《性别、亲密关系与社会》课程教学资源：Higher stress（A SURVEYOF STRESS AND WELL-BEING AMONG STAFF IN HIGHEREDUCATION）.pdf_大学文库

Summary Nearly three-quarters of the sample agreed or strongly agreed with the statement'I find my job stressful'.More than half indicated that their general level of stress was high or very high,and more than one third said they often or always experienced levels of stress they found unacceptable. Only 2%of the sample reported that they never experienced unacceptable levels of stress at work. Findings indicate that levels of perceived stress remain high in the higher education sector.In the present survey,the proportion of respondents from higher education who agreed or strongly agreed with the statement'I find my job stressful'was one percentage point lower than that found in a national survey of the sector conducted in 2008. Working hours remain high in higher education.More than three-quarters of respondents employed on a full-time contract worked over 40 hours a week, and more than one third in excess of 50 hours a week.More than one quarter of the respondents from higher education exceeded the 48 hour maximum number of working hours stipulated by the EU Working Time Directive(HMSO,1998). On all but one of the Health and Safety Executive stressor categories,UCU members in higher education reported lower well-being than the average for those working in the target group industries(including education).The biggest 'well-being gaps'related to work demands,change management, management support and role clarity.This is a similar pattern to that which emerged in UCU's 2008 study,but the well-being gaps in relation to all stressors apart from control have widened,highlighting particular problems in these areas. As in the 2008 survey,levels of control in the higher education sector exceeded the benchmark from the HSE's target group industries(including education),and the HSE's interim target benchmark.Nonetheless,overall perceptions of well-being related to work-related control have reduced since 2008. UCU members in higher education who had a bigger well-being gap on the HSE stressor categories tended to perceive more work-related stress and have a poorer work-life balance Respondents with poorer well-being on the HSE stressor categories in relation to relationships,control and demand,and who reported higher levels of perceived stress,had taken more days off sick in the previous 12 month period. The work-life balance of UCU members from higher education is generally poor.The majority of respondents from HE appeared unable to set an acceptable boundary between their work and home life.More than half indicated that they often neglected their personal needs because of the demands of their work.Those who had a poorer work-life balance and weaker boundaries between work and home tended to report higher levels of work-related stress. 3

3 n Nearly three-quarters of the sample agreed or strongly agreed with the statement ‘I find my job stressful’. More than half indicated that their general level of stress was high or very high, and more than one third said they often or always experienced levels of stress they found unacceptable. Only 2% of the sample reported that they never experienced unacceptable levels of stress at work. n Findings indicate that levels of perceived stress remain high in the higher education sector. In the present survey, the proportion of respondents from higher education who agreed or strongly agreed with the statement ‘I find my job stressful’ was one percentage point lower than that found in a national survey of the sector conducted in 2008. n Working hours remain high in higher education. More than three-quarters of respondents employed on a full-time contract worked over 40 hours a week, and more than one third in excess of 50 hours a week. More than one quarter of the respondents from higher education exceeded the 48 hour maximum number of working hours stipulated by the EU Working Time Directive (HMSO, 1998). n On all but one of the Health and Safety Executive stressor categories, UCU members in higher education reported lower well-being than the average for those working in the target group industries (including education). The biggest ‘well-being gaps’ related to work demands, change management, management support and role clarity. This is a similar pattern to that which emerged in UCU’s 2008 study, but the well-being gaps in relation to all stressors apart from control have widened, highlighting particular problems in these areas. n As in the 2008 survey, levels of control in the higher education sector exceeded the benchmark from the HSE’s target group industries (including education), and the HSE’s interim target benchmark. Nonetheless, overall perceptions of well-being related to work-related control have reduced since 2008. n UCU members in higher education who had a bigger well-being gap on the HSE stressor categories tended to perceive more work-related stress and have a poorer work-life balance. n Respondents with poorer well-being on the HSE stressor categories in relation to relationships, control and demand, and who reported higher levels of perceived stress, had taken more days off sick in the previous 12 month period. n The work-life balance of UCU members from higher education is generally poor. The majority of respondents from HE appeared unable to set an acceptable boundary between their work and home life. More than half indicated that they often neglected their personal needs because of the demands of their work. Those who had a poorer work-life balance and weaker boundaries between work and home tended to report higher levels of work-related stress. Summary

