72% of support staff NEU members work overtime, new survey finds

A total of 72% of support staff members of the National Education Union (NEU) working in state schools and academies in England and Wales, work in excess of their contracted hours, a new survey revealed. According to new data collected by the NEU from more than 3,000 support staff members, only one in seven of those working overtime (14.5%) are paid for those extra hours. Full time contractual hours are 37 for outside London and 36 in London. One third of respondents (31.5%) told us they worked full time, two fifths (43%) are contracted for 30 hours or more, 19% work 20 hours or more, while the remaining 7% work fewer than 20 hours per week as support staff at their school or setting. For those who work extra hours, 74% said that their workload demands it, while 30% put it down to a reduction in staffing at their place of work. In this year’s survey, a clear majority of members said they are not paid for extra hours (69%). A further one in six (16.5%) are only “sometimes” paid for this work. Meanwhile, just 14.5% say they are paid for extra hours worked. One told us they are compensated with an extra 11 days holiday, “but give school 400 hours extra a year”. The reasons for working extra hours centre around the demands of the role and a reduction in staff. 75.5% of respondents said their workload had increased in the past year. In the same period, 57% reported that support staff numbers at their school had reduced. One third (30%) said that the reductions in support staff numbers at their school were a cause of increased and generally unpaid working hours. Three quarters (74%) say the extra working hours are a necessity in order to keep on top of their workload. From the survey, it appears that workload is an issue for a significant number of support staff, with a combined 42.5% saying it is unmanageable “some” or all of the time. One in six (16.5%) said it is completely unmanageable, a very slight improvement on figures from five years ago (17%). Lastly, just over a third of respondents (38%) said they work as a cover supervisor. Of those who work as cover supervisors, 73% said they are forced to engage in specified work, beyond their contract, and 75% consider it to be effectively the work of a supply teacher. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Support staff working conditions continue to deteriorate due to the inadequate funding for the sector. These are some of the lowest-paid workers in schools, yet workload demands and responsibilities increase. Many are taking on work beyond their job description and for no money. “Term-time only contracts mean many support staff workers must take on second jobs to survive. This is not sustainable. Support staff workers are crucial to the education of our children and young people.” He added: “The National Education Union will continue to champion support staff, to ensure they receive the recognition and pay they deserve. The government, for their part, must prioritise proper funding for schools so that the pressures on staff are alleviated after 14 years of neglect. Austerity has ended in deeds, not words.”