Employee confidence in U.K. business conditions has fallen to its lowest level on record on the back of Brexit and rising fears around the coronavirus, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner’s latest Global Talent Monitor report claims that the U.K. business confidence fell to an index score of 44.5 in 4Q19, a decrease of over 11 index points from 4Q18. The figure puts the U.K. more than 6 index points below the current global average.

“Employers in the U.K. are facing several challenges as they look to restore the confidence and trust of their employees,” said Brian Kropp, chief of research for the Gartner HR practice. “On top of ongoing concerns around the results of Brexit trade negotiations, employees are now also worrying about the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Given all that is occurring, businesses could face a confidence crisis if they fail to address these issues in the workplace.”

Despite employees feeling less confident in near-term business conditions and long-term economic prospects, 45 percent of employees reported a high intent to stay at their organisation in 4Q19, up from 42 percent in 3Q19. Active job-seeking behaviour fell to 14.6 percent, well below the global average of 20.8 percent.