Introduction Work-related stress is defined as'The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work'(HSE, nd1).It is one of the most commonly reported health problems experienced by employees.According to data from the Labour Force Survey,work-related stress,depression or anxiety caused or made worse by the employee's current or most recent job,for people working in the preceding 12 months,affected an estimated 369,000 employees in 2011/12 in the UK,with a total of 9,072,000 working days lost(HSE,nd2).Within that total,teaching and educational professionals reported the highest average number of days lost per worker due to work-related stress depression and anxiety. As well as ill health and sickness absence,work-related stress has also been associated with reduced levels of job satisfaction,motivation and commitment, increased employee turnover,impaired job performance and creativity,and a range of counterproductive workplace attitudes and behaviours such as cynicism,incivility and sabotage(Kinman Jones,2001;Spector et al.,2005). The negative impact of work-related stress is also likely to 'spill over'into the home domain and limit opportunities for relaxation and recovery,leading to impaired health and job performance(Allen et al.,2000). The incidence of workplace stress has generally risen since the mid-1990s, especially among public sector workers.There is evidence,however,that people working in education are at greater risk of work stress and stress-related absence than most other occupational groups(as noted above).Unsurprisingly, education has been identified as a priority area for the reduction of work- related stress(Tyers et al.,2009).Several studies conducted in recent years indicate that work-related stress is widespread in post compulsory education in the UK(Villeneuve-Smith,Munoz McKenzie,2008:Court Kinman,2009a. 2009b,2009c). Moreover,recently published European research indicates that British aca- demic employees are,by a large margin,the least satisfied in Europe and the most likely to regret their choice of career(Hohle Teichler,in press).Several studies conducted in the higher education sector have associated work-related stress with low levels of job satisfaction (e.g.Kinman,1998;McClenahan,Giles Mallet,2007;Byrne et al.,2012).Reflecting these findings,the European study also reported that 61%of senior academics and 56%of junior academics from the UK described their job as 'a considerable source of strain'. Several factors are likely to have contributed towards the poor work-related well- being of UCU members.Post-compulsory education in the UK has undergone a period of considerable change that has challenged the resources of organisations and employees.The nature of academic and academic-related roles has changed considerably and demands have increased substantially. Student numbers have increased more than 2.5-fold over the last 20 years,and a more diverse student population holding an increasingly 'consumer oriented' approach to their studies has been documented(CHERI,2007;2011).The introduction of student fees has led to a reassessment of 'value for money', and competition between universities and colleges for home and international students has increased.The introduction of national and global rankings of

Work-related stress is defined as ‘The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work’ (HSE, nd1). It is one of the most commonly reported health problems experienced by employees. According to data from the Labour Force Survey, work-related stress, depression or anxiety caused or made worse by the employee’s current or most recent job, for people working in the preceding 12 months, affected an estimated 369,000 employees in 2011/12 in the UK, with a total of 9,072,000 working days lost (HSE, nd2). Within that total, teaching and educational professionals reported the highest average number of days lost per worker due to work-related stress depression and anxiety. As well as ill health and sickness absence, work-related stress has also been associated with reduced levels of job satisfaction, motivation and commitment, increased employee turnover, impaired job performance and creativity, and a range of counterproductive workplace attitudes and behaviours such as cynicism, incivility and sabotage (Kinman & Jones, 2001; Spector et al., 2005). The negative impact of work-related stress is also likely to ‘spill over’ into the home domain and limit opportunities for relaxation and recovery, leading to impaired health and job performance (Allen et al., 2000). The incidence of workplace stress has generally risen since the mid-1990s, especially among public sector workers. There is evidence, however, that people working in education are at greater risk of work stress and stress-related absence than most other occupational groups (as noted above). Unsurprisingly, education has been identified as a priority area for the reduction of workrelated stress (Tyers et al., 2009). Several studies conducted in recent years indicate that work-related stress is widespread in post compulsory education in the UK (Villeneuve-Smith, Munoz & McKenzie, 2008; Court & Kinman, 2009a, 2009b, 2009c). Moreover, recently published European research indicates that British academic employees are, by a large