Ei-iE

Health and well-being hub

Workload

Workload is a critical factor that affects the well-being of all education workers, particularly when it becomes excessive or misaligned with professional support structures. Education workers often face substantial administrative demands, inconsistent and insufficient professional development opportunities, and heightened accountability for student performance. In addition, the expansion of their roles and the need to continuously adapt to evolving educational policies and practices contribute to increased pressure.

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Workload audit

Toolkits

The Workload Audit Tool is designed to help teachers and school staff assess and manage their workload effectively. It outlines clear expectations and limits across various areas such as lesson planning, marking, data collection, meetings, classroom observations, and administrative tasks. The tool emphasizes professional autonomy, protects planning and preparation time, and ensures that new policies are risk-assessed for workload impact. It also supports fair appraisal practices and encourages collaborative agreement on workplace policies, aiming to reduce unnecessary burdens and promote a healthier work-life balance for educators.

Download resource in English
Publisher
National Education Union
Country
United Kingdom
Year of publication
2025
Region
Europe
Topics
Workload
Available in
English
Categories of staff
Teachers Education support personnel School leaders
Resource type
Downloadable file

Court of Audit: Primary school teachers spend almost a day a week on administration, which reduces job satisfaction

Opinion/commentary

The page discusses the significant administrative burden faced by primary school teachers in the Netherlands, who spend an average of 6 to 8 hours a week on administrative tasks. This high administrative workload negatively impacts their job satisfaction and contributes to a potential teacher shortage, as many consider leaving the profession. The article highlights the need for reducing administrative tasks to improve teachers' work conditions and overall job satisfaction, suggesting that even a small reduction in administrative time could free up substantial resources for better education and reduced workload.

Open resource in English Open resource in Dutch
Publisher
Algemene Onderwijsbond
Country
Netherlands
Year of publication
2025
Region
Europe
Topics
Job satisfaction Unpaid work Workload
Available in
English Dutch
Categories of staff
Teachers
Level of education
Primary education
Resource type
Web page

Puzzling with time

Guides

The page provides seven practical tips for creating an effective work distribution plan in primary schools, emphasizing the importance of starting early, involving the entire team, and maintaining flexibility. It highlights the need for clear communication between school management and teachers, ensuring that all tasks align with individual competencies and school goals. The article also stresses the benefits of a well-structured plan in reducing stress and improving overall job satisfaction among teachers.

Open resource in English Open resource in Dutch
Publisher
Algemene Onderwijsbond
Country
Netherlands
Year of publication
2025
Region
Europe
Topics
Job satisfaction Working conditions Workload
Available in
English Dutch
Categories of staff
Teachers
Resource type
Web page

Tackling excessive teacher workload: NASUWT workload checklists

Guides

The NASUWT guide on tackling excessive teacher workload in the United Kingdom addresses the significant impact of heavy workloads on teachers' health, safety, and wellbeing. It emphasizes the need for schools to provide appropriate time for teachers to fulfill their professional duties, ensure reasonable working hours, and avoid excessive planning, marking, and administrative tasks. The guide also highlights the importance of maintaining a work-life balance, protecting teachers from unfair treatment, and ensuring that additional responsibilities come with appropriate compensation. The site includes specific guides for England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.

Open resource in English
Publisher
NASUWT - The Teachers' Union
Country
United Kingdom
Year of publication
2025
Region
Europe
Topics
Safety Unpaid work Workload
Available in
English
Categories of staff
Teachers
Resource type
Web page

Ensuring a needs-based work-life balance for all: How adequate flexible working conditions can support intergenerational solidarity and the empowerment of women

The page presents the European Economic and Social Committee's (EESC) opinion on ensuring a needs-based work-life balance for all. It highlights the importance of adapting work-life balance strategies to address shifting demographics, new forms of work, and rising care demands. The EESC emphasizes the need for affordable, accessible, high-quality services that benefit workers, families, companies, and public authorities. It also stresses the importance of supporting care work and financial security for families and workers, viewing these as investments in society and the economy. The opinion calls for the assessment of work-life balance policies in EU companies and highlights the role of social dialogue in achieving this objective.

