Trend to hot-desking ‘ramping up stress levels’

Six in 10 social workers have to hot-desk, prompting concerns about stress in the workforce.

Community Care‘s online poll of more than 100 social workers found the majority did not have a permanent desk.

Responding to the results, Helga Pile, former member of the Social Work Task Force and Unison’s national officer for social work, said hot-desking “ramped up the stress levels in an already very challenging job”.

She added: “Many social workers told us [the taskforce] that, without a desk of their own, they had to waste time and effort trying to find a suitable place to write their reports, make sensitive phone calls and update their records.

“Others said finding a quiet and confidential space to talk with clients was tricky.”

Many employers introduce hot-desking because it costs less, but Pile said they should re-think this policy in order to better support their staff.

“Social work is already one of the toughest jobs going,” she said. “It’s only right that we do what we can to cut some of the stress factors.”

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