Employees are concerned about their jobs as the reality that the economic crisis is hitting Bermuda begins to sink in, according to the Employee Assistance programme (EAP).

Martha Pitman, executive director of the EAP, said a number of workers and employers who were suffering emotionally from the effects of the global financial turmoil had come to her organisation to seek help.

Ms Pitman said that some people had not yet fully felt the impact of the worldwide meltdown, however, she predicted that its effects will kick in further down the line in the coming months.

"I still feel it is early days," she said. "I think there is going to be a lot going on over the next few months.

"As a result, people are generally concerned in some companies more than others and they cannot be totally complacent about their jobs."

As recently as last week, The Royal Gazette reported that Butterfield Fulcrum Group axed some 30 staff from its Bermuda office, following insurer XL Capital Ltd.'s decision last August to reduce its workforce on the Island by 47. Accountancy firm Ernst & Young's cut jobs last month, Fairmont trimmed around 35 from its staff, and investment company Fidelity International Ltd. cut its local workforce by 11 percent, or eight employees, in November.

On top of this, only last month telecommunications company Digicel said it had offered its staff voluntary separation packages, anticipating the move would result in its workforce being cut by around 10 percent. Ms Pitman said there was a lot of uncertainty, instability and insecurity, which was having a different effect between employees from those whose businesses were making or planning redundancies to others who consider their company to be immune from the downturn in the world's economy.

"For the people that are actually seeing their companies be downsized it is pretty devastating," she said.

"However, some people are still planning their next vacation and do not appear to be concerned about what is happening.

"But I think we are starting to see that this is going to affect Bermuda and the reality is starting to sink in."

She said the news of job cuts and lay-offs was finally hitting home with some people, ranging from the knock-on effect from the US to across the board on a global scale.

"I think people who are paying attention to what is going on in the news are going to have some concerns and in a small community like Bermuda it is going to have a knock-on effect," she said.

And her advice to worried employees and bosses alike is not to fear for the worst, but to take care of yourself and make sure you maintain a healthy work/life balance.

"Make sure you are getting out and doing things that typically work for you to deal with the stress and do not spend 10 hours a day in front of the TV listening to the news," she said.

"They should do everything they can, so that even if they are working in a job where there may be redundancies, they make sure they are a valued employee.

"But sometimes these redundancies are hitting everybody, regardless of how well they perform."

See Body & Soul, page 15