Coronavirus hits international community hard;
jobs and income under threat
BusinessSociety
February 19, 2021
Almost a
quarter of international workers questioned for a new poll say they had
considered leaving the Netherlands because of coronavirus, but three in five
say they are not aware of anyone who had done so. The survey was carried out by
the International Community Advisory Platform towards the end of last year, to
try to establish how coronavirus is affecting the international community. In
total, 2,350 people from 104 different countries took part. Although a majority
were unaware of anyone who had left, the impact of the virus on international
workers has been significant. Some 65% of respondents are worried about the
impact of coronavirus on their household income. Three in 10 say their job
could be under threat and 9% have already lost work. Several major employers of
international workers in the Netherlands have already said they are cutting
their workforce. Booking.com, for example, is shedding hundreds of jobs in
Amsterdam, and Uber said last June it is reducing the size of its Dutch HQ
workforce. Shell too said earlier this year it is cutting 900 jobs in the
Netherlands. Heineken reconfirmed last week it would cut 300 jobs in Amsterdam.
The big Dutch banks have also been reducing the size of their operational
teams. Mental health The uncertainty is also taking a toll on international
workers’ mental health, with three quarters saying coronavirus is having an
impact on them personally. And being in the Netherlands during the pandemic has
been particularly problematic for people who moved here relatively recently and
who have no social network. ‘Coronavirus has drastically slowed down our
integration into Dutch society as it is more difficult to socialize, practice
Dutch and build up our network outside the expat community,’ said one
international worker in The Hague. The impact on the mental health of
respondents is something to keep an eye on, in particular the 15% who are
unsure where to turn for help, said ICAP board member Deborah Valentine. ‘Just
2% of people reported having help from their employers, and this is something
which HR departments could take on board.’ Missing family Missing friends and
family in other countries has also been a major issue, given the disruption to
international travel since the start of the pandemic. And over a quarter say
they are very worried about friends and family back home. ‘For a whole year my
kids have not seen their grandparents. It is heartbreaking that they find it
normal to kiss a phone when they talk to family. If we are at a park they run
up to old people to say hi to them,’ one respondent in Amsterdam said.
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