NOS News•today, 10:36•Amended today, 2:09 PM
Eight percent of employees of the Ministry of Health and Sport (VWS) feel socially unsafe at work. 82 percent say they feel safe and 10 percent are neutral about this. This is the outcome of an investigation by an external agency that the top of the ministry commissioned in response to a survey by the FNV. According to the FNV, that survey (from the end of last year) painted a picture of a toxic and unsafe working atmosphere.
Nearly three-quarters of employees completed the survey set up by top management. Almost all parts of VWS participated. According to the results, the 8 percent that do not feel safe is widely spread across the entire organization and there is no part that stands out. 5 percent of employees have had experience with undesirable behavior themselves and 7 percent say they have witnessed this.
Highest official: confrontational
Interim Secretary General Riedstra (the highest civil servant) calls it confrontational that there are employees spread throughout the ministry who do not feel safe: “We look beyond just percentage results. We will work jointly and intensively to ensure that VWS everyone is and remains a safe working environment.”
Chairman Vrouwenvelder of the works council says that the results clearly indicate where targeted improvements are necessary: ”We emphasize the importance of a culture of collaboration in an open and safe environment in which mistakes can be made without fear of repercussions.”
In a response, the FNV says it still believes intervention is necessary: ”The number and severity of signals from the ministry are still shocking. This concerns many hundreds of people who indicated in both surveys that they felt unsafe or felt unsafe. have felt,” says vice-chairman Kitty Jong.
