Health and well-being hub

Climate change is already having serious impacts on the safety and health of workers in all regions of the world. Workers are among those most exposed to climate change hazards yet frequently have no choice but to continue working, even if conditions are dangerous. Global occupational safety and health protections have struggled to keep up with the evolving risks from climate change, resulting in worker mortality and morbidity. This report presents critical evidence related to the impacts of climate change on OSH, to bring attention to the global health threat workers are currently facing

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Publisher: International Labour Organization (ILO)
Year of publication: 2024

Topics: Climate change Physical health Safety
Available in: English French
Categories of staff: Teachers Education support personnel School leaders Union representatives
Resource type: Downloadable file

The guide aims to support women suffering from endometriosis in the workplace. It provides detailed information on the challenges these women face and offers practical solutions for employers and managers. The guide includes recommendations such as additional leave days, flexible teleworking options, and creating a restful environment at work. It also emphasizes the importance of collective bargaining to improve working conditions and highlights the need for awareness and understanding of endometriosis among all workplace stakeholders.

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Publisher: Union nationale des syndicats autonomes - Education
Country: France
Year of publication: 2024

Region: Europe
Topics: Women’s psychological and physical health
Available in: French
Categories of staff: Teachers Education support personnel School leaders
Resource type: Web page

The guide aims to support victims of workplace accidents and their families. It provides comprehensive information on the steps to take and rights available following an accident. The guide includes ten detailed fact sheets covering topics such as defining a workplace accident, the consequences for employment contracts, preparing for a return to work, and obtaining compensation. It also addresses the involvement of various actors, the role of the criminal judge, and support for families in case of a fatal accident.

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Publisher: Union nationale des syndicats autonomes - Education Direction Générale du Travail (DGT)
Country: France
Year of publication: 2024

Region: Europe
Topics: Safety Working conditions
Available in: French
Categories of staff: Teachers Education support personnel School leaders Researchers
Resource type: Web page

The article discusses the significant issue of workplace suffering, highlighting that 43% of workers report experiencing some form of suffering, with 7% facing severe distress. It emphasizes the urgent need for organizations to address physical and psychosocial risks, and calls for the recognition of work-related mental illnesses as occupational diseases. The UNSA stresses the importance of better information for workers about their rights and the necessity for companies to create healthier and safer working environments.

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Publisher: Union nationale des syndicats autonomes - Education
Country: France
Year of publication: 2024

Region: Europe
Topics: Mental health Physical health Safety Violence and harassment
Available in: French
Categories of staff: Teachers
Resource type: Web page

"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.

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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

The article discusses strategies for improving social safety in educational institutions. It highlights the importance of understanding team dynamics, seeking external help for team problems, addressing conflicts proactively, and ensuring good leadership. The article also emphasizes the need for clear rules of conduct, effective personnel policies, and a transparent complaints structure to create a safe and pleasant working environment for all staff members.

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Publisher: Algemene Onderwijsbond
Country: Netherlands
Year of publication: 2024

Region: Europe
Topics: Mental health Safety Violence and harassment Working conditions
Available in: English Dutch
Categories of staff: Teachers Education support personnel School leaders
Resource type: Web page

The article highlights the growing mental health crisis among faculty and college staff, emphasizing that they experience high rates of anxiety, depression, and stress, similar to students. It underscores the importance of on-campus mental health support, reasonable workloads, respectful work environments, and fair pay. The article also points out that the mental health challenges faced by faculty and staff are often overlooked, despite their significant impact on overall well-being and job performance.

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Publisher: National Education Association (NEA)
Country: United States of America
Year of publication: 2024

Region: North America and the Caribbean
Topics: Mental health
Available in: English
Categories of staff: Teachers Education support personnel Researchers Union representatives
Level of education: Higher education and research
Resource type: Web page

This guide on health and safety in schools and colleges provides essential information for ensuring a safe educational environment. It outlines the responsibilities of employers under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, including risk assessments and the implementation of safety measures. The guide covers various topics such as accident reporting, administration of medicines, asbestos management, fire safety, mental health, and work-related stress. It emphasizes the importance of a written health and safety policy and the need for collaboration with union safety representatives to maintain a safe and healthy workplace for all staff and students.

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Publisher: National Education Union
Country: United Kingdom
Year of publication: 2024

Region: Europe
Topics: Mental health Physical health Safety
Available in: English
Categories of staff: Teachers Education support personnel School leaders
Resource type: Web page

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.

