Aggression in the Workplace Makes Social Distancing Difficult

Abstract Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is still spreading. While social distancing has attracted attention as a measure to prevent the spread of infection, some occupations find it difficult to practice it. Therefore, we decided to investigate the differences in the ease of practicing social distancing depending on the occupation using the data on O*NET, an occupational information site.Methodology: Eight factors were extracted by performing exploratory factor analysis based on certain rules while eliminating arbitrariness as much as possible: adverse conditions, leadership, information processing, response to aggression, mechanical movement, autonomy, communication with the outside, and horizontal teamwork.Results: Adverse conditions, response to aggression, and horizontal teamwork had a positive correlation with physical proximity, while information processing, mechanical movement, autonomy, and communication with the outside had a negative correlation with it. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis showed that response to aggression, not just teamwork, as assumed in previous studies, had the greatest influence on physical proximity.Conclusion: To maintain social distancing, it is necessary to constrain aggression in the workplace.