margin, the least satisfied in Europe and the most likely to regret their choice of career (Hohle & Teichler, in press). Several studies conducted in the higher education sector have associated work-related stress with low levels of job satisfaction (e.g. Kinman, 1998; McClenahan, Giles & Mallet, 2007; Byrne et al., 2012). Reflecting these findings, the European study also reported that 61% of senior academics and 56% of junior academics from the UK described their job as ‘a considerable source of strain’. Several factors are likely to have contributed towards the poor work-related wellbeing of UCU members. Post-compulsory education in the UK has undergone a period of considerable change that has challenged the resources of organisations and employees. The nature of academic and academic-related roles has changed considerably and demands have increased substantially. Student numbers have increased more than 2.5-fold over the last 20 years, and a more diverse student population holding an increasingly ‘consumer oriented’ approach to their studies has been documented (CHERI, 2007; 2011). The introduction of student fees has led to a reassessment of ‘value for money’, and competition between universities and colleges for home and international students has increased. The introduction of national and global rankings of 5 Introduction

excellence in a number of areas has compounded the stress experienced by staff(Hazelkorn,2011).Market-led policies and globalisation necessitate regular curriculum redesign and diverse modes of delivery,which require enhanced professional and technical skills from academic and support staff. Enhanced regulatory demands and performance management structures relating to teaching and research have been introduced.Staff employed in universities and colleges have experienced increased demands for excellence in teaching,administration and pastoral care,as well as more pressure to boost funding through entrepreneurial activities(CHERI,2007).Universities are also forced to compete more fiercely for research grants and the forthcoming Research Excellence Framework requires academic employees to not only produce excellent research,but evidence its broad impact. Fixed-term or other forms of casual contracts for staff in higher education are widespread-particularly for research-only academic staff.In higher education in the UK in 2011-12,according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency's Staff Record,analysed by University and College Union,36%of all academics, including 60%of teaching-only staff and 68%of research-only staff,were on fixed-term contracts-a factor likely to have impacted on perceptions of job security.The trend towards greater rationalisation of universities and colleges through closure and merger is likely to continue(CHERI,2011).High levels of job insecurity have been found in previous studies of UCU members(Kinman Jones,2004;Court Kinman,2009a,2009b,2009c).Job insecurity has also been cited as a considerable source of stress in UCU members and other samples of university and college employees(Kinman Jones,2004; Tytherleigh,Webb,Cooper Ricketts,2005). Research conducted over the last 10 to 15 years indicates that levels of psycho- logical distress amongst employees in post-compulsory education are comparatively high.The findings of a systematic review conducted by Watts and Robertson(2011)highlighted levels of burnout amongst university teaching staff compara-ble with'at risk'groups such as healthcare professionals. Academics engaged in teaching and research,rather than those who are just teachers or researchers,tended to report the highest levels of stress(Winefield Jarrett,2001).Two UK surveys of academic and academic-related staff conducted in 1998 and 20041 found high levels of job-related stressors and a level of psychological distress that exceeded that reported by other professional groups(Kinman,1998;Kinman Jones 2004;Kinman et al.,2006).The most stressful aspects of work included rushed pace of work,inadequate administrative and technical support,lack of respect and esteem,too much administrative paperwork,poor promotion opportunities,ineffective communication,and lack of opportunity for scholarly work.Levels of many of these stressors remained high in the sector in the six year period between 1998 and 2004(Kinman et al.,2006). The study conducted in 2004 revealed that a considerable proportion of mem- bers of the Association of University Teachers were working in excess of the 48 hour weekly limit set by the European Union's Working Time Directive(HMSO, 1 Surveys of members of the Association of 1998).More specifically,59%of respondents employed on a full-time basis University Teachers

