Four out of ten social workers threatened

social workersFilling out a form. Photo: Pixabay.com

Four out of ten social workers have experienced violence and threats at work

Four out of ten social workers have been hit or threatened at work. Union representatives reported too few employees working with a very demanding client group.

 

According to figures from the National Monitor of the Working Environment (Noa), 41% of nurses and social workers have experienced violence and threats at work reported Stavanger Aftenblad newspaper.

One of them is Kjell Ross Jenssen, who has been employed as an environmental worker for over 20 years. In addition to being kicked and injuring his back, he has also been threatened with murder.

‘’I thought I’d be fine. In the past, I have had threats, thought about it for a couple of days, but then it passed. With this threat, it was different. On my way home from work, I took precautions and at home too. The fear lasted for a long time,’’ said Ross Jenssen.

Chief Attorney, Åshild Thorsen of the Fellesorganisasjonen (FO), believes low staffing and lack of competence among employees is a continuous issue.

‘’A common feature of the episodes being logged is that employees were often alone with a client. We need more resources and more with specialist skills. This is evenly the same in all municipalities. What are politicians willing to pay to get enough professionals?’’ asked Thorsen.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today