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04 Informed Survey


Pandemic puts severe pressure on NUJ members’ mental health


difference between the amount paid by the government. JPI Media is still furloughing staff – some have been off work since April. Laura Davison, national organiser,


agreed members were under strain. “Te main issue seems to be the pressure caused by last year’s redundancies – people working longer hours, or very intensively and with fewer casuals available to provide cover,” she said. In spring 2020, 42 per cent of those


More than half of NUJ members say they have had mental health concerns and suffer from stress and anxiety since from working from home because of the pandemic. Tey said feelings of isolation, anxiety about losing their job, symptoms of long Covid and higher workloads led to depression and insomnia. One member said the “fun of the job had gone”. Juggling childcare, home schooling and geting work done was taking its toll, with 45 per cent saying they had problems coping. Te fear of redundancy loomed large; almost three quarters (72 per cent) said there had been redundancies at their workplace and 85 per cent believed the continuing crisis would lead to further job cuts. Te all-member survey carried out


between the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 revealed that six in 10 members (61 per cent) said their income had been affected by the pandemic, with 13 per cent losing all their income and more than a third (35.5 per cent) earning less than half. One in six freelances said their work had decreased sharply or dried up completely, with 13 per cent


saying their work had increased or there had been litle impact. Compared with a similar survey carried out last spring, there were fewer editorial staff on furlough; 14 per cent compared to 45 per cent – but, as in our previous survey, there were concerns that the selection was unfair. Half of those responding said there was no transparency in who was chosen or any option of rotating the furlough among staff. “No consideration given to personal circumstances, business needs overrode health and home needs,” said one member. Only a quarter said their employers made up the full 20 per cent


Working from the office


Last year’s survey identified problems with the measures taken to make offices Covid-secure and it seems lessons have not been learned. One in five said they were not always able to socially distance and a third were not confident that adequate cleaning was taking place. Comments included: “We hot-desk computers for shiſts –


working said they’d had their pay cut, with 71 per cent of the recent respondents now saying they had reverted to their full pay. Tis time, 30 per cent said they were suffering pay cuts. Although most people (78 per cent) said they had the necessary equipment to work remotely, 18 per cent recorded having back, shoulder or neck pain from working in inappropriate setings, such as at the kitchen table. Some 13 per cent of those responding said they had problems with internet speed and/or connectivity and 39 per cent saying they sometimes did. One respondent found their broadband speed was not enough to edit videos. NUJ Extra provides financial aid for members. To apply for aid or donate: htps://bit.ly/3koQyVz


someone may have got up 15 minutes before we take their seat. We are supposed to wipe down all equipment before and aſter each shiſt, but not everyone does. Shared equipment includes a headset with microphone.” And: “Everything is there in theory but oſten they don’t have wipes or sanitiser and many colleagues ignore the one- way systems as they are not enforced by managers.” Lack of ventilation was also common problem.


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