Friday 31-03-2023 - 00:00

In 2022, NUS Charity conducted a research project into the experiences of SU and NUS officers over the past ten years. 468 current or previous officers shared their experiences with us.

 

We asked them about their experience in the role, the impact of the role and responsibilities on overall wellbeing and mental health as well as the impact the role had on them in their later lives.

The key findings of the research, compiled in a new report are:

• Work/life balance was believed to be very poor by 59% of respondents. They explained they felt there was just too much work to do, with no clear boundaries or out-of-office time.
• 52% of the officers in the online survey who received accountability or criticisms as part of their role highlighted the negative impact this had on their mental health.
• A huge 56% of officers received abuse. Breaking this down further, a third of officers indicated abuse came through their own personal social media, and in particular, Facebook.
• Disabled officers were significantly more likely to receive abuse via their personal social accounts. After receiving abuse, the negative impact on health and wellbeing was significantly more likely amongst women, whilst non-white officers were more likely to have safe spaces provided.
• Of those who had received abuse online, the majority told us this had made their mental health worse in terms of developing anxiety, lost confidence and made them question their worth. A third of all officers indicated they had not received any training to deal with this.

Through this research, we hope to highlight the experiences of officers over the last decade, shining a light on how we support officers as a sector, and what we might do differently to improve their experiences for years to come.
 

Officers made it clear that the level of induction and support is vastly different from organisation to organisation. To counteract this, we’re also releasing an elected officers’ toolkit. This toolkit empowers new officers, giving them an additional layer of support throughout their term.

 

Written in collaboration with officers, these easy digestible pieces of content can be read and understood 30mins before a meeting. The toolkit provides officers with a framework to utilise and boost their confidence in uncomfortable situations, alongside some top tips for working as part of their organisations.
 

As part of our response to the findings, we are really excited to be working with Glitch, an award-winning UK charity working to end online abuse and champion digital citizenship. We have arranged for them to host workshops at below market rates this summer to support officers to:

• Discover the fundamentals of digital self-defence and the digital tools they can use to protect their privacy and information online.
• Learn how to be an online active bystander and feel empowered to undertake this role.
• Learn about digital self-care and feel empowered to take control of their wellbeing online.
• Learn about digital citizenship and what that means for them in their role as an elected officer at a students' union.

Registration for the Glitch Officer Workshop is now open, and you can access it here.
 

Officer Wellbeing Research

• Full Report

Elected Officers’ Toolkit

• Hosting Events
• Being a Trustee
• Chairing Meetings
• Handling abuse, complaints and scrutiny
• Social media
• Time management
• Dealing with stakeholders
• Elections: re-running, winning or losing
• Workplace tips including emails and calendar management
• Being the “face” of your organisation
• Reflections sheet