<![CDATA[Work stress is a significant occupational concern in the food service industry, with documented links to burnout, emotional labor, reduced service quality, and turnover intentions. This study examined the relationships among perceived work stress, coping strategies, and job satisfaction among food service workers in Bohol, Philippines, and explored which stressor domains – particularly social support – are more salient in this context. Employing a quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational survey design, the study used the Pressure Management Indicator (PMI) to assess seven stressor domains (workload, relationships, recognition, organizational climate, managerial role, work-home balance, and daily hassles), along with coping strategies and job satisfaction subscales, across all 50 employees from six selected restaurants in southern Bohol through complete enumeration. Findings revealed a male-dominated participant pool, with respondents reporting overall job satisfaction, as reflected in high weighted mean scores. Notably, while most PMI-identified pressure sources were not deemed significant stressors, workers consistently cited lack of workplace social support as a primary stress trigger. In coping with stress, respondents predominantly relied on balanced strategies like sharing concerns with colleagues. No statistically significant association was found between perceived work stress and job satisfaction (p = -.18, p = .202). These findings suggest that, in this tourism-intensive food service context, social support is the most critical pressure domain, and that socially oriented coping may play a buffering role consistent with the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping.]]>