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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

The article discusses some of the results of the State of Education 2024 survey where over 8,000 National Education Union members participated. The survey asked teachers and support staff about their personal experience of workload and the forces affecting their wellbeing. The survey reveals that the majority of teachers and support staff in England and Wales are struggling with unmanageable workloads, leading to significant stress and poor work-life balance. Key factors related to stress include government-driven factors such as inspections, insufficient staffing levels, and lack of resources.

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Publisher: National Education Union
Country: United Kingdom
Year of publication: 2024

Region: Europe
Topics: Mental health Salaries and remuneration Working conditions Workload
Available in: English
Categories of staff: Teachers Education support personnel
Resource type: Web page

The page outlines five key principles for workforce policy and practice in schools to address the challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. It emphasizes the need for schools to allow teachers and school leaders to focus on their core responsibilities, support them amidst unprecedented pressures, and prioritize their wellbeing and mental health. The page also highlights the importance of tackling excessive workload drivers, such as unnecessary administrative tasks, and ensuring that teachers' and school leaders' contractual and statutory entitlements are respected to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

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Publisher: NASUWT - The Teachers' Union
Country: United Kingdom
Year of publication: 2024

Region: Europe
Topics: Mental health Pandemics and epidemics Workload
Available in: English
Categories of staff: Teachers
Resource type: Web page

The interview with Sinead McBrearty, CEO of Education Support, a teacher welfare charity, discusses the findings of the 2024 Teacher Wellbeing Index, highlighting the rise in verbal and physical abuse from pupils, pressure from parents, and lack of support from external services as key stressors for teachers. McBrearty emphasizes the need for fresh thinking and new mental models to improve teacher wellbeing, advocating for increased funding, better support from public services, and effective workload management. The interview underscores the importance of creating a supportive work environment and offers insights into how Education Support is helping teachers navigate these challenges.

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Publisher: NASUWT - The Teachers' Union
Country: United Kingdom
Year of publication: 2024

Region: Europe
Topics: Cross-cutting resource Job satisfaction Mental health Recognition Respect
Available in: English
Categories of staff: Teachers
Resource type: Web page

The course provides an introduction to social protection, covering different issues including the human right to social security, the need for social protection over the life cycle, the process of building universal social protection systems and the key role of social protection in confronting the major challenges that the world is facing.

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Publisher: International Labour Organization (ILO) l’Ecole nationale supérieure de Sécurité sociale (EN3S)
Year of publication: 2024

Topics: Social protection
Available in: English French
Categories of staff: Teachers Education support personnel School leaders Researchers
Resource type: Video

This report draws on a survey of over 3,000 UK education professionals to reveal persistently high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout across the sector, with 77% of staff reporting mental health symptoms linked to their work. It highlights a worrying increase in challenging behavior from pupils (82%) and difficult interactions with parents (70%), both of which significantly impact staff wellbeing, and underscores the negative effects of inadequate support from public services on morale and work-life balance. While there are slight improvements in perceptions of workplace culture, concerns such as insomnia (46%), irritability, and concentration difficulties remain widespread.

Download resource in English

Publisher: Education Support
Country: United Kingdom
Year of publication: 2024

Region: Europe
Topics: Cross-cutting resource Leadership Mental health Peer relationships Physical health Respect Violence and harassment Workload
Available in: English
Categories of staff: Teachers Education support personnel School leaders
Level of education: Early childhood education Primary education Secondary education
Resource type: Downloadable file

This briefing captures the recommendations of United Nations High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession that are focused on teacher well-being. Key recommendations include improving working conditions, ensuring mental health support, and promoting professional autonomy and development. The Panel calls for comprehensive national policies and multi-stakeholder commissions to enhance teacher well-being and support, particularly in crisis-affected regions.

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Publisher: Education International (EI)
Year of publication: 2024

Topics: Cross-cutting resource
Available in: English French Spanish, Castilian
Categories of staff: Teachers Education support personnel School leaders
Resource type: Downloadable file

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Health and well-being hub Education International’s resource center

Showing 34 Resources Filtered by:

Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate

Better understanding and action for workers with endometriosis

Guiding victims of workplace accidents and their families

Suffering at work: an underestimated issue?

The time that isn't enough

Working on greater social safety

The mental health crisis among faculty and college staff

Health and safety in schools and colleges

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

State of education 2024: Workload and wellbeing

Workload, wellbeing and Covid-19

Fresh thinking and new mental models needed to improve teacher wellbeing

Making universal social protection a reality

Teacher wellbeing index - 2024

Activating the recommendations on teacher well-being