The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on workers and their ability to handle stress. According to researchers at Gartner, the average employee's capacity to absorb change without becoming fatigued has been severely reduce this year compared to last year. Essential workers faced an even greater risk. Workers deemed essential are even more affected as Employment in the food and beverage industry was found to be correlated with a high level of mental health issues. However, it was also found that workers that are able to consistently practice social distancing at work have a significantly lower risk of anxiety or depression.
See "Research Finds That COVID-19 Safety Measures Reduce Employee Anxiety", Lisa Burden, HR Dive, November 9, 2020