*3.1. Research Question and Model Design*

The aim of this study is to address the following core research question: Does the feeling of contributing to productivity and receiving an appropriate salary mediate the relationship between the burnout condition and the QWL of municipal workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?

To address this research question, the model specification presented in Figure 1 below intends to evaluate the relationship between three burnout dimensions and QWL, mediated by motivating and economic factors, including both the feeling of contributing to productivity and receiving an appropriate salary, regarding municipal workers.

**Figure 1.** Mediators of burnout and QWL: Model design.

#### *3.2. Study Design and Participants*

This cross-sectional quantitative study examined municipal workers in Portugal. The survey was administered by emailing the questionnaire to Portuguese municipalities, from December 2020 to April 2021, with 459 responses being received from municipal workers developing professional activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a diversified set of socio-economic characteristics and professional profiles, in municipal institutions with different sizes, as presented below in Table 1.


**Table 1.** Socio-economic characteristics, professional profiles, and the size of the institutions of the municipal workers.
