Survey shows 66% of employees fear for their jobs due to COVID-19

Sixty-six per cent of Irish employees are worried about the future impact of Covid-19 on their job, according to a survey by Jobs.ie

The survey also showed that over 70% of employees impacted by Covid-19 are not confident that the changes to their job will be ever be reversed

The survey conducted among employees across 40 different industries, found that Covid-19 has already impacted over 80% of people’s jobs.

Of those whose jobs have been impacted, 45% have been let go on a temporary basis with a further 16% saying that they have been let go permanently. Others have experienced reduced working hours, pay reductions, company closures, redundancies or have moved to a working from home environment.

According to the survey, Covid-19 has affected people’s jobs at all experience levels, including 82% of those who are in their current role for less than a year, 86% of those who have been in their role between one and three years, and 80% of those who have been working in their current job for more than three years.

Future Sentiment

Over 70% of employees who have been impacted by Covid-19, said they are not confident that the changes to their job will be reversed by their employer in the future.

Of those, 33% say they have no confidence in the changes being reversed and a further 38% saying they do not know if they will be.

Christopher Paye, General Manager at Jobs.ie says: “As we move towards phase two of the Government’s Covid-19 roadmap to reopening the economy, we are seeing more and more businesses opening their doors once again.

“However, as a result of the various operational implications arising from social distancing practises in the workplace and the obvious financial losses suffered by many businesses to date, there remains high levels of uncertainty amongst employees as to if and when they might be able to return to work on a permanent basis. It is particularly telling that amongst those who have been professionally impacted by Covid-19, over 70% are not confident that the changes to their jobs will ever be reversed.

“This potentially suggests a breakdown in communications between employers and employees. It is important that employers maintain open channels of communication with their employees, providing them with regularised updates on what each phase will mean for the business. In the current circumstances, clear communication and consistent contact by employers is vital to allay uncertainty and anxiety.

“While the pathway to reopening workplaces is far from straight forward, it is crucial that businesses continue to follow Government guidelines and take all of the relevant measures to create environments that will facilitate a safe return to work.”

Industry Breakdown

The research reveals those working in hotels (11%), retail (9%) and travel and tourism (6%) have been most affected by Covid-19.

Those within the hotel industry have been most affected by temporary job losses, with 66% of employees in this sector experiencing some level of change. A further 16% in the hotel industry say they were let go permanently.

Amongst those within the tourism and travel sector, 47% of those who have been impacted by Covid-19 say they have been let go on a temporary basis. A further 33% say they were let go permanently.

For those who have impacted in the retail sector, 41% say that they have been let go temporarily, with 15% saying they have lost their job permanently.