ABSTRACT
According to Labour Market Statistics, between the 2nd quarter of 2008 (the start of economic recession) and the 4th quarter of 2011, 2.68 million workers were laid off or made redundant in the UK (see CIPD, 2012). Whilst the implications of downsizing are explicitly apparent for the newly unemployed, there are also underlying consequences for those who remain in post (Armstrong-Stassen, 1994); ‘downsize survivors’. Downsize survivors can experience a heightened sense of job threat, increased workload, and an overall increase in stress and anxiety (e.g., Armstrong-Stassen, 1994; Wiesenfeld et al., 2001). With British businesses losing £26 billion per year as a result of work-related stress (CIPD/MIND, 2011), maintaining employee well-being is of paramount importance. Failing to effectively manage the negative effects of downsizing may incur more cost and render the downsizing process counterproductive. Through the implementation of effective strategies to improve employee mental health UK businesses could save up to £8 billion per year (CIPD/MIND, 2011).
