Nearly a third (29%) of small businesses are concerned that the Covid-19 pandemic is impacting the mental wellbeing of their employees, according to new research by WorkLife.
The research, carried out among 750 senior financial and HR decision makers, also showed that a third (32%) of firms said employees were worried about their own mental wellbeing. Over two fifths (42%) said employees fear losing their jobs, while 39% said they worry about the health of their loved ones and 38% of firms said employees were concerned about their personal finances.
Meanwhile, nearly a third (32%) of firms said workers were concerned about the risk of contracting Covid-19 in the workplace, while 36% of firms admitted that keeping their staff safe from the virus was their greatest concern.
Rob Marshall, managing director, WorkLife, said: “Sadly there is no quick fix to end the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. While many people are getting back to work, they are worrying about their commute, safety in the workplace and whether they will still have a job by the end of the year.
“Brits do have a tendency to ‘keep calm and carry on’, but this brings the risk of workers ignoring the stresses and worries that could build up to damage their mental health. Because work is the thing that the majority of adults spend most of their waking hours doing, employers are in a unique position to help their employees with any concerns around their mental health.”
WorkLife’s research found that three out of 10 (30%) SMEs currently offer their employees support, while a quarter (25%) want to introduce some form of help in the next six months.
