The notion of "survivor guilt"
comes from disasters and traumas,
such as plane crashes and violent
attacks, where the
people who
survived feel guilt
and anxiety.
"Survivors" in the
workplace – those
who escape the
The notion of "survivor guilt"
comes from disasters and traumas,
such as plane crashes and violent
attacks, where the
people who
survived feel guilt
and anxiety.
"Survivors" in the
workplace - those
who escape the
redundancy round
- often experience
similar feelings of
fear, insecurity and a sense of
betrayal. These feelings can result in
lower productivity, poorer customer
service and even increased team
conflict and sickness absence. It is
easy to make the mistake of
focusing on the welfare of those
being made redundant and treat the
stayers as the lucky ones who
should be thankful that they have a
job. Yet the future of the
organisation will rely on these
survivors. How can organisations
do right by the ones left behind?
Onsiteplus suggests there are
some simple practical and costeffective
steps that can be put in
place to help including access to onsite
services such as massage, advice
on nutrition/diet and exercise and
signposting to complementary
therapies (yoga, Reiki etc).
