Workers’ wellbeing takes a hit as colleagues are furloughed

People success platform Glint, which is part of LinkedIn, has surveyed a total of seven million workers over the period of the pandemic - to find out how COVID-19 has impacted their wellbeing.

Half of the seven million workers said that furloughs and layoffs have impacted their workload, while 47 percent said it has impacted their sense of belonging or community at work.

The furlough scheme is due to come to an end on October 31 2020. However, there have been calls to extend the scheme or introduce something similar, as COVID-19 cases increase and further restrictions are put in place.

The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has called for the government to "stop and rethink" the furlough scheme.

Speaking on a webinar hosted by the British Chambers of Commerce yesterday (September 22), Bailey suggested specific sectors may benefit from further help.

He said the furlough scheme "has been successful" and that he supported the chancellor’s decisions, not wanting to "tie his hands”.

Bailey’s comments echo the opinion of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who has called on the government not to remove all support in one go.