Specialized allied health plagued by burnout, high workloads and continued staffing shortages, according to recent MAHCP member survey
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – JUNE 26, 2024
TREATY 1, WINNIPEG — Two in three (65%) allied health professionals working in Manitoba’s public health-care system have seriously considered leaving their job in the past year, according to a recent member survey by the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP). This finding is significantly higher than the 54% of health-care workers who said they had been thinking of leaving their job when surveyed by Deloitte during the pandemic.
“These alarming survey results, fresh from the frontlines, show that systemic challenges persist within Manitoba’s health care system, and the situation is not improving fast enough to provide some relief,” said MAHCP President Jason Linklater. “Our members have been handling growing workloads with dwindling staffing and resources for years, and it is unfortunately not surprising that so many are considering leaving if they don’t get additional resources soon. Manitoba is at risk of losing more specialized health-care professionals.”
The survey of public-sector allied health professionals, conducted in early May 2024, revealed that 28 per cent of those who said they had been thinking about leaving their job are considering leaving health care altogether. The survey also revealed:
- 90% say workload has ‘greatly increased’ (55%) or ‘somewhat increased’ (35%) or compared to five years ago. The main reason: the volume of work has grown, but staffing has not (73%).
- Half (49%) say employee morale is ‘much worse’ and a further 29% say it is ‘somewhat worse’ than five years ago.
- 60% say quality of service is ‘somewhat worse’ (36%) or ‘much worse’ (24%) compared to five years ago.
- When asked for their perspectives on top issues affecting their workplace, respondents said: ‘increased workload’ (61%), ‘unfilled vacancies’ (48%), ‘not feeling valued’ (39%) and ‘low morale’ (38%).
- 79% say they are ‘somewhat valued ‘(41%) or ‘highly valued’ (28%) by their patients, but only 30% say they are ‘somewhat valued’ (23%) or ‘highly valued’ (7%) by their management/employer.
- Only 30% say their employer provides them with sufficient resources to do their job well.
- The two thirds of respondents who are considering leaving their job identified ‘work stress affecting well-being’ (56%), ‘workload’ (48%), ‘do not feel valued/respected’ (47%) and ‘inadequate staffing’ (45%) as the most common reasons.
- 17% are eligible to retire in the next four years.
“Once they’re gone, specialized health-care professionals are not easy to replace,” said Linklater. “The frontline is saying loud and clear that immediate action is needed to retain them.”
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The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals is a union representing more than 7,000 allied health professionals in Manitoba’s public health-care system, and the only union in the province dedicated solely to supporting allied health professionals. Our members work in 45 specialized disciplines within prevention, emergency response, assessment & diagnostics, rehabilitation & recovery, and they are critical members of multi-disciplinary teams in hospital and labs, clinics, long-term care and community settings. www.mahcp.ca
For all media requests/interviews:
Karen Viveiros, Communications
431-323-7499