Dramatic change in the way public sector workers are appreciated in Bristol

From 55 days since they last thanked to 13.5 – and nurses no longer seen as least-appreciated profession

A remarkable turnaround in the way Bristol people feel about public sector workers has been underlined by a survey – which says appreciation has increased 75 per cent in the space of a year.

Just 12 months ago a survey by public sector membership club Boundless asked public sector workers in Bristol when they were last thanked for the doing their job.

It was commissioned in the build-up to UN Public Service Day, which falls on 23 June, and shockingly revealed that the average key worker in the region had gone 55 days without a ‘thank you’.

Now the same survey has been repeated ahead of this year’s Public Service Day – and the figure has dropped to 13.5 days.

This figure is still high compared to many other areas of the country, for instance Edinburgh where public sector workers say it was only 2.5 days on average since they were thanked. But it represents a major shift in the way key workers are appreciated.

The same survey also revealed:

• 50 per cent of public sector workers in Bristol feel appreciated by the public – last year it was 34 per cent.
• Nurses are no longer seen by Bristol workers as the most under-appreciated profession – that title goes to refuse collectors
• Care workers were second on the list with nurses third and bus drivers, who were placed 8th last year, were up to fourth.
• 77 per cent of NHS workers across the country say they feel appreciated by the public – it was only 48 per cent last year.

Now Bristolians are being encouraged to continue their appreciation for key workers by supporting Public Service Day.

The day, officially launched by the United Nations as long ago as 2003, has barely been recognised in the UK so far.

However, Boundless, which was founded in 1923, wants to change things.

It aims to bring the UK together to celebrate the contribution made to society by millions of public service workers, from nurses to teachers, firefighters to administrators and police officers to care workers.

Darren Milton at Boundless said: “This year Public Service Day falls on Tuesday 23 June and it’s a wonderful opportunity for people in Bristol to remind their public service workers that we won’t forget what they have done for us. Not least during the last few months.

“The figures coming back from our survey are hugely encouraging because they show that millions of people have been saying ‘thank you,’ and doing so far more often than a year ago.

“In Bristol it’s wonderful to see that public sector workers are being thanked more often than last year. But the figure of 13.5 days since last being thanked is still some way behind other cities – for instance Brighton, where the average is 3.5 days, Edinburgh 2.5 days and Cardiff 4 days.

“That’s why we don’t want the appreciation to stop when the pandemic is over. The next step is to back Public Service Day and to think about ways that we can value our public sector workers long into the future.”

The 10 most under-appreciated professions according to people in Bristol in 2020 are:

1 Refuse collectors 48% (last year 3rd)

2 Care workers 30% (last year 2nd)

3 Nurse 28% (last year 1st)

4 Bus drivers 22% (last year 8th)

5 HMRC 20% (last year 7th)

6 Lollipop crossing guards 16% (last year 9th)

7 Police 14% (last year 5th)

8 Teachers 12% (last year 4th)

9 Doctor 10% (last year 10th)

10 Firefighters 10% (last year 6th)

The cities where public sector workers are thanked most often

1 Edinburgh: 2.5 days since workers were last thanked

2 Brighton 3.5

3 Cardiff 4

4 Nottingham 4

5 Belfast 5

5 Manchester 5

7 Southampton 5.5

8 Liverpool 6

8 London 6

8 Newcastle 6

11 Sheffield 9

12 Birmingham 10

13 Leeds 11

13 Norwich 11

15 Birmingham 10

16 Glasgow 12

17 Bristol 13

For more information, please visit www.boundless.co.uk/publicserviceday2020

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Methodology

2020 survey:

Fieldwork: Markettiers

Sample: 2,003 UK workers

Survey period: May 2020

2019 survey:

Fieldwork: Censuswide

Sample: 2,004 UK workers

Survey period: June 2019

For further information, please contact:

Flo Powell or Carissa Christy

Midnight Communications

Tel: 01273 666 200

Email: Boundless@midnight.co.uk   

About Boundless

Boundless is a membership club for civil service and public sector workers who are looking for inspiration on getting the most out of their free time. With a heritage and expertise dating back more than 95 years, Boundless offers its 230,000 members deals on hundreds of unique experiences, events, volunteer activities and things to do. It’s also mutual, so all profits go straight back into the club to benefit members.

www.boundless.co.uk

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Editors notes

Boundless is a membership club for civil service and public sector workers who are looking for inspiration on getting the most out of their free time. With a heritage and expertise dating back more than 90 years, Boundless offers its 230,000 members deals on hundreds of unique experiences, events, volunteer activities and things to do. It’s also mutual, so all profits go straight back into the club to benefit members.