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VAHPA is thrilled to announce the launch of the Workplace Climate and Wellbeing survey 2022.
Twelve months after the successful collaboration between VAHPA and Swinburne University to survey Allied Health Professionals in the workplace, we are launching the follow up survey. This project is an important opportunity to gain insight into how you are feeling at work, particularly in relation to workloads, working conditions, job satisfaction, stress levels and the organisational and management practices.
Last year’s survey report was instrumental in laying the foundations for the public sector enterprise bargaining campaign and raising awareness of the impact of the pandemic on Allied Health Professionals across all sectors. The 2021 survey was undertaken at the peak of the Delta wave while this year’s survey will provide important information on how you are feeling 12 months on, in the peak of the Omicron BA.5 wave.
VAHPA is acutely aware of the dire conditions, and workload demands that AHPs face every day, and we know all too well how seriously this is impacting on your personal lives and your wellbeing. As the pandemic drags on and the health workforce continues to bear the brunt, we need to tell the Allied Health story clearly and convincingly if we are to overcome these issues; this survey provides us with the evidence we need.
The survey report will identify the most problematic workplace issues and allow us to make recommendations as to how these issues might be resolved. But of course, we can’t do this without you; we need your input. This survey, which can be completed online, will take you roughly 10-15 minutes to complete.
The project is conducted by Professor Peter Holland, Dr Julian Vieceli and Dr Lara Thynne, whose research expertise centres around work stress in the health service industry. It is important that this project is carried out by impartial researchers so that the findings are legitimate, and the recommendations are able to withstand politically motivated criticism.
This same research team has recently completed a similar follow-up study in collaboration with the Victorian Ambulance Union, which drew much media attention. Health funding decisions are always dependent on the political power of the relevant workforce in question. Our goal is to see VAHPA grow by engaging new members over the coming year; this growth in political strength will greatly increase the likelihood that we are able to achieve the outcomes we need.
The survey will open on Monday 1 August 2022 and remain open for 4-weeks. It is important that every AHP in Victoria takes the time to complete this survey. We need you to complete and share the survey as widely as possible. If you completed the 2021 survey, we really need you to complete this one as well to help build a picture of any change.
Survey links will also be shared via our social media platforms. You can start, leave and come back to complete the survey but that needs to be done on the same device. Your response will be completely anonymous, but you will be asked to set up a unique identifier to allow you to log back in. This can be any six-digit number plus a word, but you need to be able to remember it.
This survey is a HUGE opportunity to advocate for the needs of AHPs!