Resignations outnumber retirements as social workers in N.L. endure staffing crisis

Social workers in Newfoundland and Labrador are far more likely to resign from their positions long before retirement, leaving behind vacancies that add to the workforce shortage and burden those left behind with bigger caseloads, according to data from a Department of Health and Community Services report in 2022.

Vacancies are a longstanding problem that has been at the top of the priority list for the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees union for years. 

In August, the union raised concerns once again after CBC News reported — from documents acquired through an access-to-information request — there were 99 vacant social work positions in the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development alone.

That department and Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, the provincial health authority, are N.L.'s two largest employers of social workers. 

CSSD data provided to CBC News shows there were 202 resignations between 2014 and 2021, compared with just 19 retirements. The turnover rate more than doubled in that time period for Social Worker I positions, according to the 2022 report. Reasons were not provided. 

Within the provincial health authority — Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, which at the time of the 2022 report was four separate regional entities — the same trend can be seen. 

Among the four regions, there were 185 resignations and 72 retirements. Labrador-Grenfell Health led the way with 76 job "separations" over the seven years, 62 of which were resignations and three were retirements. Eleven were classified as "other," which would include deaths and people moving to a different department.

Eastern Health posted 63 resignations with 45 retirements over 6.8 years, Central Health had 25 resignations and 12 retirements over 6.9 years and Western Health had 35 resignations and 12 retirements over nearly a decade. 

Youngest leaving

There are two large groups of social workers exiting the work force, according to the Community Services report.

The first, a younger group between 25 and 39 years old "who are generally mobile," have the least experience and work mostly in child protection services.

Child protection services had 21 per cent of the practising licences at the time of the report. The average age was 36.9 years old, compared with the provincial average of 42.4 years old. Further, at 63 per cent, social workers in that area of focus also have the highest percentage with 10 years or less work experience.

An Ernst & Young report from February 2023 indicates 59 per cent of social workers in CSSD are assigned more than the recommended 20-case workload. Survey data suggested most respondents felt their workload is "unmanageable" and "overwhelming" at times.

A report titled Children in Care in Newfoundland and Labrador: A Review of Issues and Trends with Recommendations for Programs and Services — from 15 years earlier — had similar findings, including social workers voiced frustrations about unmanageable workloads.

"High staff turnover has resulted in very young and inexperienced front-line staff who might have not realized their full proficiency as professionals," reads the report.

But the second group exiting the industry is at the opposite end of the spectrum. Those are social workers who are older than 53 years old and reaching the end of their careers. There are also spikes at 55 and 60 years old that reflect public service pension plan eligibility. 

There were 1,669 social workers with a practising licence in 2021-2022, working in at least 75 communities throughout the province.

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