Mental health | Furlough and layoffs 'bruising' wellbeing

Throughout the pandemic, businesses announcing layoffs and employees being placed on the UK Government’s furlough scheme has consistently filled news headlines, which has led to a rise in unhappiness, stress and anxiety among workers.

With staff growing more and more concerned over the future of their jobs and whether they will have a role to return to once the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) comes to an end later this month, it’s no surprise to hear that employees’ mental health has been impacted.

In fact, new research from LinkedIn’s Glint has discovered that the actions of employers is having a marked effect on staff more than lockdown or remote working. In a snapshot study taken from a dataset of over seven million employee surveys from Glint’s customer base, 56% reported feeling less happy at work after seeing co-workers furloughed or laid off. 

In addition, 50% claimed that furloughs and layoffs had impacted their workload, while 47% said that furloughs and layoffs had impacted their sense of belonging or community at work. Employer action is also being felt across the board, as 49% of respondents stated that they have a co-worker who has been furloughed or laid off.