PERCEPTIONS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT WHILE WORKING AT A THEME PARK IN THE UNITED STATES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to offer some insight of the employee’s experiences and engagement with the company. Layoff was one of the terms that impacted many employees when the pandemic first hit them as they have never experienced this kind of situation before. The process of conducting this research was done as a qualitative method by a phenomenology approach and examined the employee’s actual experiences during the pandemic. After the online interview was conducted, the three key themes emerged which are, 1) Safety Trainings and Support, 2) Emotional Engagement, and 3) Meaningfulness at the workplace. The findings showed how the organization and its employees have adapted during the pandemic crisis. The paper outlined research implications of employee engagement during the crisis pandemic for the hospitality industries and how they may have to apply new safety protocols in the future.