determined using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Our findings demonstrate that dissatisfaction of the following factors: Workload allocation, internal staff development opportunity and stable staffing/minimal turnover, were associated with high burnout levels. The findings indicate there may be a relationship between certain work-related factors and burnout levels experienced. There is a need for improvement of workload allocation in SMEs to help enhance the mental health and well-being of employees.
- electricians,
- skilled trades,
- workplace,
- mental health,
- Canada
Citation: Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia, Ali Bani-Fatemi, Aaron Howe, Simrat Ubhi, Mitchel Morrison, Harseerat Saini, Vijay Kumar Chattu. Examining burnout in the electrical sector in Ontario, Canada: A cross-sectional study[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2023, 10(4): 934-951. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2023060

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Abstract

Workers in the trades sectors often experience mental health issues and decreased work ability due to occupational stress, workplace hazards and living in danger or constant fear of injury. Understanding the impacts of psychosocial risk factors on construction workers' mental health can aid in decreasing workplace injuries, lessening disabilities and increasing worker productivity. In this study, we focus on understanding and assessing the mental health and wellness of individuals in the electrical sector that are members of the Employer Engagement Project (EEP) from the Ontario Electrical League (OEL). The subset of potential participants included electricians and plumbers in Ontario working for small to medium sized employers (SME). The recruitment took place in 2022, with a total of 82 participants who completed a survey collecting demographic information, assessing the importance and availability/satisfaction of workplace factors and stress-and burnout-related questions. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0. Two-sample Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to test for associations between the availability of work-related factors and burnout scores among the participants. Burnout scores were determined using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Our findings demonstrate that dissatisfaction of the following factors: Workload allocation, internal staff development opportunity and stable staffing/minimal turnover, were associated with high burnout levels. The findings indicate there may be a relationship between certain work-related factors and burnout levels experienced. There is a need for improvement of workload allocation in SMEs to help enhance the mental health and well-being of employees.

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Ontario Electrical League. The authors are grateful for the support provided the Ontario Electrical League including Stephen Sell, Wendy Dobinson, Laurie Richardson. We also thank Rosemary MacVicar-Elliot for her cooperation and providing administrative support.

Conflict of Interest

Vijay Kumar Chattu is an editorial board member for AIMS Public Health and was not involved in the editorial review or the decision to publish this article. All authors declare that there are no competing interests.

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