65 per cent of employees have or will donate to relief efforts
In the aftermath of the earthquake that destroyed the island nation of Haiti, American workers are digging deep, despite the current economic climate, to support relief efforts, according to a survey.
While making donations is providing some emotional comfort, many workers are experiencing psychological stress in response to the suffering and are seeking ways to cope, found the survey commissioned by employee assistance program provider Workplace Options.
While only five per cent of workers had friends or relatives in Haiti during the earthquake, 78 per cent feel personally affected by the emotional stress of the news, found the survey of 504 workers in the United States.
"When a natural disaster like this hits a nation, the psychological reverberations can be felt on all corners of the earth," said Dean Debnam, CEO of Workplace Options.
"The reactionary emotional stress it causes is most often first felt at home, and then crosses into the workplace, where colleagues communicate and commiserate about the news. One way employers are providing support for their workers is by offering counselling and other employee assistance plan mental health services to ease their distress."
The poll also revealed that 65 per cent of workers have either already contributed or are considering contributing donations to the relief efforts. When asked if the individual's employer had committed to donating money to the relief efforts, 70 per cent of respondents said their employer had not.
"Another way companies can support the emotional needs of their workers is to consider offering humanitarian organizations corporate charitable gifts and matching employee donations," added Debnam.
Results from the poll show that more than one-third of workers would be more encouraged to give if their company was willing to match the donation, and 38 per cent said they felt it was important for their companies to support and match their charitable giving.
