Impact of occupational health and safety practices in Covid-19 on emotional exhaustion of hotel employees

Purpose: The study aimed to examine the impact of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) practices during the COVID-19 pandemic on the emotional exhaustion of employees working in the hotel sector. Further, the study analyzed the mediation effect of job risks and organizational support on the influence of OHS on emotional exhaustion.Design/Methodology: This study follows an explanatory research design based on a quantitative research approach. A proportionate survey (province-wise and at the hotel level) was conducted among the 1132 hotel employees. A parallel mediation model was used using Hayes’ Process Macro Model 4 at a 95% level of significance and 10000 bootstrapping.Findings: The research identified that hotel employees experienced high emotional exhaustion during the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by perceived job risks, while OHS significantly reduced it. The study revealed that the perceived organizational support significantly reduced emotional exhaustion and significantly increased the effect of OHS on controlling emotional exhaustion.Implication: This study encourages organizations to maintain essential and advanced safety protocols around the clock, especially during critical circumstances. It also emphasizes enhancing employee trust in the organization so that they believe in proper safety protocols and support systems to rest from emotional exhaustion. This study contributes to the JD-R theory.Originality/value: This study is unique in examining the effect of OHS practices incorporating job demand risks and perceived organization support in a parallel mediation model to examine the comprehensive impact on emotional exhaustion during a crisis. The originality of this approach is sure to pique the interest of academic researchers and OHS professionals. Furthermore, this study recommends scopes for future research, opening new avenues for exploration in this field.