Companies adjust as social upheaval takes its toll on workers

After the coronavirus pandemic and the murder of George Floyd had rocked Minneapolis in 2020, executives at US data security company Entrust noticed a spike in the number of workers filing mental health claims, and in the complaints about staff performance.

Employees at Entrust's headquarters — located just half an hour's drive from the epicentre of protests that consumed the nation after the killing — were requesting more leaves of absence, as well. The protests also divided the staff, says Beth Klehr, human resources chief at the group.