Fórsa’s Education division has today launched a national survey of over 18,000 members to better understand the extent to which members have experienced assaults and injuries in the workplace, and how they are affected by stress and burnout in their jobs.  

The survey is here.

This will be one of the largest ever national surveys on this subject and will collect valuable data allowing the union to analyse the risks members are exposed to in the workplace. The survey will also collect data on the supports available to members experiencing these problems. 

Head of the union’s education division, Andy Pike, said that the survey will shed light on workplace assaults and injuries, highlighting the challenges members face when seeking support. “All too often, our members struggle when injured at work,” he explained. “To qualify for additional paid leave or other assistance, they must describe any incident as an assault; however, many are reluctant to do so, even where quite serious injuries occur.” 

“We are also concerned about the rise in instances of stress at work and burnout resulting from workload pressures often caused by unrealistic demands made by employers. This often results in sick leave being needed and a deterioration in an individual’s mental health,” he said. Andy expects the survey results to expose the scale of these issues and assess how well education employers are fulfilling their duty of care. 

Chair of the division Noreen O’Mahony emphasised: “We’re encouraging members in every part of the education sector to complete the survey. It will provide us with vital insights that will in turn inform the work we do to improve members’ working lives.” 

The online survey will be open until Friday 28th March 2025. You can access the survey form here.

The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and covers a range of topics. Responses are anonymous, so participants do not need to provide their name. However, only one submission per IP address will be accepted. 

The results of this national survey will be published in advance of the Education Divisional Conference on the 24th April 2025. 

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