Call-centre survey finds staff stressed and in pain

NEWS Up to three quarters of call centre staff may be experiencing stress, and four out of five suffering headaches, plus more than 60 percent having pains in their hands, wrists and back, reports a Trade Union survey by Unison in Scotland. More than 80 percent of the people surveyed also said that background noise levels made listening and speaking a strain. The survey was based on 382 returned questionnaires from 500 members throughout Scotland. Call centres account for 46,000 jobs at 200 sites north of the border. Unison have now drawn up a six point call-centre charter called Raising the Standard to address the findings:
  • fair pay
  • a positive approach to work/life balance
  • better job design
  • opportunity to join a trade union
  • training and development
  • good health and safety
The union did acknowledge that there had been improvements in equipment and workstation design and a greater recognition of the importance of regular breaks and health checks. The Unison organiser for utilities in Scotland, Dave Watson, said the charter was meant to be a wake up call for the whole industry. "It recognises that while progress has been made recently, all call centres need to be brought up to the standards of the best." The industry's trade body, the Call Centre Association, launched its own national standards for best practice in November 2000. This includes a pledge to give call centre employees at all levels mandatory training and development and the introduction of processes to gather employees' views, disseminate information and take appropriate action.
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Talkback

I found this a very frustrating article. Whilst I am willing to accept the findings related to physical issues e.g. aching joints, headaches. I am very disappointed that the first five points that Unison has chosen to raise does not relate to the health issues given within the article.

If the only respondents are Unison members then this survey has a fair degree of bias that does not reflect the industry as a whole - I have always been given the opportunity to join a union, if fact in most cases it has been encouraged.

Can I say that having worked in the Call/Contact Centre industry for over 6 years I have worked in some of the nicest environments in my career history. I have also gained more qualifications since joining Call Centres than I gained at school and development opportunities have always been made available to me regardless of the role I have been doing.

In regard to fair pay, the reality is that we are losing our industry to other continents e.g. Asia, because we are so expensive to run and I can honestly say that whilst I would love to be paid more - who wouldn't - I think I am paid fairly for the job I do.

20 Feb 04 14:48 Reply

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