Teachers, team leaders and support staff have been experiencing a decline in mental health due to unprecedented levels of change and growing expectations within their roles. 43% of employees within the sector took time off due to poor mental health in the past year.
Issues such as stress, lack of support and presenteeism are significantly contributing to the health and wellbeing of education sector professionals. There are practical, scalable ways to support your people that don’t require major time or financial investment. Understanding these challenges is the first step toward creating a healthier working environment.
Mental health and burnout for education professionals
According to the UK’s Health and Safety Executive, teaching staff and education professionals report the highest rates of work-related stress, depression and anxiety in Britain. 82% of teachers think that work has negatively affected their mental health, and 80% have experienced more work-related stress than in the previous year. Worryingly, this is a huge factor leading to 55% of employees actively looking for other roles away from education.
According to our 2024 workplace wellbeing survey, three-quarters (77%) of education sector workers say they feel the effects of burnout at least some of the time. Almost half (46%) feel burnt out ‘often’ or ‘all the time’. The top three reasons for burnout in the education sector are:
Working long hours (37%)
Full-time school teachers reported working 51 hours on average during the given week, while senior leaders worked even longer — 57 hours on average. The main causes of long working hours are the volume of administrative tasks, the volume of marking and staff shortages.
Lack of work-life balance (37%)
The latest survey of National Education Union members found that three quarters (75%) of teacher respondents frequently find themselves ‘unable’ to switch-off from work-related thoughts and tasks when at home. Additionally, 41% stated that this was ‘always’ the case.
Stress outside of work (35%)
More than half of education workers say their mental health has impacted their productivity at work in the past 12 months (54%). Not everyone will be open with their manager about stress outside of work but having a positive workplace culture or wellbeing initiatives can help reduce excess stress.
Attitudes towards wellbeing support in education
Compared to the UK average, those in the education sector are less likely to find their workplace wellbeing support useful. A third (33%) of workers say they don’t find it useful. This is an area that employers can target by asking their employees what support they need and reviewing their wellbeing initiatives on a regular basis.
Our data found that the most sought-after wellbeing benefits for education employees include personal/mental health days (33%), private healthcare (21%), counselling (20%), health check-ups (20%) and 24/7 GP services (17%). While this data highlights general trends, it’s essential to collect feedback from within your own organisation for the most relevant insights.
Future outlook for education
There are actionable changes that can improve employee wellbeing, boost morale, improve mental health, and help retain passionate, dedicated professionals. Some of these include:
- Tailored wellbeing support. A third (33%) of workers in the education sector say they don’t find their wellbeing support useful. Asking employees about their wellbeing priorities can give clear guidance on where to target your support.
- Set clear internal policies. Gov UK found that the majority of senior leaders do not work with teachers when it is necessary to solve issues, which can cause an inconsistent approach. Writing clear policies should include contact details of a responsible person within the organisation that can offer clarification and guidance.
- Strengthen internal relationships. Many employees in the education sector are considering are considering changing jobs in the next year. With so many struggling to manage their mental health and expressing concerns about the future, support in this area could help retain workers.
Free summary on wellbeing in the education sector
The link between staff wellbeing and performance in education is well recognised—but knowing where to start can be challenging. This free summary highlights key insights around mental health in the sector, including the main pressures education professionals are facing.