excellence in a number of areas has compounded the stress experienced by staff (Hazelkorn, 2011). Market-led policies and globalisation necessitate regular curriculum redesign and diverse modes of delivery, which require enhanced professional and technical skills from academic and support staff. Enhanced regulatory demands and performance management structures relating to teaching and research have been introduced. Staff employed in universities and colleges have experienced increased demands for excellence in teaching, administration and pastoral care, as well as more pressure to boost funding through entrepreneurial activities (CHERI, 2007). Universities are also forced to compete more fiercely for research grants and the forthcoming Research Excellence Framework requires academic employees to not only produce excellent research, but evidence its broad impact. Fixed-term or other forms of casual contracts for staff in higher education are widespread - particularly for research-only academic staff. In higher education in the UK in 2011-12, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s Staff Record, analysed by University and College Union, 36% of all academics, including 60% of teaching-only staff and 68% of research-only staff, were on fixed-term contracts - a factor likely to have impacted on perceptions of job security. The trend towards greater rationalisation of universities and colleges through closure and merger is likely to continue (CHERI, 2011). High levels of job insecurity have been found in previous studies of UCU members (Kinman & Jones, 2004; Court & Kinman, 2009a, 2009b, 2009c). Job insecurity has also been cited as a considerable source of stress in UCU members and other samples of university and college employees (Kinman & Jones, 2004; Tytherleigh, Webb, Cooper & Ricketts, 2005). Research conducted over the last 10 to 15 years indicates that levels of psychological distress amongst employees in post-compulsory education are comparatively high. The findings of a systematic review conducted by Watts and Robertson (2011) highlighted levels of burnout amongst university teaching staff compara-ble with ‘at risk’ groups such as healthcare professionals. Academics engaged in teaching and research, rather than those who are just teachers or researchers, tended to report the highest levels of stress (Winefield & Jarrett, 2001). Two UK surveys of academic and academic-related staff conducted in 1998 and 20041 found high levels of job-related stressors and a level of psychological distress that exceeded that reported by other professional groups (Kinman, 1998; Kinman & Jones 2004; Kinman et al., 2006). The most stressful aspects of work included rushed pace of work, inadequate administrative and technical support, lack of respect and esteem, too much administrative paperwork, poor promotion opportunities, ineffective communication, and lack of opportunity for scholarly work. Levels of many of these stressors remained high in the sector in the six year period between 1998 and 2004 (Kinman et al., 2006). The study conducted in 2004 revealed that a considerable proportion of members of the Association of University Teachers were working in excess of the 48 hour weekly limit set by the European Union’s Working Time Directive (HMSO, 1998). More specifically, 59% of respondents employed on a full-time basis 6 1 Surveys of members of the Association of University Teachers

worked more than 45 hours in a typical week and 21%in excess of 55 hours. Almost one half of the sample worked regularly during evenings and weekends in order to cope with the demands of their work.Academic staff involved in both teaching and research tended to report longer working hours.Unsurpris- ingly,a high level of conflict between work and home life was reported,and was the strongest predictor of psychological distress.Boundaries between work and home were blurred for the majority of respondents,and few reported that they were able to achieve an acceptable work-life balance.The negative impact of work-life conflict on health and family-life has been widely demonstrated (Kinman Jones,2001).The 2004 study reported that work demands tended to spill over into the home domain both physically(e.g.working at home during evenings and weekends),and psychologically(e.g.preoccupation with work problems,difficulties in sleeping,and irritability with family and friends). Although few respondents wished for total separation between their work and home lives,the majority desired more separation than they currently experienced. From the research discussed above,it is clear that the post-compulsory education sector in the UK is continuing to experience fundamental changes. This is likely to have a continued negative impact on the well-being of UCU members,and it is likely that work-related stress is likely to continue to be high. The HSE management The Health and Safety Executive(HSE:the UK body responsible for policy and standards approach operational matters related to occupational health and safety)has developed a process to help employers manage the work-related well-being of their staff.A risk-assessment approach is advocated whereby workplace stress is considered a serious health and safety issue,and stressors are measured and managed like any other workplace hazard.The HSE process is based around a set of standards of good management practice(or benchmarks)for measuring employers'performance in preventing work-related stress from occurring at source(Mackay et al.,2004). Following extensive consultation,the HSE selected several elements of work activity (known as psychosocial hazards)that are:a)considered relevant to the majority of UK employees and b)have a strong evidence base as the'most critical predictors'of employee well-being and organisational performance (Mackay et al..2004,p.101).The specified hazards are demands,control, social support(from managers and peers),interpersonal relationships,role clarity and involvement in organisational change. The HSE has developed a self-report survey instrument to help employers measure the key hazards within their organisations and compare their performance with national standards.The HSE Indicator Tool(Cousins et al, 2004)comprises 35 items within the seven hazard categories: Demands includes workload,pace of work and working hours; Control measures levels of autonomy over working methods,as well as pacing and timing: Peer support encompasses the degree of help and respect received from colleagues;

