“I want to highlight how much responsibility we have and how little money we get,” says 26-year-old Matthew Greenwood, a behaviour support assistant for children with autism. “I’d like to stay in the public sector because I enjoy helping those most vulnerable in society, but it is difficult.”
Greenwood earns £14,000 a year working 32 hours a week. He works 15 hours extra in after-school clubs, taking home a further £160 a month. He also studies for his Open University early years degree for three hours every night.
He is just one example of a public sector employee at the bottom end of the pay scale who works more than one job to survive. A recent Guardian survey assessing the wellbeing of public and voluntary sector employees found that 95% work beyond their contracted hours, and 93% feel stressed at work all, some or a lot of the time. It also revealed that 15% of staff have to take on a second job to get by.
Insecurity pervades the public sector. A 2014 Unison survey revealed that 80% of school support staff were concerned about workload, and 90% were worried about low pay. And a 2014 YouGov survey by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) of almost 10,000 firemen found that a third of full-time firefighters had a second job.
So what impact does such insecurity and overworking have on people’s lives?
Mental health
An increase in zero-hours contracts has led to anxiety among employees uncertain of their weekly cashflow.
A postroom operative earning £15,015 a year works an extra 18 hours a week sorting medical records, on a zero-hours basis. “You have to show commitment to keep the hours going,” he says. “We have some people who rely on these contracts for getting work – they could go home and not hear anything ever again.”
Rushing between jobs can affect mental wellbeing. The postroom operative says that working two consecutive shifts at different jobs for less than six hours each means he only gets one break under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
This lack of rest time is likely to have a negative impact, says occupational psychologist Emma Donaldson-Feilder. “It’s not just about what happens during work,” she says. “We need time to recover from work to function. We’re not designed to be on high alert and putting in lots of effort on a no-recovery basis.”
And while those in the public sector may regularly work all hours, it might still not be enough to get by. Greenwood says that despite working more than 40 hours a week, he can’t afford to move out of his parents’ house. “I economise with everything,” he says. “At the moment I’m paying off a car and I pay my parents what I can in rent, but after that my money doesn’t go far. I’ve saved for two years to go on holiday.”
A feeling of injustice at working hard for little reward can have psychological effects, Donaldson-Feilder says. “If there’s an imbalance between the effort people put in and the reward they get out, it can have an impact. And reward isn’t just about pay – it’s also about appreciation, gratitude and being valued.”
Physical health
Overworking can take its toll on physical wellbeing too – Greenwood took three weeks off work last year as a result of work-related illness, he says, but had to return for financial reasons. “I ran myself into the ground, but I need to work to get the money to do what I want,” he says. “It’s a double-edged blade.”
For those working long hours exercise often falls by the wayside, despite its importance in reducing stress, Donaldson-Feilder says.
A full-time firefighter and FBU representative, who runs a window-cleaning business to help provide for his family, says he earns £30,000 a year but his large pension contributions mean his wage is comparable to a £22,000 job. “I’ll sometimes do window cleaning from 8am to 4pm, then do a firefighting night shift from 6pm to 9am,” he says. “I’d like a gym membership but there’s no point – I can’t afford it and I wouldn’t have time to go.”
Family life and relationships
The work-life balance can be significantly skewed when tackling two jobs. “There is a massive quality of life issue here,” says Mike Short, senior national officer for local government at Unison. “People take on a second job but should be spending time with family and friends.”
The firefighter says the biggest pressure he feels from holding down two jobs is missing out on time with his partner and four children. “A lottery win would be the opportunity to not work a second job so I could pick my children up from school and take them swimming,” he says. “Firefighting has a reasonably family-friendly work pattern, if only it paid more money.”
Donaldson-Feilder says maintaining support networks is crucial to prevent feelings of isolation. “Look for ways you can build in time for people who care about you and who are supportive of you,” she advises overworked staff. “If you don’t have a big social circle, get involved in activities that are altruistic in some way, such as at a local charity.”
And regardless of stressful working conditions, high pensions and pay cuts, altruism is the main reason many people continue to pursue a career in public services. “If I really pushed myself, I could probably earn enough money window cleaning,” says the firefighter. “But I love my job and many people join this profession and take a pay cut because it can be very rewarding.”
- Are you struggling to get by working two jobs in the public sector? Tell us your story: public.leaders@theguardian.com
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