Cracks are showing

When budgets are paired down, and expectations rise, as they do in the housing sector, it is no surprise that injuries and incidences of work-related stress soar.

Work-related injuries among housing officers have more than doubled in the past six years while half of respondents to a recent survey by Inside Housing and The Resourcing Group (7 May) said their stress levels were ‘extremely’ or ‘quite’ high.

The unreasonable drive for Utopia without the necessary resources can only mean that cracks will appear in this strategy. All too tragically, the cracks appear in the well-being of staff, who soak up the pressures as each housing organisation endeavours to bring tenants the best service.

Funding is at the core of improving staff well-being. Continual restructuring due to Supporting People funding cuts, the recession, the drive to improve star ratings with each inspection and the increased demand from tenants’ services, means staff are coping with enormous pressures, alongside continuous uncertainties over their job security.

The resultant stress is enormous, and a recent Unite survey of our housing members showed that more than 90 per cent said that they experienced some form of workplace stress, which had a devastating impact on morale, family life and personal health. Members have also reported an increase in work-related injuries.

It is time that work-related stress is seen equally as another workplace hazard that the employer must address. Unite recently launched its year-long campaign to beat workplace stress and ensure that employers fully understand the unsustainable pressures being placed on their workforces. If each demand or initiative was risk assessed, and this became part of housing sector culture, not only would the welfare of staff improve, but tenants would be better served.

Rachael Maskell is national officer for the not-for-profit sector at Unite