7 worked more than 45 hours in a typical week and 21% in excess of 55 hours. Almost one half of the sample worked regularly during evenings and weekends in order to cope with the demands of their work. Academic staff involved in both teaching and research tended to report longer working hours. Unsurprisingly, a high level of conflict between work and home life was reported, and was the strongest predictor of psychological distress. Boundaries between work and home were blurred for the majority of respondents, and few reported that they were able to achieve an acceptable work-life balance. The negative impact of work-life conflict on health and family-life has been widely demonstrated (Kinman & Jones, 2001). The 2004 study reported that work demands tended to spill over into the home domain both physically (e.g. working at home during evenings and weekends), and psychologically (e.g. preoccupation with work problems, difficulties in sleeping, and irritability with family and friends). Although few respondents wished for total separation between their work and home lives, the majority desired more separation than they currently experienced. From the research discussed above, it is clear that the post-compulsory education sector in the UK is continuing to experience fundamental changes. This is likely to have a continued negative impact on the well-being of UCU members, and it is likely that work-related stress is likely to continue to be high. The HSE management The Health and Safety Executive (HSE: the UK body responsible for policy and standards approach operational matters related to occupational health and safety) has developed a process to help employers manage the work-related well-being of their staff. A risk-assessment approach is advocated whereby workplace stress is considered a serious health and safety issue, and stressors are measured and managed like any other workplace hazard. The HSE process is based around a set of standards of good management practice (or benchmarks) for measuring employers’ performance in preventing work-related stress from occurring at source (Mackay et al., 2004). Following extensive consultation, the HSE selected several elements of work activity (known as psychosocial hazards) that are: a) considered relevant to the majority of UK employees and b) have a strong evidence base as the ‘most critical predictors’ of employee well-being and organisational performance (Mackay et al., 2004, p. 101). The specified hazards are demands, control, social support (from managers and peers), interpersonal relationships, role clarity and involvement in organisational change. The HSE has developed a self-report survey instrument to help employers measure the key hazards within their organisations and compare their performance with national standards. The HSE Indicator Tool (Cousins et al, 2004) comprises 35 items within the seven hazard categories: n Demands includes workload, pace of work and working hours; n Control measures levels of autonomy over working methods, as well as pacing and timing; n Peer support encompasses the degree of help and respect received from colleagues;

Managerial support reflects supportive behaviours from line managers and the organisation itself,such as availability of feedback and encouragement; Relationships assesses levels of conflict within the workplace including bullying behaviour and harassment; Role examines levels of role clarity and the extent to which employees believe that their work fits into the overall aims of the organisation; Change reflects how well organisational changes are managed and communicated. The HSE risk assessment approach is widely utilised by individual organisations,occupational groups and sectors to diagnose the most stressful aspects of work.The process allows employers to assess how well they are managing the different hazard categories within their workforce,and helps them develop precisely targeted interventions to enhance the work-related well- being of their staff.The HSE provides normative data from a range of occupational groups,enabling employers to compare their scores for each of the hazards against these national benchmarks.Where scores for any of the hazards are compared unfavourably,the HSE suggests interim and longer-term target scores to help organisations improve their performance. The HSE process is recommended by the University and Colleges Employers Association as an effective way of managing work-related stress(UCEA,nd).A growing number of colleges and universities have adopted this approach to conduct independent surveys to assess the well-being of their employees,with some success.In 2008,the University and College Union utilised the HSE method in a large-scale national survey of members in academic and academic-related roles(n=14,270).Findings revealed that people working in higher,further and prison education reported lower well-being than the average for the HSE's target industries,including the education sector(Court Kinman, 2009a,2009b,2009c).Some key differences were found between sectors.The biggest 'well-being gap'in higher education was in the area of change,followed by role,then equally demands and managerial support. More positively,however,levels of control