The Impact of Human and Financial Resources on Professionals’ Stress in Domestic Violence Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany

Domestic violence services (DV services) have faced a number of organizational challenges with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualified staff and additional financial resources were quickly needed to meet digitalization requirements; hygiene measures had to be implemented. The aim of this study is to analyze the relation between staff structure and the stress level of employees in the context of the pandemic by controlling for further organizational factors. Survey data was collected online among professionals of German DV service institutions. The sample includes 232 participants. A negative binomial regression model was used to analyze the impact of organizational challenges on employees’ stress level. Data provide evidence that a poor human resource structure increases the stress level of employees. The influence of additional financial requirements however seems negligible. The more the hygiene concept could be adapted to the individual situation of the facility, the less burden was placed on employees. In order to be able to strategically respond to challenges in environmental conditions, it is essential to examine the influence of organizational factors in social services. The adaptation of those factors helps to improve working conditions for professionals during environmental change.