This study attempted to establish a hypothetical model describing the severity of physical and mental harm among essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, the mediating effect of fear on the relationship between in-home services and the severity of physical and mental harm was analyzed. Moreover, this study utilized multigroup path analysis to examine differences according to the type of employment. Thus, data from all 502 participants were included in the final analysis. The study found that in-home service did not have a direct effect on fear in the path model for the permanent employment group, but did have a direct effect on fear in the path model for the non-permanent employment group. The implications for the field are that the following is required: an anti-infection system should be incorporated at workplaces; employment stability should be provided for essential workers; providing systematic support, such as professional counseling to alleviate negative emotional responses, should be considered.
Keywords: essential workers; fear; in-home repair services; severity of physical and mental harm; types of employment.