in higher education exceeded the minimum level suggested by the HSE.For members in further and adult education,the biggest well-being gap was in the area of change,followed by demands,then role and managerial support.For UCU members in prison education,the widest gaps were in change,relationships and management support.Unlike members from higher education,however,levels of control reported by respondents from further,adult and prison education failed to meet the HSE minimum level. A high proportion of the sample from the 2008 survey as a whole considered their job to be stressful.Around half reported their general or average level of stress to be high or very high,and approximately one-third said they often experienced levels of stress they found unacceptable.The survey also investigated the working conditions and job characteristics that were considered to make the highest contribution to stress or frustration amongst

n Managerial support reflects supportive behaviours from line managers and the organisation itself, such as availability of feedback and encouragement; n Relationships assesses levels of conflict within the workplace including bullying behaviour and harassment; n Role examines levels of role clarity and the extent to which employees believe that their work fits into the overall aims of the organisation; n Change reflects how well organisational changes are managed and communicated. The HSE risk assessment approach is widely utilised by individual organisations, occupational groups and sectors to diagnose the most stressful aspects of work. The process allows employers to assess how well they are managing the different hazard categories within their workforce, and helps them develop precisely targeted interventions to enhance the work-related wellbeing of their staff. The HSE provides normative data from a range of occupational groups, enabling employers to compare their scores for each of the hazards against these national benchmarks. Where scores for any of the hazards are compared unfavourably, the HSE suggests interim and longer-term target scores to help organisations improve their performance. The HSE process is recommended by the University and Colleges Employers Association as an effective way of managing work-related stress (UCEA, nd). A growing number of colleges and universities have adopted this approach to conduct independent surveys to assess the well-being of their employees, with some success. In 2008, the University and College Union utilised the HSE method in a large-scale national survey of members in academic and academic-related roles (n = 14,270). Findings revealed that people working in higher, further and prison education reported lower well-being than the average for the HSE’s target industries, including the education sector (Court & Kinman, 2009a, 2009b, 2009c). Some key differences were found between sectors. The biggest ‘well-being gap’ in higher education was in the area of change, followed by role, then equally demands and managerial support. More positively, however, levels of control in higher education exceeded the minimum level suggested by the HSE. For members in further and adult education, the biggest well-being gap was in the area of change, followed by demands, then role and managerial support. For UCU members in prison education, the widest gaps were in change, relationships and management support. Unlike members from higher education, however, levels of control reported by respondents from further, adult and prison education failed to meet the HSE minimum level. A high proportion of the sample from the 2008 survey as a whole considered their job to be stressful. Around half reported their general or average level of stress to be high or very high, and approximately one-third said they often experienced levels of stress they found unacceptable. The survey also investigated the working conditions and job characteristics that were considered to make the highest contribution to stress or frustration amongst 8

UCU members.Respondents from higher education indicated that lack of time to undertake research.followed by excessive workload and lack of resources to undertake research were the most stressful factors.In further and adult education,the factors considered to be most stressful were excessive workloads,opportunities to develop teaching,and lack of time for research.The most frequent responses from respondents in prison education related to lack of resources to undertake research(including problems in obtaining funding), lack of time or opportunities to develop teaching,excessive workloads and poor work-life balance.Similar findings emerged from a smaller-scale survey of UCU members conducted in 2010(n=720),but responses from members in prison education were not sufficient to analyse independently(Kinman,G.,2011). The UCU 2012 survey The 2012 survey aimed to examine the extent to which higher education of occupational stress: institutions,further education colleges,adult education institutions and prison aims and method education departments in the UK were meeting the minimum standards stipulated by the HSE for the management of work-related stress.Mean scores were calculated across all seven of the hazard categories,with higher scores representing more well-being and lower scores denoting more distress relating to each dimension.Comparisons were made between the mean scores obtained in this survey for each hazard with the target industries,including