Helpful Information for Flybe Employees

It has been announced that Flybe has collapsed leaving more than 2,300 staff losing their job and facing an uncertain future.

At 3 am on Thursday 5th March 2020, the company made their official announcement stating:“Europe’s largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. This has been compounded by the outbreak of the coronavirus which in the last few days has resulted in a significant impact on demand” (Mark Anderson, Chief Executive).

A government spokesperson has stated, “We know this will be a worrying time for Flybe staff and Jobcentre Plus Rapid Response Service stands ready to help them find a new job as soon as possible.”

Understandably staff are shocked and upset with many employees having worked for the airline for over a decade.  News reports state that pilots and aircrew were kept completely in the dark and only learnt of the news as it broke to the public. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said everyone was ‘gutted’ about the news but added: ‘We really tried to do everything we could back at the turn of the year.  Unfortunately, with the situation that has developed with (coronavirus), an already weak company, I’m afraid, just hasn’t been able to survive.’

Are you a FlyBe Employee?

If you are a FlyBe employee we understand that you’ll be feeling unsettled following the news of FlyBe’s collapse.  We understand that it’s likely your job is much more than just a way to make money to live – it can form a major part of your life. A job can give you purpose, routine and social interaction. You’ll have formed friendships with colleagues and a job can give you a sense of security both financially and with regards to your wellbeing.

It is natural that losing your job unexpectedly can be difficult to deal with, and leave you with lots of unanswered questions whilst the dust settles.  Grief is a natural response to a loss of any kind and combining this whilst being forced to make unexpected changes to your life can result in feelings of anger, depression and anxiety.

Practical Advice

At Altum HR we support employees through redundancy and job loss all the time and so we want to share with you some of our top tips to help you stay positive during this difficult time as a FlyBe employee.

It is important to remember that losing your job is a temporary setback. Give yourself time to adjust to your new situation. Be aware of how you are feeling and how much time has passed. However – dwelling on something that is out of your control can easily turn into something further. You are not to blame for an unexpected job loss and whilst you will feel disappointed or upset about how a situation was handled or the unfairness of the situation, allowing this to linger too long will not be beneficial to you in moving forward.

Acknowledge your feelings and don’t be afraid to ask for help and support from your friends and family if you need it.  Feeling of anger, depression and anxiety can impact on your ability to get back to work so try to adopt a positive mindset to help you deal with your emotions and move forward. (For physical support check out the support links at the end of this post)

Be proactive – If you were expecting to be at work and your role finishes immediately you may have some time on your hands.  Use this wisely by updating your CV and covering letter, make sure you CPD file is up to date and start looking for suitable roles.

Take care of yourself – It can be easy when going through difficult times to forget to look after yourself properly. This could manifest in excess drinking, eating the wrong foods, or not eating at all.  By taking care of yourself physically and mentally by maintaining a healthy diet and remaining active, your wellbeing will have a big impact on your mindset and your ability to find a new role quicker.

For more information check out the Gov.uk article: Information for employees and passengers of Flybe in administration. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/flybe-information-for-employees-passengers-and-suppliers

Signposts for Support

Please do not be afraid to seek support if you are finding it difficult to cope. We’ve pulled together a list of useful links that we feel would be beneficial to anyone experiencing job loss.

Stress and Crisis Support

Anxiety UK – 08444 775 774 (INFO LINE 09:30 am – 5.30 am Mon-Fri)

Text support – 07537 416 905

Email – support@anxietyuk.org.uk

Website – www.anxietyuk.org.uk

Anxiety UK is a national charity run by people with lived experience of anxiety, aiming to support everyone affected by anxiety through information and support. This includes talking therapies and self-help groups.

Big White Wall

www.bigwhitewall.com

A safe online community of people who are anxious, down, or not coping who support and help each other by sharing what’s troubling them, guided by trained professionals. Also available as an app.

Samaritans – 116 123 (Freephone 24 hours a day)

Email: jo@samaritans.org

Website: www.samaritans.org

Provide emotional support for people 24 hours a day 365 days a year, They allow people to talk about their feeling of distress and despair and are confidential and offer non-judgemental support

Financial Support

Money Advice Service – 0800 138 7777 Freephone 9 am – 8 pm Mon – Fri, 09:30 am – 1 pm Sat)

Website www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

A free independent service set up by the government that provides information on all money related matters via a helpline, online information and free web chat.

National Debt line – 0808 808 4000 (Freephone 9 am – 8 pm Mon-Fri, 09:30 am – 1 pm Sat)

Website www.nationaldebtline.org

The national debt line is an independent charity which provides free, confidential specialist advice on managing financial debt via a helpline, online information and free web chats.

Step Change – 0800 138 1111 (Freephone helpline)

Website – www.stepchange.org

Charity step-change provides free advice on problem debt and debt management

Citizens Advice – 03444 11 444

Website www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Citizen’s Advice provides free, independent information and advice for people on money, legal, consumer, housing and other problems. Its website is searchable for local citizens advice bureaus and also has a dedicated webchat service.

Employment Advice

ACAS – 0300 123 1100

Website – www.acas.org.uk

ACAS provides free and impartial information and advice to employers and employees on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law. Supports good relationships between employers and employees, but also provides conciliation services to resolve workplace problems.

Gov.uk

www.gov.uk

The first point of contact for information on all government services, including money, tax, benefits, disability, employment and carers rights.

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