K-12 Employee Job Satisfaction Plummets as Stress and Worries Increase Regarding COVID-19 Safety and Personal Finances
February 25 2021 - 9:49AM
A nationwide poll of K-12 employees finds this segment of the state
and local workforce has heightened concerns stemming from the
COVID-19 pandemic. Of those surveyed, the vast majority reported
feeling stressed (63%), high levels of burnout/fatigue (54%), and
substantial anxiety (47%) at work due to the pandemic. These
worries come as K-12 employees were significantly more likely than
other government employees to perceive themselves to be at risk of
exposure to COVID-19 at work (60% vs. 38%).
K-12 employees’ general satisfaction with their employers
plummeted from 69% in March 2020, to 44% in October 2020.
Additionally, more public education professionals could leave their
jobs at a time when many state and local governments are struggling
to recruit and retain teachers. More than one-third (38%) of K-12
employees say that working during the pandemic has made them
consider changing jobs, as compared to 25% of other government
employees.
These findings are contained in a new report from the Center for
State and Local Government Excellence at ICMA-RC (SLGE at ICMA-RC),
K-12 Public School Employee Views on Finances, Employment
Outlook, and Safety Concerns Due to COVID-19. Download the
report. In addition to describing the results of the survey, the
report offers recommendations for states and localities to think
strategically to address these challenges. To help alleviate the
safety, health, job, and financial concerns of K-12 employees, the
report highlights four areas of focus for state and local
governments: financial wellness, employee morale, remote work and
nontraditional benefits.
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“These findings should ring the alarm bell for policymakers
grappling with the short- and long-term impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic on the U.S. education system and the K-12 workforce,” said
Rivka Liss-Levinson, Ph.D., Senior Research Manager at SLGE at
ICMA-RC. “State and local lawmakers are tackling complicated issues
– coping with remote learning, vaccinating teachers, transitioning
children back to schools, addressing school budget and teacher
compensation, and filling staff shortages. We hope these findings
will help inform public policy decisions on critical issues that
impact K-12 workers, children and families,” she said.
“Educators are central to student achievement, just as high
quality education is essential for U.S. economic competitiveness;
and left unaddressed, the harm to the U.S. education workforce
could be deep,” said Orlando Cruz, Senior Vice President at
ICMA-RC. “This research tells us that the pandemic has placed a
heavy burden on the K-12 public school workforce. It is more
important than ever to engage our participants with educational
tools, guidance, and resources that not only help alleviate the
anxiety levels faced by educators today, but also help set them up
for future financial success beyond the pandemic.”
The report finds:
- There has been a sharp decline in education employees’ job
satisfaction since the onset of the pandemic. K-12 employees’
general satisfaction with their employer fell from 69% in March
2020, to 44% in October 2020.
- Work hours have increased substantially in the wake of the
pandemic. Of K-12 employees, 41% reported that they are working
more hours (either officially or unofficially) in October 2020 than
they were prior to the pandemic. This is most often due to the
extra work that online/remote work entails (78%), an increased
number of parent or student meetings/communications (52%), and an
increased number of work meetings/communications (50%).
- The nature of work in education has changed dramatically due
to COVID-19, more so than for other state and local employees, and
the adjustment has been difficult. In October 2020, 55% of K-12
employees and 35% of other government employees reported that the
pandemic has significantly impacted the nature of their job. While
46% of K-12 employees rated the adjustment as extremely or very
difficult, fewer than half as many other government employees did
(22%).
- K-12 workers are more likely than other state and local
employees to be considering changing jobs and to believe the job
risks are not on par with their compensation. While 55% of K-12
employees reported that the risks they are taking during the
pandemic are not on par with their compensation, only 44% of other
government employees did. Further, 38% of K-12 employees say that
working during the pandemic has made them consider changing jobs,
as compared to 25% of other government employees.
- Public school employees were significantly more likely than
other government workers to report feeling stressed and/or burned
out/fatigued. K-12 employees most often reported feeling
stressed (63%), burned out/fatigued (54%), and/or anxious (47%) at
work due to the pandemic. For other state and local employees,
these rates were lower – 52% for stress, 47% for burnout/fatigue,
and 44% for anxiety at work.
- K-12 employees were significantly more likely to perceive
themselves to be at risk of exposure to COVID-19 at work than other
government employees. Of K-12 employees, 60% felt that they are
at very or extremely high risk, as compared to 38% of other
government employees.
- K-12 employees worry about keeping their family safe from
contracting COVID-19, about contracting the virus at work, and
having their employee benefits package reduced. They were more
likely than other government employees to be very or extremely
concerned about most issues, especially keeping their family safe
from contracting the virus (61% versus 48%), and staying protected
from contracting the virus at work (61% versus 43%).
- More are juggling childcare while working as compared to
their state and local employee counterparts. While 60% of K-12
employees who are parents of children under the age of 18 have had
to work from home while taking care of their kids for a lengthy
period of time, fewer than 40% of other government employees have
had to do so.
- More K-12 workers say the pandemic has harmed their family
finances than other public employees. Among K-12 survey
respondents, 60% reported that they and their family have been
negatively impacted financially by the pandemic, while half of
other government employees did.
- K-12 employees are increasingly worried about
retirement. Of state and local education staff, 48% are
concerned about their ability to save enough to be financially
secure throughout retirement. This level of concern is at 39% for
other public employees. In October 2020, 45% of K-12 employees
agreed that people who retire from jobs in K-12 education are able
to live comfortably in retirement- -- a decrease of six percentage
points from March. Even fewer felt that their employer does a good
job of preparing them for retirement (37% in March and 34% in
October).
Information for this report is derived from an October 2020
national survey of 1,205 state and local government employees,
including 494 K-12 public school employees. The survey, conducted
by SLGE at ICMA-RC and Greenwald Research, assessed public sector
employee views on the impact of the pandemic on their employment
and financial outlook, safety concerns, and employer and benefits
satisfaction. When applicable, results are compared to a March 2020
survey of 400 K-12 employees. Final data for both surveys were
weighted by gender, age, income, and industry type to reflect the
distribution of the state and local government workforce as found
in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and the U.S.
Census of Governments.
The Center for State and Local Government Excellence at
ICMA-RC
The Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE) was
founded in 2007 by ICMA-RC, and in 2021, the two organizations
formally joined forces to form the Center for State and Local
Government Excellence at ICMA-RC. SLGE helps local and state
governments become knowledgeable and competitive employers so they
can attract and retain a talented and committed workforce. It
identifies leading practices and conducts research on public
retirement plans, health and wellness benefits, workforce
demographics and skill set needs, labor force development, as well
as topics facing the not-for-profit industry and the education
sector. Additionally, the center brings state and local leaders
together with respected researchers. For more information, access
to all research and publications, and to sign up for the center’s
newsletter, visit slge.org and follow @4GovtExcellence on
Twitter.
Aprile Pritchet
ICMA-RC
202-962-8067
apritchet@icmarc.org
Kelly Kenneally
State and Local Government Excellence at ICMA-RC
202-256-1445
kkenneally@slge.org