The union has run a comprehensive survey of Tusla members working in frontline services. The survey asked members to share their experiences of violence, harassment and aggression in the workplace. 

Fórsa assistant general secretary Tony Martin said: “We know the incidents of aggression faced by members have been increasing for some time now. We decided to conduct this survey to get real insights and baseline data to inform how we approach the problem of abusive and threatening behaviour in the workplace.” 

“The aim here is to inform the union’s engagement with Tusla on policies that will strengthen safety and wellbeing in the workplace.” 

“The survey is now closed, and I would like to thank members for taking the time to share their experiences. The responses will be analysed, and the findings will be presented to the health and welfare divisional executive committee (DEC) in the first instance, to allow us to discuss next steps.” 

The initial findings are stark. 73% of respondents personally witnessed abusive or threatening behaviours toward a colleague, with 82% of these incidents coming from a service user and/or family members of a service user. 

67% of respondents personally experienced abusive or threatening behaviours, with 83% of these coming from a service user and/or family members of a service user. 

Critically, more than half of respondents felt the employer was not responsive enough, which clearly indicates the need for action. 

Tony concluded saying: “This is a very serious issue, and we will use the survey results to develop a comprehensive industrial strategy to tackle the increasing level of violence and aggression reported by members. Every worker deserves to feel safe at work. The employer has a duty of care to workers, and we intend to make sure that duty is fulfilled.” 

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