Charity workers’ mental health at risk

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Four out of five workers in the charity sector have suffered workplace stress in the past 12 months, and 42% felt their job was damaging their mental health. The anonymous survey by the union Unite also found that 44% of respondents felt their organisation was badly managed, 34% didn’t feel valued at work and 40% thought their job was not secure. Quotes from respondents suggested there was “limited support from HR”, and 22% disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement “I work in a safe and healthy working environment”. One said: “I have no autonomy and limited support from HR. My job is slowly killing me. I have been grabbed twice by my manager, subjected to enforced hugging, eye-rolling, muttering under her breath and humiliation at meetings in front of others. I have either been told about (by other alleged victims) or directly witnessed bullying of nine other former colleagues.”

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Another said: “It’s a strange phenomenon to be bullied by management/employer who is a charity, so many things about this employer are great, but some very wrong and 'they' can't see it nor understand.” A number of employees had been signed off sick because of stress. The respondents included staff working for charities such as Citizens Advice, Action for Children, Age UK, the RSPCA, Save the Children, Oxfam, Mind, Amnesty International, Christian Aid, Friends of the Earth, the Samaritans and Greenpeace UK. Despite the impact on their mental health, 90% said they believed their work was important. Unite has produced a guide on how union reps can challenge