The resource can be downloaded in all available languages on the EESC website.

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Publisher
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Year of publication
2024
Region
Europe
Topics
Women’s psychological and physical health Workload
Available in
German Danish Czech Bulgarian Spanish, Castilian English Greek, Modern French Irish Hungarian Finnish Estonian Lithuanian Latvian Dutch Portuguese Romanian, Moldovan Slovak Slovenian Swedish Italian Croatian Maltese Polish
Categories of staff
Teachers Education support personnel School leaders Researchers

Workload

"Työkuormitus" explores how workload affects the well-being and performance of professionals in the education sector. It highlights that excessive or insufficient workload can harm motivation, health, and job quality. Factors contributing to strain include work demands, digitalisation, student behavior, poor planning, lack of support, and environmental issues. The guide emphasizes the employer’s responsibility to ensure safe and balanced working conditions and encourages open dialogue within the work community.

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Publisher
Opetusalan Ammattijärjestö (OAJ)
Country
Finland
Year of publication
2024
Region
Europe
Topics
Mental health Workload
Available in
Finnish Swedish
Categories of staff
Teachers Education support personnel School leaders

The time that isn't enough

Research

"Tiden som inte räcker till": The research report resents statistics on how teachers' working hours are allocated across various tasks. It examines the distribution of time spent on teaching, substituting, mentoring, preparation, and follow-up work during an average week for primary, secondary, and adult education teachers. The report highlights the challenges teachers face in managing their workload effectively.

Download resource in Swedish
Publisher
Swedish Teachers' Union
Country
Sweden
Year of publication
2024
Region
Europe
Topics
Workload
Available in
Swedish
Categories of staff
Teachers
Resource type
Downloadable file

Guidance and checkist: Implementing the recommendations of the workload reduction taskforce

Guides

The guidance and checklist provides support for implementing NEU's workload reduction taskforce's recommendations in educational workplaces. It highlights the importance of reducing excessive working hours and administrative tasks that do not require professional skills, aiming to improve teacher and leader wellbeing. The document includes an updated list of admin and clerical tasks that should NOT be performed by teachers, emphasizes the need for collaboration with union reps, and outlines steps for schools to ensure that workload reductions do not increase the burden on support staff.

Download resource in English
Publisher
National Education Union
Country
United Kingdom
Year of publication
2024
Region
Europe
Topics
Workload
Available in
English
Categories of staff
Teachers Education support personnel School leaders Union representatives
Resource type
Downloadable file

Larger classes and more students with special needs: Effects of class characteristics on workload, job satisfaction, and absenteeism

Research

"Grotere klassen en meer zorgleerlingen: Invloeden van klassenkenmerken op werkdruk, tevredenheid en verzuim": The report investigates the impact of larger class sizes and the presence of more students requiring special care on teachers' workload, satisfaction, and absenteeism in primary and secondary education in the Netherlands. Based on a survey of over 7,000 teachers, the findings reveal that larger classes and a higher proportion of students with specific are needs correlate with increased work pressure, lower job satisfaction, and higher absenteeism rates. Teachers expect that reducing class size or providing more support for diverse needs could help alleviate the pressure and workload.

Download resource in Dutch
Publisher
Algemene Onderwijsbond
Country
Netherlands
Year of publication
2023
Region
Europe
Topics
Working conditions Workload
Available in
Dutch
Categories of staff
Teachers
Level of education
Primary education Secondary education
Resource type
Downloadable file

Teacher workload: Executive summary of the INTO research report

Research

This executive summary of the research report provides an overview of the findings from a study on teacher workload in Ireland. It highlights the increasing demands on teachers and principals, including administrative tasks, curriculum overload, and special education needs. The report emphasizes the need for additional support, such as administrative assistance, reduced class sizes, and dedicated time for planning and collaboration. .

