After surveying 1,500 small and medium business staff nationwide, the HR and people management platform - Employment Hero - found that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a worrying lack of support for employees.  More than 31 per cent of respondents said they had not received adequate support from their employers since the onset of COVID-19.

Particularly in smaller organisations, the HR function has been under increasing pressure by the problems triggered by the pandemic.  The replies from those surveyed have indicated that 51.2 per cent of small business employees have little or no contact from their employers with regards to mental health issues and home-based health and safety.

A further 46.5 per cent of staff from British small and medium size enterprises did not receive any support on motivation and 55 per cent stated that they did not receive any financial guidance.

Of the furloughed staff surveyed, 50 per cent said they had not had any type of support from their HR teams during the pandemic and 43 per cent of furloughed staff also stated that they were pessimistic about receiving adequate support from HR in the future.

Of the employees who expressed doubts about getting the adequate support in the future, almost a third - 30 per cent - revealed that they did not expect their HR team to be equipped for their future personal requirements. HR resources are seen to be under pressure due to the pandemic and they have a stretched remit for employee care.

COVID-19 was also found to have changed the expectations of staff - with a greater number of them desiring remote and flexible working. Earlier in the year, Employment Hero conducted a Remote Work Survey and found that 92 per cent of employees would continue to work from home regularly if given the opportunity. 

However, a survey conducted by Mind, the mental health charity, found that more than half of adults, 60 per cent, and 68 per cent of young people said that their mental health got worse during lockdown - due to isolation which impacted on their work motivation.

Ben Thompson - CEO and co-founder of Employment Hero - said:

“This year has presented unique challenges for many SMEs. However, employers still have a duty of care to staff. The wellbeing of British workers can’t be overlooked by businesses in this difficult environment of job security concerns and isolation. As well as a need to prioritise employees’ mental health, 2020 has illuminated the need for a remote-first work future. The right cloud technology can empower small businesses to future-proof their HR processes and provide better support to their home working staff. This can transform the entire employee experience for your team, the biggest stakeholders in your company.”