The CIPD is urging employers to do more to support workers anxious about the UK’s decision to leave the EU, and not to cut back on training and development at this time, after a survey underlined high levels of pessimism about the future.
Public sector workers, voluntary sector workers and young workers are feeling particularly pessimistic about the future as a result of the UK’s vote to leave the EU, according to the survey by the CIPD of more than 1,000 working adults.
The survey asked workers questions including how they felt about the future post-Brexit. Some 44% overall said they felt pessimistic, with pessimism particularly high among those working in the public sector (61%), voluntary sector (58%) and those aged 25-34 (63%).
Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, said: “This survey shows that Brexit has proven to be a seismic event in people’s working lives.”
He urged employers to “do more to engage with their workforce about the likely effects of Brexit on their organisation”, saying that “the survey exposes clear signs of worry among the UK workforce and, if left unchecked, could lead to associated issues such as stress and anxiety.
“It’s vital employers do not allow the uncertainty around Brexit to cause them to cut back on training and development, for the benefit of their staff as well as the resilience of their organisation as a whole in the months of uncertainty ahead.”
More than one in five (22%) employees said they felt less secure in their job as a result of the UK’s vote to leave the EU, compared with just 3% who felt more secure. One in five (21%) said that they felt they now need to learn more skills after the UK’s decision to leave the EU.