Nearly two thirds – 64 per cent – of furloughed workers received non-financial support from their employer, according to research from Canada Life.
As the government’s job retention scheme ends today, research has revealed that more than half – 58 per cent – of furloughed workers also received support in the form of regular communication while 34 per cent received virtual check-ins and 33 per cent enjoyed improved employee benefits. Another 26 per cent were given new employee benefits while 25 per cent were offered training.
Furloughed workers also accessed holistic support services such as mental health and virtual wellbeing support, according to data from Canada Life’s WeCare support service. The data shows that 55 per cent of requests through the service from March to July this year were for GP consultations, 20 per cent for get fit programmes, 9 per cent for diet support and 6 per cent for mental health support.
But 36 per cent admitted to not receiving any non-financial support from their employer while furloughed. This lack of support has impacted the self-confidence of 51 per cent of workers while another 40 per cent are dreading going to work after being furloughed.
Canada Life protection sales director Dan Crook says: “The events of the last 18 months have put strain on people’s mental, physical and financial health, and these stresses may be heightened as the furlough scheme comes to an end. However, it’s great to see that employers have adopted WeCare and have an approach that puts the needs of their employees first.
“While the furlough scheme may be winding up, it’s likely that the hangover will be felt for some time to come. As such, as an industry we must work with employers to highlight the importance of holistic support services and raise awareness of them among their staff to ensure they become embedded as a natural first port of call and not just an option of last resort.”