A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Lived Experiences of Service Crews Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Psychology, Sociology

Fast-food chains are among the most profitable and common businesses in the market, which is also the best option for beginners in the business industry. Given that many fast foods were loved and provide satisfaction to a human's physiological needs, it also benefits the unemployed and part-timers. Thus, it is the primary source of employment worldwide from the food and beverage industry, counting these over a million employees in substantial multinational food and drink manufacturing companies – fast food service crews. Thus, this study intended to express service crews' insights on the challenges they are regularly facing. This study also aims to describe how pandemic makes the service crews' personal lives and work-life even more complicated. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed to describe the experiences of the participants. Hence, the study's findings were: (1) Service crews experienced many challenges during the pandemic. They had a hard time getting used to the new normal, and they feared getting infected with the virus that may cause them or their loved one's death. (2) For a long time, they had to work in food chains; service crews come up with several coping mechanisms such as positive-thinking and adjustment. Service crews learned that having a healthy mindset helps a lot when dealing with a challenging atmosphere, and they also learned the adjustments they had to make when facing circumstances. (3) Then, although the pandemic rendered problems and changes, service crews took this as an opportunity to take a break despite having worries about financial resources. Service Crews' positive experiences during the pandemic are about the closer relationship they build between themselves, their families, their co-workers, and with God.

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