No let-up in the Covid-19 effect on employee wellbeing

Written by William R on 19th August 2020. Posted in News, thriving at work

No let-up in the Covid-19 effect on employee wellbeing

Almost 60% of UK employees believe their wellbeing was negatively affected over the past month.

That’s according to a survey of 6,273 staff by benefits firm Perkbox which pointed to the impact of planned changes to the furlough scheme and uncertainty over job security and increased levels of stress and anxiety.

46% of the employees involved have highlighted how feelings of isolation and disconnection from their employer haven’t helped. 38% flagged how their general physical wellbeing had been negatively affected. Just 15% said they had seen no negative impact on their wellbeing.

The survey also pointed to growing strains being created by staff needing to cover for colleagues who were furloughed or self-isolating. 19% said they’d needed to work harder. 11% admitted to feeling resentful about the situation.

In response to the findings, Rachel Suff, senior employment relations adviser at the CIPD, has emphasised the need for greater support for people managers: ”More responsibility has been put on line managers… [with] expectations they will be able to support people’s health and wellbeing and manage staff, but this isn’t matched by an investment in training managers.”

“The unprecedented nature of the Covid-19 environment is creating a host of new and complex stresses and strains for workplaces and HR,” says EAPA chair Eugene Farrell. “Existing issues have been amplified, a heap of new anxieties have been added to them.

“Good, regular communications from line managers is imperative – people need to know, as much as possible, where they stand. But managers can’t be expected – and don’t have the expertise – to handle all the individual issues and crises that occur for staff in their private worlds. They need to be able to identify when there’s an issue and guide team members towards the range of professional advice available from an EAP, not as the emergency option, but as an everyday source of people who will listen and help.”