education,that were selected by the HSE because they had the 'highest rates of work stress-related ill-health and absence'(Webster Buckley,2008,p.i).2 Where mean scores for any hazards are compared unfavourably with benchmarks,recommendations for improvement are provided in terms of:a) interim targets(over the next six to 12 month period)based on the 50th percentile figures and b)longer term target scores obtained from the 80th percentile figures. The first 35 items in the survey questionnaire(see Appendix)were from the HSE's Management Standards Indicator Tool.In addition to the HSE questions, this survey examined levels of perceived stress and working hours,and compared findings with those from several UCU surveys conducted over the last decade.The extent of work-life conflict experienced by UCU members was examined using a questionnaire developed by Fisher et al.(2009).In order to assess the extent of integration between work and home life,respondents were asked to indicate on a nine-point scale(where 1 denoted total separation and 9 represented total integration)the following:a)the extent to which their work and home lives were separated/integrated and b)the extent to which they wished their work and home lives to be separated/integrated.The degree of fit between the level of integration currently experienced and that which is desired was then calculated. Working conditions and job characteristics differ considerably between higher, further,adult and prison education.This is reflected in the findings of previous surveys of UCU members reported above,where the HSE hazard categories with the biggest well-being gap and the features of work that are considered most stressful were found to vary.Accordingly,separate analyses have been conducted for higher,further,adult and prison education and data is presented 2 These target industry averages were not updated in the 2009 HSE report. in separate reports.Where appropriate,comparisons have been made on levels 9

2 These target industry averages were not updated in the 2009 HSE report. UCU members. Respondents from higher education indicated that lack of time to undertake research, followed by excessive workload and lack of resources to undertake research were the most stressful factors. In further and adult education, the factors considered to be most stressful were excessive workloads, opportunities to develop teaching, and lack of time for research. The most frequent responses from respondents in prison education related to lack of resources to undertake research (including problems in obtaining funding), lack of time or opportunities to develop teaching, excessive workloads and poor work-life balance. Similar findings emerged from a smaller-scale survey of UCU members conducted in 2010 (n = 720), but responses from members in prison education were not sufficient to analyse independently (Kinman, G., 2011). The UCU 2012 survey The 2012 survey aimed to examine the extent to which higher education of occupational stress: institutions, further education colleges, adult education institutions and prison aims and method education departments in the UK were meeting the minimum standards stipulated by the HSE for the management of work-related stress. Mean scores were calculated across all seven of the hazard categories, with higher scores representing more well-being and lower scores denoting more distress relating to each dimension. Comparisons were made between the mean scores obtained in this survey for each hazard with the target industries, including education, that were selected by the HSE because they had the ‘highest rates of work stress-related ill-health and absence’ (Webster & Buckley, 2008, p. i). 2 Where mean scores for any hazards are compared unfavourably with benchmarks, recommendations for improvement are provided in terms of: a) interim targets (over the next six to 12 month period) based on the 50th percentile figures and b) longer term target scores obtained from the 80th percentile figures. The first 35 items in the survey questionnaire (see Appendix) were from the HSE’s Management Standards Indicator Tool. In addition to the HSE questions, this survey examined levels of perceived stress and working hours, and compared findings with those from several UCU surveys conducted over the last decade. The extent of work-life conflict experienced by UCU members was examined using a questionnaire developed by Fisher et al. (2009). In order to assess the extent of integration between work and home life, respondents were asked to indicate on a nine-point scale (where 1 denoted total separation and 9 represented total integration) the following: a) the extent to which their work and home lives were separated/integrated and b) the extent to which they wished their work and home lives to be separated/integrated. The degree of fit between the level of integration currently experienced and that which is desired was then calculated. Working conditions and job characteristics differ considerably between higher, further, adult and prison education. This is reflected in the findings of previous surveys of UCU members reported above, where the HSE hazard categories with the biggest well-being gap and the features of work that are considered most stressful were found to vary. Accordingly, separate analyses have been conducted for higher, further, adult and prison education and data is presented in separate reports. Where appropriate, comparisons have been made on levels 9