Originally posted on 31 January 2023 | By John Hackston
To keep things going, they may need to put in more effort or carry out additional tasks, despite worries that their job might be next. And all of this may be made worse by survivor guilt.
When people survive traumatic events, they often feel guilty that they are still alive when others are not, or they may dwell obsessively and guiltily on things they could have done (but didn’t) to help save others.
Similarly, though less intense, guilt is seen in the workplace when employees are laid off. The people left behind feel guilty that they still have a job when others have lost theirs; they may believe themselves to be less worthy or less skilled than the people who have left, adding to the guilt they feel. This is one reason why employees who survive a downsizing seldom perform as well as organisations expect them to.
Read the full article in HR Magazine.