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BACKGROUND: The current state of research indicates pregnancy-related discrimination as a potential stressor during pregnancy for women at work, which may result in perceptions of occupational stress. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine women's perceptions of pregnancy-related stressors at work, problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies as well as attributed consequences for mental, physical and social dimensions. METHODS: The survey was completed online with a cross-sectional study design. Inclusion criteria for the study participation were being currently pregnant and engaged in paid work (regardless of full-time or part-time work). Women were recruited via social media and with the support of pro familia. RESULTS: Results indicate that 79 (53.4%, n = 148) participating women experienced pregnancy-related stressors at work. The most relevant kinds of stressors were intrapersonal stressors and interpersonal stressors related to employers or colleagues. The most prevalent coping strategy was to seek social support or advice from gynaecologists. Attributed physical consequences were exhaustion, fatigue and sleeping disorders. Mental health consequences were named in terms of feeling emotionally upset and having fears related to the baby's health. CONCLUSIONS: Family-friendly support policies need to be further developed and topics like pregnancy-related stressors need to be addressed in an occupational context. Especially the perspective and knowledge of employers on the topic needs to be strengthened, e.g., to ensure an ongoing communication between employers, HR and employees during pregnancy. Further research is needed which provides representative data, analyses employer's experiences and their attitudes in managing pregnancies as well as consequences for women when returning to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the particular demands inherent to offshore work, little is known about the working conditions of employees in the German offshore wind industry. To date, neither offshore employees' job demands and resources, nor their needs for improving the working conditions have been explored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct a qualitative analysis to gain further insight into these topics. Methods: Forty-two semi-structured telephone interviews with German offshore employees (n = 21) and offshore experts (n = 21) were conducted. Employees and experts were interviewed with regard to their perceptions of their working conditions offshore. In addition, employees were asked to identify areas with potential need for improvement. The interviews were analysed in a deductive-inductive process according to Mayring's qualitative content analysis. Results: Employees and experts reported various demands of offshore work, including challenging physical labour, long shifts, inactive waiting times, and recurrent absences from home. In contrast, the high personal meaning of the work, regular work schedule (14 days offshore, 14 days onshore), and strong comradeship were highlighted as job resources. Interviewees' working conditions varied considerably, e.g. regarding their work tasks and accommodations. Most of the job demands were perceived in terms of the work organization and living conditions offshore. Likewise, employees expressed the majority of needs for improvement in these areas. Conclusions: Our study offers important insight into the working conditions of employees in the German offshore wind industry. The results can provide a basis for further quantitative research in order to generalize the findings. Moreover, they can be utilized to develop needs-based interventions to improve the working conditions offshore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]