Just under one-third (29%) of small businesses are concerned that the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic is having a negative affect on the wellbeing of their employees, according to research by Worklife.
The research, published September 2020, that surveyed 750 senior financial and HR decision-makers in the UK with 5 – 250 employees, also found that over a one-third (36%) are concerned about the health and safety of their employees during the pandemic.
Additionally, just under one-third (32%) of employees are worried about their mental wellbeing, with a further 42% worrying about losing their jobs. The pandemic has also caused over one-third (39%) to worry about the health of their loved ones and over a quarter (28%) cited concerns about their financial wellbeing.
With most employees having worked from home since March, it’s no surprise to see almost one-third (32%) are concerned about the risk that Coronavirus brings when they eventually return to the workplace.
Further research found that three in ten (30%) of small businesses offer their employees wellbeing support, while one-fourth (25%) plan to introduce this in the next six months.
Rob Marshall, managing director at 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.
“British employees do have a tendency to ‘keep calm and carry on’, but this brings the risk of employees 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.”