Workplace stress is causing more than half of senior leaders to consider quitting
A new poll of school business leaders has revealed that more than half are considering quitting education because of workplace stress.
The research, carried out by school leaders’ union, the NAHT found that 56 per cent of respondents were thinking of leaving in the next three years, quoting ‘workplace stress’ as the biggest factor.
73 per cent of respondents felt that in the past year their job has had a negative impact on the quality of their family or personal life.
Worryingly, there would appear to be a shortage of suitable qualified candidates to take over, as the research also highlighted only 3 per cent of respondents felt there were sufficient suitable applicants to choose from, based on their recruitment experiences over the past three years.
Announcing the findings, which were published at the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) annual conference, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, said: “The education sector is potentially facing a huge loss in skill and knowledge when our current school business leaders leave or retire, and the Government has done nothing to secure a strong pipeline for these crucial roles.
“The Government does not have a strong understanding of this part of the profession, or the career path leading to school business leadership, with limited data gathered through the school workforce statistics, so the problem is largely hidden.
“An effective and holistic strategy for the SBL profession is required, one which focuses not just on recruitment but retention as well.
“The Government must recognise that school business professionals are under more pressure than ever before, which in turn is impacting on wellbeing.”Mr Whiteman continued: “In the face of immense challenges, school business leaders have played a key role in helping schools deliver all that has been asked of them.
“The stress of trying to keep things going in schools this year cannot be underestimated.
“The Covid pandemic has only exacerbated this financial pressure, with tens of thousands of pounds of additional costs and lost income.” Contact our education team for advice.
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