Human resources executives are telling me employees are showing more signs of stress. For example:
- More loans out of 401K plans
- More referrals to Employee Assistance Programs
- More requests to employer-sponsored charity funds
- More requests to add a spouse to health insurance (spouse has lost job)
- More employee relations issues and complaints addressed to corporate offices
- More employees deciding to not watch the news based on “doom and gloom” messaging
What else are you seeing?
We have to remember that employees are just people. And in tough times, people can become very stressed. Like you said, there is a lot of doom and gloom in the news. So seeing the other “mores” you have listed is actually a positive sign. Lots of people acting responsibly and utilizing the resources that are available to them to deal with their personal situation.