- The main reason why a company dispenses with the services of a person is to take care of its finances.
- Within the healthcare field it is also common for workers to resign due to the working conditions they face.
- Feelings such as worry or anguish can invade collaborators, in addition to the fact that if there is no reordering of work, the overload of work and stress make a ‘perfect cocktail’ for Burnout Syndrome.
Over the past few weeks it has been reported that some of the world’s largest technology companies have made massive layoffs. Everyone from Meta to Twitter to Amazon have pared back their workforces. The natural consequence is that thousands of people have lost their jobs. But beyond thinking about those who leave, one must consider the Psychological effect on the mental health of the collaborators who remain.
If these types of challenges affect the most powerful companies, it is natural that small and medium-sized ones go through the same problem. The main reason why an organization reduces its number of collaborators is due to financial situations.
“2022 has not been easy. It is a particular year as we come from two years of pandemic and one more of economic crises. Some companies have had to adjust payrolls and operations. But what comes after a wave of layoffs? How do the employees who stay feel? It is essential that companies seek to minimize psychosocial risks in such a complex scenario”, explains Abel Navajas, Manager of Affor Health.
Current outlook prevailing around the world
On the other hand, it should also be considered that companies often lose items due to other factors. Especially within the healthcare field, it is common for workers to resign due to high levels of stress and fatigue. When that happens, a complex scenario is generated in those who stay and you, as the leading doctor, must focus on providing security.
According to the figures in the report Stress in the Workplace by Citation UK, around 36% of the global workforce has left jobs due to the stress accumulated in complex times. At the same time, 27% of workers consider that showing signs of stress at work negatively affects their professional image and, therefore, can have counterproductive implications in the development of their career in the long term.
Having said all of the above, in difficult times like the current ones, there are different strategies that can be executed to take care of the mental health of the collaborators who remain.
situational awareness
The specialist points out that it is important for companies to recognize that even a layoff can impact the morale and productivity of employees, particularly when there is no work management plan. This can lead to certain collaborators or entire areas having to fulfill the tasks of former workers. This at the end of the day takes overwork, stress and frustrationwhich can be combined with feelings of fear or anguish when there is no clear communication from the company.
Given this, recognition of the situation and communication are key to avoiding rumors and misinformation, while managing future work and maintaining the good spirit of the employees who remain. Here the joint work of leaders and Human Resources areas will be essential to define information campaigns, meetings and coordination of activities.
Strategic support
According to a study conducted by the London School of Economics and the London Department of Healtha strategic investment in the mental health of workers in a company (including therapeutic support and follow-up, as well as workshops and seminars on psycho-emotional tools), can have a return close to 860% in less than 10 years.
In this vein, it is necessary for a company to be able to monitor the state of mind of its employees after a traumatic or stressful event, such as a wave of layoffs. The ideal is to rely on digital tools and permanent measurements that allow the company to detect risks and prevent them.
Medium term planning
Ultimately, perhaps what matters most in a situation like this is to let the workers know that the change was in a short term and that, precisely, it occurred to project longer time horizons. In this way, it is worth doing a medium-term planning (and making it as public and transparent as possible), to let the collaborators who stayed know that they are being contemplated for the future of the organization.
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