“Worrying” rate of distress among civil servants

A recent study conducted by researchers at Laval University among more than 4,000 members of Quebec’s largest public and parapublic service union reveals that more than half (58%) of them experience “high” psychological distress. or “very high”.

For Laurie Kirouac, professor in the Department of Industrial Relations and principal researcher of the study, this rate is “worrying”. “In fact, this distress is an indicator that mental health is affected,” she explains. So, we are not necessarily at the diagnosis stage, but we are in a state of health which is affected, which has an attack, which has a deterioration.

“It’s a red flag that tells us that something is happening and therefore that there is a need to take preventive action.”

— Laurie Kirouac, professor in the Department of Industrial Relations at Laval University

The study provides the most precise portrait to date of the psychological health of members of the Quebec Public and Parapublic Service Union (SFPQ), which brings together approximately 44,000 members. They work within various ministries, such as those of the Environment or Family, or in parapublic organizations such as the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) and the Régie de l’assurance santé du Québec ( RAMQ).

Morale is low

The picture is not rosy. Nearly two in three civil servants (64%) who participated in the study reported experiencing moderate burnout, marked by disengagement or fatigue. More than a quarter (26%) of participants reported depressive symptoms that were entirely or partially work-related.

Even more concerning: 16% of participants reported clinical depression, that is, diagnosed depression characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, and other symptoms affecting their daily functioning.

And nearly 22% of people reported having clinical anxiety, a form of anxiety diagnosed by a healthcare professional that goes beyond normal daily stress.

Absenteeism and presenteeism

These sufferings weigh on the public service. More than a quarter (28%) of civil servants who participated in the study say they are affected by absenteeism, that is to say they have been absent from their work because of psychological difficulties.

Additionally, 41% of participants report being affected by “presenteeism,” meaning they are physically present at work, but their mental health reduces their productivity or ability to concentrate.

New public management

The Laval University study comes at a time when more and more researchers are questioning the effects of “new public management” on the mental health of civil servants. This approach, inspired by private sector management methods, has transformed Quebec public administration in recent decades.

The new public management, explains Ms. Kirouac, “seeks to reduce costs, but while increasing performance and efficiency. So, basically, we are making reductions in terms of time, personnel, but we still expect employees to do the same and always as well, or even better.”

Maxim Fortin, researcher at the Institute for Socioeconomic Research and Information (IRIS), emphasizes for his part that new public management tends to place more emphasis on measurable returns than on the quality of service to citizens. This leads to a loss of meaning among civil servants.

“When the priority is placed on the number and not on the person, there is really within the people who do these jobs a kind of disgust, weariness and questioning: “I thought that I was going to serve the public; In the end, I’m just a cog.”

— Maxim Fortin, researcher at IRIS

Challenging environment

Ms. Kirouac’s study highlights several risk factors present in the work environment of civil servants, likely to explain the high level of psychological distress.

More than half of participants say they have low or moderate autonomy at work. Or because they have little room for maneuver to make decisions, for example to organize their work or determine priorities. Either because they have few opportunities to fully use their skills, for example when their tasks are routine, not very stimulating or they do not feel challenged to match their abilities.

Reading the Laval University study, the president of the SFPQ, Christian Daigle, was struck by the loss of autonomy of workers, who described increasingly restricted tasks to him.

Mr. Daigle, who was a socio-economic aid agent before becoming president of the union, describes this transition. “In my job, we had files to work on from start to finish. In other ministries, it was the same thing too. But more and more, we see that the employer is breaking up the work. He cuts it up to just give plots of work, even though our people have had training to help the population.”

In the Laval University study, more than a third of participants reported low or moderate support from colleagues and superiors, while six in ten reported a lack of recognition at work. “We are seen as a worker who will provide a service, if that does not do the job, we will find another, thank you, good evening,” says Mr. Daigle.

Laurie Kirouac emphasizes that departments and agencies play a crucial role in the well-being of their employees.

To prevent psychological distress, she believes that managers would benefit from listening more to workers. Solutions should not come from the hierarchy, but from the workers themselves, who know best their workload, their level of autonomy and the support they receive, she believes.

“Mental health is not an individual matter, it is not a matter of personal factors,” says Ms. Kirouac. Mental health at work is like physical health, it is linked to working conditions, to exercise conditions.”