Download resource in English
Publisher
Irish National Teachers' Organisation
Country
Ireland
Year of publication
2023
Region
Europe
Topics
Workload
Available in
English
Categories of staff
Teachers Education support personnel School leaders Union representatives
Resource type
Downloadable file

The global report on the status of teachers 2021

Research

The 2021 edition of the Global Report on the Status of Teachers 2021 provides a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and conditions faced by teachers worldwide. It highlights issues such as teacher workload, attrition, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the profession. Also emphasizes the need for better working conditions, professional development, and increased public investment in education to improve the status and well-being of teachers globally.

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Publisher
Education International (EI)
Year of publication
2021
Topics
Mental health Pandemics and epidemics Salaries and remuneration Working conditions Workload
Available in
English French Spanish, Castilian
Resource type
Downloadable file

National survey ‘Tell us so we can take care of you’

Research

The document presents the findings of a national survey conducted by SADOP during April 2020, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores the impact of remote teaching on private school educators across Argentina, focusing on changes in working conditions, workload, emotional and physical health, and the challenges of balancing professional duties with domestic responsibilities. With over 8,000 respondents, the report highlights significant stress, overwork, and health issues, especially among women, due to the blending of home and work environments.

Open resource in Spanish
Publisher
Sindicato Argentino de Docentes Privados (SADOP)
Country
Argentina
Year of publication
2020
Region
Latin America
Topics
Physical health Women’s psychological and physical health Working conditions Workload
Available in
Spanish, Castilian
Categories of staff
Teachers
Resource type
Downloadable file

Overall workload of teaching staff

Research

The research provides an in-depth analysis of the overall workload experienced by private school teachers in Argentina. It examines the physical, mental, and psychosocial demands placed on educators both during and outside school hours, highlighting how these pressures affect their health and well-being. The report reveals that many teachers face extended workdays, emotional strain, and a lack of resources to manage classroom challenges, with women disproportionately affected due to additional domestic responsibilities.

Open resource in Spanish
Publisher
Sindicato Argentino de Docentes Privados (SADOP)
Country
Argentina
Year of publication
2012
Region
Latin America
Topics
Mental health Physical health Working conditions Workload
Available in
Spanish, Castilian
Categories of staff
Teachers Education support personnel School leaders
Resource type
Downloadable file

Educator fatigue and burnout: When teacher exhaustion goes beyond the classroom

Opinion/commentary

This article explores the nature of teacher burnout, emphasizing that educator fatigue goes far beyond long hours or classroom stress. It highlights the emotional labor involved in teaching, managing relationships, regulating emotions, and coping with administrative overload, as key contributors to chronic exhaustion. Drawing on regional data from Latin America, it reveals how institutional conditions, social pressures, and lack of support exacerbate burnout.

Open resource in English
Publisher
Institute for the Future of Education
Country
Argentina Chile Ecuador Peru
Year of publication
2025
Region
Latin America
Topics
Mental health Physical health Workload
Available in
English
Categories of staff
Teachers
Resource type
Web page

The Australian teacher work, health and wellbeing report: An analysis of teachers’ psychosocial work environments and wellbeing in government schools

Research

This report presents a national analysis of teachers’ work environments and wellbeing in Australian government schools, based on data from 950 teachers and benchmarked against other professions. Using the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III), it explores key psychosocial factors, such as workload, emotional demands, role clarity, support systems, and school culture, that influence teacher stress, burnout, and wellbeing. The findings reveal unique pressures faced by teachers and highlight the need for targeted policy interventions to improve working conditions, support teacher health, and enhance workforce sustainability.

Download resource in English
Publisher
Deakin University Educational Impact (REDI)
Country
Australia
Year of publication
2025
Region
Asia Pacific
Topics
Mental health Working conditions Workload
Available in
English
Categories of staff
Teachers
Resource type
Downloadable file