27th June 2023
The Hidden Impact of Layoffs: Stress Among Surviving Employees
A recent study reveals that employee stress levels are on the rise, with 76% of workers reporting increased stress related to their jobs. While layoffs may seem like a cost-cutting measure, the surviving employees often bear the brunt of the aftermath. They experience survivor guilt, fear changes in company culture, and mourn the loss of colleagues.
Moreover, the increased workload and fear of taking on additional responsibilities contribute to the heightened stress levels among these employees. The inability to openly discuss mental health at work further exacerbates the problem, potentially leading to burnout and declining business performance.
From the article written by Serena Haththotuwa and published in HR Grapevine:
A recent study revealed that 76% of workers feel stress related to being at work – a 13% increase from last year.
There are many reasons why workers are feeling more stressed than before, but economic pressures and the cost-of-living crisis are often cited as a main cause for concern. For many workers, fear of being made redundant during the current economic climate is a fear. This fear is exacerbated by headlines about mass layoffs across various industries and the likelihood of AI replacing jobs.
Indeed, many workers have found themselves being sacked as companies re-evaluate where their costs are going and aim to streamline their workforce. A large headcount isn’t the only sign of business success anymore, and many workers have found themselves facing the brunt of this.
Beyond those workers who have lost their jobs, what about those workers who have managed to survive all this external pressure? Reports state these workers feel survivor guilt, fears their company’s culture will change because of the shifts, and sadness their friends and colleagues – an important part of the employee experience for workers – have all left the organisation.
But many of these workers have also reported fearing they will need to take on more responsibility amid colleagues departing, indicating that in the wake of increased economic pressure and layoffs, an increased workload could be why staff are more stressed than ever.
UK workers are the most likely to keep quiet
With many companies having made workers redundant, it might be assumed that these surviving employees are the lucky ones. But with less workers, remaining staff may be forced to take on the responsibilities of those who have left, leading to increased potential for burnout, stress and poor mental health.
Simultaneously, research shows that UK employees in particular find it difficult to speak about mental health at work – only one in ten would speak about their mental health to a line manager, 14% said they would discuss it with a colleague and only 5% said they would speak to HR about it. This illustrates that more needs to be done to encourage workers to speak more openly about their mental health to be able to better manage it with the support of their employer.
Unless leftover work is being picked up by AI – which in many organisations this is already happening – remaining employees in a workplace are likely to be feeling the impact of an increased workload. This combined with the fact that workers aren’t likely to express their stress to managers, is a recipe for employee burnout and sick leave.
Read the full article here
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