Job insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic based on the pandemic diaries

Abstract

Negative health, economic and social impacts are not the only consequences of the pandemic. It has also affected job security. The pandemic mainly affected workers who were employed on the basis of fixed-term and civil law contracts. A stable and secure workplace is essential to an employee’s well-being. The place of work has a direct impact on the status of the employee. The purpose of this article is to present the lack of workplace stability, salary security and job security during the pandemic. The article seeks answers to two research questions: (1) Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected job stability? (2) How have diary writers fared in the world of work in the uncertain pandemic situation? The article uses the method of personal documents (called the autobiographical or biographical method). Selected pandemic journals submitted to the Contest of the Institute of Literature in Krakow (2020) were analysed. This allowed security deficits related to job insecurity or the threat of unemployment to be identified. This unfavourable job situation led to concerns among the diary authors about their uncertain future. The vision of unemployment and poverty fills the authors with fear and disturbs their professional and existential security. The conducted study reveals that the respondents who wrote journals experienced job insecurity or loss of financial liquidity in relation to their business. The creators used various tactics to deal with this difficult professional situation.