Professions 'devalued' by years of job
cuts; can't keep or attract workers: study
Canada's nurses, doctors and teachers are the most
committed, overworked, stressed and politically maligned
workers in the country, a landmark federal study of nearly
31,500 working Canadians indicates.
It found that those employed in health, education and other
social services work the hardest and longest, but feel the
least appreciated and believe they are unfairly blamed for
mismanaged systems.
Linda Duxbury, a co-author of the 2001 National Work-Life
Conflict Study, said the health and education professions have
been so badly "devalued" by years of job cuts and poor labour
relations that the country's schools and hospitals can't keep
or attract workers.
"They work long hours and lots of overtime because there
are no resources and the feds and provinces just say there is
no more money," Ms. Duxbury said. "But what they are
forgetting is that education and health care are only as good
as the people in them. This isn't about hospitals and school
boards. This is about doctors, nurses and teachers."
The massive study was conducted by Ms. Duxbury, a business
professor at Carleton University, and Chris Higgins, of the
University of Western Ontario in London. It was commissioned
by Health Canada to examine the conflicting demands of work
and family lives.
The findings are based on responses to a 12-page survey
completed last year by 31,500 workers in 100 major
organizations in the private, public and not-for-profit
sectors.
About 10,700 of those respondents worked in that third
sector at hospitals, schools, universities and other social
and protective services.
Canada is already facing a severe shortage of nurses and
enrolment at teachers' colleges is falling. And that's a
recipe for disaster in both health care and education, which
are desperate to recruit new workers and shore up workforces
hollowed by a decade of downsizing and hiring freezes, says
Ms. Duxbury.
But she argues that nobody should expect young people to
sign up when teachers, nurses and other health care workers
are constantly publicly assailed as too expensive and
inefficient.
The problem is compounded by the age of this workforce,
which tends to be older. Many are opting for early retirement
or "worse, they're retiring on the job and not giving it their
all," says Ms. Duxbury.
And she argues Ontario's recent decision to take over the
Ottawa school board only adds to the stress and uncertainty
dogging these sectors.
"They're in crisis," says Ms. Duxbury. "The health problems
they'll experience, along with the age of the workforce and
the way they've been devalued, will make it very hard even to
attract people into the professions ... And how do you get
people to keep working when their mental and physical health
is deteriorating?"
In the survey, they topped the list for overtime and for
taking work home to finish. Nearly 40 per cent said they work
paid overtime, while 55 per cent said they regularly work
overtime without pay and 55 per cent take work home to
finish.
The survey found they typically spend more than 40 hours a
week at work, 32 hours a month doing extra work at home and
nearly 20 hours in unpaid overtime every month. As in all
sectors, managers are the most overworked and have the biggest
problem juggling the demands of their jobs and their home
lives.
Workers in health care and education also reported the
highest levels of work and family conflict. About 62 per cent
complained of high "role overload" -- that frazzled,
at-wit's-end feeling of too much to do. Health care workers
have the added stress of fitting their lives around shift
work.
More than 35 per cent reported job stress, the highest of
the three sectors surveyed. One in three said their work
interferes with their family responsibilities and half
complain of a "negative spillover" on relationships, time with
children and activities outside work.
Those reporting high "role overload" are more likely to
take days off work for "mental and emotional fatigue," to have
sought a doctor or other medical care in the past three months
or to have recently used an employee assistance program.
But a poor working environment hasn't dampened their
enthusiasm -- yet. The most startling finding was that long
hours, stress and dwindling resources haven't shaken their
commitment to the job. About 55 per cent of health care and
education workers said they were committed to their work. More
than half still see their jobs as a career or calling and want
to make a difference, which Ms. Duxbury said is a far cry from
other public servants, especially federal bureaucrats who have
hit rock bottom among workers surveyed as far as loyalty,
commitment and job satisfaction are concerned.
In fact, the survey suggests that what makes Canada's
health care and education workers stressed and unhappy has
more to do with the system than their work with patients and
students. They are unhappy with their workload and the
training and development they get, but they don't mind the
pay. Most say they live comfortably or that money isn't an
issue.
Frustration and working conditions are the main reasons
cited by those thinking of leaving their jobs. About 60 per
cent intend to leave because of working conditions, while 55
per cent cited lack of recognition and appreciation and 40 per
cent said they want more time for family and personal
activities.
The study's findings are considered accurate within 1.5
percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Ms. Duxbury said she and Mr. Higgins were deluged with
written comments from both health care and education workers
that make it clear they "went into this to make a difference
and now the workload is so great and responsibilities have
increased so much that (they say) 'we can't do our jobs.'
"
Ms. Duxbury warns governments could do more damage by
promising major reforms to health care and education and then
failing to deliver.
That's what happened to the federal public service, which
for years has been promised huge reforms that never
materialize, she said. Raised and dashed expectations breed
cynicism and disillusionment, which all but kill morale,
productivity, risk-taking, creativity and initiative.
A huge management failing in all sectors is what Ms.
Duxbury calls the "Enron phenomenon" of the 1990s, which
focused on short-term gains and getting results fast. With
that kind of management thinking, organizations saw their
employees as the biggest single cost and reasoned that the way
to get big savings fast was to cut jobs in massive downsizing
and restructuring plans.
The problem, Ms. Duxbury says, is that they cut jobs and
not the work, which was piled on the "survivors" of the
downsizing. What's needed now is a new approach to managing
people, she argues.
"You can't keep putting out this extra effort without
serious negative consequences on your mental and physical
health and these organizations can't continue to expect this
kind of effort forever," said Ms. Duxbury.
"The most important thing to do now is stop looking at
people as costs and see them as the most important asset. If
you cut people and downsize them and then don't spend the
money on treating them properly you will pay the price down
the road. And there are big costs -- increased prescription
drug use, more employee assistance programs, increased
turnover and the inability to recruit."
