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Nearly two-thirds of housing association workers unhappy with pay, survey reveals
Nearly two-thirds of housing association workers believe they are not being properly rewarded for their work, a survey from one of the sector’s largest unions has revealed.
The survey by Unite the Union found that 62% of the 320 housing association employees surveyed did not believe their pay had kept pace with the cost of living in England and Wales.
Just over three-quarters of respondents said they had experienced work-related stress in the past year, while nearly half felt their workplace was not good for their mental health.
Siobhan Endean, national officer at Unite, said that the findings were “profoundly disturbing” and it was clear that workplace stress was at “epidemic levels” in the housing association workforce.
The report also found that 40% of respondents said they did not work for a well-managed organisation, while 42% said they did not feel valued at work.
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The survey comes just a week after Inside Housing published its annual assaults survey, in which 49% of respondents said that they felt less safe at work than they did a year ago.
Unite said it would use its findings to put pressure on housing associations to improve workers’ pay and ensure that its reps have the tools to tackle stress and mental health problems in the workplace.
Ms Endean said: “Workers report that workloads are increasing while pay is falling in real terms. Unite will not allow members’ financial wellbeing to continue to be eroded.
“The survey’s findings are profoundly disturbing. It is clear workplace stress is at epidemic levels in housing associations and the working environment is damaging the mental well-being of staff.
“It is imperative that senior management in housing associations take a long, hard look at their organisations and make dramatic changes to alleviate stress and mental health problems.”
