The COVID-19 global pandemic has had consequences for the whole world – it has affected the very core of the workforce and the dynamic of the labour market, parallelly it had a major impact on the health system. Isolation and reduced social contact have led to mental health problems or mental disorders (e.g., depression), and the consequences are also marked in terms of people's habits and vices, also establishment of negative thinking patterns. On the labour market itself, the epidemic has highlighted problems in companies at both micro and macro levels. The work environments revealed the company culture, the management and, above all, whether they listen to their employees, acknowledge their health and quality of life. The long-term labour market effects are mainly noticeable in the service sector, such as catering or tourism, as well as in culture. Workforce is rearranging, and labour shortages are already showing up in less stable jobs as a direct consequence of COVID-19, as people no longer have confidence in the stability of these sectors. Market closure at a time of most strict government measures and lay-offs have left their mark. The research focuses on the mental health of employees – with the focus on independent contractors – during the COVID-19 epidemic, with the aim of examining the impact of measures to manage the socio-economic consequences of the epidemic on employees and their association with mental health problems.
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