Stressed tertiary education staff struggling with work

People working in universities, polytechnics and wānanga are stressed about their future, according to a new survey by the Tertiary Education Union.

TEU president Sandra Grey says the survey of over 1000 people working in tertiary education shows seven out of ten of them believe their wellbeing is worse than it was ten years ago.

Grey unveiled the statistics at a symposium the union is hosting on innovation and productivity in tertiary education.

Job related stress is growing she says.

In a similar survey in 2013, people working in tertiary education stated the mean level of stress they felt in their job was 6.14 out of 10 - significantly higher than the national average of 5 to 5.5. This year, the mean workplace stress level for people working in tertiary education had risen sharply to 7 out of 10.

Grey says the survey shows that people working in tertiary education are feeling the pressure of constant restructuring and budget cuts.

“The data shows people who work in tertiary education are facing bigger workloads, longer working hours, and larger class sizes. But they are also stressed because they have no influence over the decisions that affect them and their students. No one is listening to them.”

ENDS

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