Four out of 10 employers would consider terminating a member of staff's contract if they discovered they were homeless, a shock report has found.
The study spoke to 250 major firms across the UK as well as interviewing those with first-hand experience of balancing a job with no permanent address.
The survey - commissioned by national homelessness charity Crisis - comes as every local authority in Scotland expects to see a rise in homelessness in the post-pandemic period.
Crisis warned that some eight per cent of Scots had experienced homelessness but the figure could rise due to Universal Credit changes and the end of the furlough scheme.
Participants in the survey described how they were frequently left anxious and exhausted when at work due to the mental toll of trying to find somewhere to sleep night after night - with many forced to bed down in vehicles, on floors or in tents.
While there were instances of companies providing support to their employers - either via time off, or loans to find a home - several participants reported being let go when their situation came to light with little to no reasoning.
The survey found over half (56%) of employers stated homelessness would likely have a detrimental effect on a current employee’s job, while a further 58% disclosed how being homeless would likely have a negative impact on a prospective employee’s application.
The report comes as Crisis prepares to open its Christmas services across Britain for the 50th year.
Jon Sparkes, chief executive at Crisis, said: “It should shame us all that this Christmas tens of thousands of people across Britain – many of whom kept us safe during the pandemic by delivering our packages, stocking our food shelves and teaching our children - are being forced to hunker down in vans or sleep in freezing tents because they cannot afford a roof over their head.
“For too long now, insecure poorly paid jobs combined with spiralling housing costs have been putting untold pressure on people across the UK.
"We need to ensure that work can provide a reliable route out of poverty, otherwise this will continue to be an inhuman and devastating reality for many."
He added: “It is crucial that everyone plays their part in tackling homelessness, and this includes businesses and employers providing the right support to staff when they fall on hard times.
"We also need governments across the UK to get to grips with the root causes that are pushing people to the brink – starting by unfreezing housing benefit so that people can afford to pay their rent and building the social homes we desperately need, so that people on low incomes can have a home of their own."
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