Coronavirus: One in five early years workers 'want to leave the sector' - survey

With 87 percent of practitioners feeling that that the early years sector has been undervalued during the pandemic anda third saying they are not able to cope with the additional pressures, the survey of 3,800 respondents undertaken between December 2020 and January 2021 found that 20 percent of the workforce are considering leaving.

One respondent said that the unpredictability and pressure for minimum wage is ‘terrible and unjustified’ and that they would get ‘the same or more for cleaning’.
Another said, ‘I feel that the early years sector has been treated disgracefully during the pandemic and I feel that workers have been put at increased risk during the pandemic with little support and acknowledgment of [our] feelings and welfare. My intention is to look for another form of employment and leave the sector.’

The depths of despair that some practitioners have felt is reflected in the 67 respondents (two percent) who said that they had thoughts of ending their own life as a result of the pressures that the pandemic has placed on their early years roles.

One in 10 (11 percent) have also taken time off work due to stress linked to the impact of the pandemic on their role.

The survey also found that the three main sources of stress for those working in the early years sector are keeping up to date with the latest Government guidance; ensuring the safety of children and practitioners at their provision and concerns about the financial viability of their provision. 

Commenting on the results of the survey, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said, ‘It is clear from these results that this is a sector at breaking point. Those working in nurseries, pre-schools and childminding settings have been asked to put their own safety, and that of their loved ones, at risk with little support and even less recognition, and so it is no surprise that this has taken such a toll on their mental health and well-being. 

‘Those in Government should take a moment to reflect on how it feels to listen to ministers tell everyone how vital it is to stay at home, and to watch as hospitalisation and death rates continue to rise, and then to be asked to keep working in a close-contact environment with no support with PPE, no testing and no vaccinations. Is it any wonder that such a significant proportion of the early years workforce are considering simply walking away? 

‘We urge the Government to take stock of these findings and commit to providing the support that those in the early years need to remain safe and sustainable during this period. The sector is doing its utmost to continue providing a vital service to families at an incredibly difficult and worrying time, but it is not fair, and it is not right, to ask them to continue to do so if the cost is their own wellbeing, whether physical or mental. If we keep going the way we are going, we are going to lose excellent professionals from the sector for good.’