Employees are feeling the pressure

Employees are feeling the pressure

Fear of unemployment is causing overwork, presenteeism and going into workplaces with cold and flu symptoms.

A Canada Life survey this month has claimed around half of WFH employees feel under more pressure to be ‘always on’. 35% said they had kept on working through illness. The research highlighted how 26% of employees had worked through illness because of high workloads, 16% because of worries over redundancy. Another study of 2,000 employees by Thermalcheck has suggested that one in 14 employees would go into work, no matter now severe their cold or flu-like symptoms were.

The US jobs market has provided evidence of trends likely to be imitated internationally: low turnover as employees stick to their jobs whether they are genuinely committed and engaged or not. US Bureau of Labor Statistics data for March and April 2020 showed a dramatic fall in ‘hopping’ between jobs. 

“As the physical and mental wellbeing of UK employees is stretched to the limit, productivity could be significantly hit,” said Paul Avis, group insurance marketing director at Canada Life. “But with so many people frightened they might lose their jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s no surprise they’re working through sickness and worried about the implications of taking time off.”

Eugene Farrell, EAPA chair, said: “The current jobs market has the potential to make people feel ‘trapped’ in their role – even if they’d previously felt entirely happy with their job. There’s an increased risk of burnout, as well as feelings of disengagement that could turn into a longer-term decline in productivity and alienation.

“Everyone’s feeling the pressure of uncertainty; and for many that means more work, more change and more responsibilities. It all adds to the burden of stress. What’s most important is for HR to ensure employees feel part of a community: challenges are being shared, wellbeing is high on the agenda and the best kinds of support are available. That way, employee energies can be channelled into the recovery period, introducing changes and moving forward together.”