The Duty of Care
Staffing / workloads survey
It will sometime be useful to conduct a members' survey to test their views and/or to demonstrate to management the strength of feeling, or level of concern. It can be used to demonstrate that UNISON stewards are representative of members' views especially in it is being suggested this is not the case. It can also, in some situations, be used jointly with the Trust to identify what staff want done to resolve concerns.
The survey is in Rich Text Format and can be downloaded and amended to suit your local situation.
Download survey proforma
Ten points to bear in mind when conducting surveys
- The shorter they are, the better the likely response
- Design them in such a way that those responding can't easily be identified - and make it clear that individuals will not be identified in any report arising from the survey.
- Test the survey out on a couple of colleagues before sending them out - better to find mistakes before you send them out to everyone
- Avoid asking obviously leading questions
- Keep as many questions as possible in a form that can be answered by ticking boxes - it makes it much quicker and easier to analyse
- Do, however, leave space as appropriate for members to give examples or explain answers to important questions.
- Make sure everyone who needs to gets a copy - and leave enough time to reply - usually at least two weeks to allow for annual leave, sickness absence etc. It is a local decision whether or not non-UNISON members can complete the survey - it may be a good recruitment tool.
- Make sure members are reminded to fill in and complete the surveys - and if you can offer the opportunity to fax or e: mail replies.
- It is OK to allow an extra days after the published closing date, but no more.
- Make sure any report you do is short, written fairly, including anything that doesn't help you cause - being honest means that the points that do help your cause are even more powerful. If you do write a report, give it a title, number the paragraphs, and include the actual survey as an appendix.
