Survey reveals pressures facing health workers

A survey by the Lower Austrian Chamber of Labour reveals the extent to which health workers’ well-being is under threat from stress and long hours. The survey of around 33,000 employees found one in five were emotionally exhausted while 27% worked 12-14 hours a day. Some 40% of employees worked more than 40 hours a week even though only 1% had agreed to work such long hours. One in four new jobs are in the health sector and there are around 6,000 vacancies nationwide. The Chamber of Labour and services union VIDA have called for action on health sector working conditions in order to help boost

A new survey published by public services union Unison exposes the pressure faced by home care workers and their precarious working conditions.Three-quarters (75%) of care workers said they had too little time to provide proper care because they are too rushed, often because employers pressure them to fit in an excessive number of visits.The report also highlights the job insecurity faced by home care workers with more than half (52%) on zero hours contracts, and more than three in five (63%) not getting paid for the time it takes to travel between care visits.

A regular survey by the FNV Abvakabo public service union found that 60% of workers in the health sector doubted whether they would work until retirement age because of the high mental and physical demands they face. Mental health professionals find their work particularly draining because of the heavy workloads and the nature of the job which are often made worse by concerns about job security. Pressures on night shift workers are even more acute and that’s why the union has called for more workers on shifts and action on diet and health monitoring. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http:/