Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has created and continues to create far-reaching challenges for individuals in all walks of life. In addition to pronounced health risks, the pandemic has also exacerbated other challenges such as employment security and income. Drawing on the work of Taylor et al. and Park et al., the researchers seek to understand how Covid-19 has affected the mental health of workers in the restaurant or foodservice industry. To understand the full scope of the issue, a number of questions are addressed. What stressors do workers commonly face in the industry? What stressors are most closely linked with the Covid-19 pandemic? Who is most likely to be affected? What is being done to moderate stress? This current study uses a survey to evaluate stress among restaurant workers in Edmonton, Alberta. By creating comparative indices for various stressors, it is found that the Covid-19 pandemic has not merely worsened characteristic industry stressors but has completely changed the stress landscape for many restaurant employees.

Keywords: Mental health, restaurant, employees, Covid-19, stress, depression