Nature Features' Contribution to the Well-Being of Essential Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal

The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge for all, but essential workers were subjected to additional stressors that impacted both professional and personal lives. The already existing body of knowledge sustains the relevance of workplace conditions and of nature to human well-being. Thus, this study aimed to understand the relationship between workplace conditions (e.g., the presence of nature features) and essential workers' quality of life (QoL) and professional quality of life (ProQOL) in Portugal. A self-administered online questionnaire, including a specifically created instrument (Nature at the Work Environment [NAT]) to access the presence of nature features (e.g., potted plants, images, or scenes of natural elements, sunlight) at the workplace, was filled by 191 essential workers, mostly women (85%), who were professionally active during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, participants reported a positive perception of their work environment, but highlighted a lack of indoor nature features (e.g., indoor plants, indoor nature scenes). Sunlight, a nature feature with outdoor origin, was the highest rated feature for both main workplace and place of user's attendance. Linear hierarchical regression models showed that NAT was an independent predictor of overall QoL, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. Overall, the results reinforce the importance of exposure to nature at the workplace for the well-being of workers. Clear and objective information about the cost savings derived from nature exposure at the workplace is needed to promote the required changes for the development of healthier workplaces.