Validation of an Employee Remote Workplace Stress Measure Embedded Within a Novel Employee Wellbeing App

Summary

This study aims to validate an adapted workplace stress scale (American Institute of Stress) for employees working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our funding company (BPAi) is a global provider of technology enabled business process services. They offer a range of innovative services and bespoke software solutions, to improve the performance of client networks by increasing revenue, reducing cost, enhancing customer satisfaction. Clients have provided feedback that they require a way to manage, monitor and support their employees' wellbeing while working remotely. The MyBuddy web-based app is in development to meet this need. To best support employees, having an effective measure of workplace stress while working remotely will be a core feature of the app. Thus, this research study was commissioned to validate the measure.

A theoretical framework has been developed based on recent models. The measure was adapted based on this theoretical framework (see detailed description).

The hypothesis is that our measure will be validated using participants from BPAi's clients (technology/automotive corporations). The investigators hope this study will help to contribute to the evidence base and provide a useful tool in assessing remote workplace stress.

Participants will be employees of BPAi's clients taking part in the piloting of the novel employee wellbeing app. Participants will be invited to take part in the research when they first log into the app. Participants will be provided with an information sheet and a consent form. Once they have provided informed consent, they will be prompted to complete the embedded questionnaires (including the once to be validated). After one month, they will be prompted to complete the questionnaires again.

Once the data has been collected, their access to the app will end, and the data will be analysed. Once the data has been analysed, the measure will either be validated, or require adaptations and re-validation with a new sample.

The research will be written up into a manuscript and submitted to peer-reviewed journals for publication.

Conditions

• Work Related Stress

Interventions

OTHER

MyBuddy Employee Wellbeing App

The intervention is not being evaluated in this research study. The MyBuddy app contains five core components to help employees track their wellbeing (assisting employers in managing their employees' wellbeing). The six core components are: (1) a 'Budometer' stress measure (measure to be validated); (2) working from home information and assessment designed to inform employees about the legal requirements and risks they and their employers are subject to when home working; (3) messaging service for employees to contact their HR department or their line manager; (4) a 'Think Room' forum for staff to discuss ideas; (5) an 'Appreciation Page' for staff to show appreciation for their colleagues; and (6) 'my hours this week' log to track the hours they have worked. A seventh element is available for HR departments demonstrating data for the employees (employees are aware that HR will be able to see their data).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• BPAi

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• American Institute of Stress

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Holly Risdon

  lead INDUSTRY

Principal Investigators

• H. A Risdon

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-10-31

Primary Completion

2022-02-28

Completion

2022-06-30