Keeping one’s job … but potentially losing job quality?: qualitative job insecurity as an explanatory mechanism between short-time work schemes and well-being

In Western countries, short-time work schemes (STW) are being increasingly used to protect employees from job loss during economic crises (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic). While well intended, these schemes could have a potential dark side: Based on insights from the transactional theory of stress and coping, we hypothesize (H1) that STW may contribute to perceptions of qualitative job insecurity, which in turn may relate to lower well-being (i.e. job satisfaction and psychological distress). A key strength of this study is its focus on work-related situational factors at both organization- and industry-levels (i.e., contract type, managerial position, sector of activity) that may influence employees' reactions. We hypothesize (H2) that STW may be particularly stressful for those who typically experience greater job security, as uncertainty may be more disruptive for them. These employees may feel more insecure following STW, which may later be associated with lower well-being. Structural equation modelling and bootstrapping analyses (H1), as well as multigroup analyses (H2) were conducted on data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic among Belgian employees (N = 1,840) at two points, two months apart. Results largely supported our hypotheses. This suggests that STW may have a potential dark side, particularly for individuals accustomed to greater job stability.