April 23, 2009

USA Today

Those Doing the Layoffs Can Feel Lingering Stress

About 3 million Americans have been laid off since the recession began 16 months ago, the government says. In every instance, someone decided the worker had to go, and someone delivered the bad news.

Executives who carry out layoffs often suffer from stress, poor sleep and even health problems. Since the economy took a plunge, more than half of managers involved in layoffs have reported stress-linked symptoms such as disturbed sleep, says Richard Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of Chicago-based ComPsych, which runs the nation’s largest employee-assistance mental health program.