Covid-19 has a huge financial strain on our workforce and many organizations have faced difficult decisions regarding staffing. Even with all the support from the Government, such as the job retention scheme, some industries can have had to cease operations altogether and others have been unable to retain staff because of major financial issues.

Whether it happens all of a sudden or is expected, redundancy can leave you with a fair amount of uncertainty, anxiety, and stress. It’s something that could leave your mental health feeling strained, have a look below at some of the ways you can look after your mental health if you are faced with redundancy. 

Understand Your Rights 

It’s important to know your rights when made redundant. If you are chosen for redundancy it has to be for fair reasons, it can’t be based on gender, age, disability, or your mental health status, if this is something you have spoken about with your employer. If you’re classed as an employee and have more than 2 years of service you have many rights regarding redundancy so make sure you are aware of them and understand them. 

Take Note Of How You Are Feeling 

Losing a job can be a huge a huge adjustment, therefore it is completely normal to experience a plethora of different emotions. We may feel anger, resentment, shock, relief, and much more all in a short time frame. 

Make sure you allow yourself some time to express these feelings. Talk to others about how you are feeling. Being made redundant during Covid-19 is certainly nothing to be ashamed about, you are not to blame for this event. Your job may have been a big part of your life, and although you may feel as though you need to jump straight in to look for another job, there is plenty of time to start using tools like Employeradvantage.com, so, give yourself a few weeks to emotionally deal with the change too. 

Take Control Of Your Money 

If you are made redundant, then one of the first practical things you can do for your peace of mind and future is to take control of your money. Money can have a huge impact on your mental health, especially when you feel like you are in for a rough time. Worrying about money can also leave us not managing as well as we can. 

Creating a budget is a brilliant first step to take. Have a look at all your regular outgoings, and see if you are able to take any payment holidays until you are back at work. If you have savings think about paying yourself each month to get by. You can also have a look at any help that is available from the Government.

These are just three of the practical ways that you can look after yourself and your mental health if you are made redundant through the Covid-19 pandemic. Have you being made redundant or lost hours at work? What have you done to make sure your mental health is well looked after?