People Matter survey

The Public Service Commission is again surveying teachers and other public sector employees in its People Matter survey for 2019.

Since its inception, the data obtained from the People Matter survey has proven valuable to Federation, with past results used to provide quantitative data to the Department about commonly reported member concerns in relation to numerous issues including; the inadequacy of complaints handling procedures; the effect of workload on teachers; workplace stress; and the associated risk of psychosocial injury.

The data enabled Federation to pursue these matters resulting in changes to the Department’s Complaints Handling Policy and Procedures and, following up data associated with workplace stress, commissioning the study that resulted in the 2018 Understanding Work in Schools – The Foundation for Teaching and Learning report, which has been successful in addressing workload issues with the Department.

There is still more work to be done in relation to these issues and it is expected that information obtained from the 2019 People Matter survey will, no doubt, prove useful to assist Federation to further address these and other matters.

However, Federation wants to make members aware that the data collected can be disaggregated and provided as reports at the workplace level. While the individual answers of teachers will not be supplied to workplaces, reports on general questions can be provided when more than 10 people respond to the survey.

Demographic questions such as those relating to age or salary are only reported where there is a minimum sample of 50 respondents. Members are advised to take these facts into account in making decisions about their engagement with the survey.

The survey period began on 30 May and it will remain open until Friday 28 June.

Sam Clay, Deputy Secretary (Research, Industrial and Professional Support)