Custodial workers are severely understaffed in our school board and others around the country. They are working hard to maintain the health and safety standards of the school and now having added covid-19 measures, they face burnout and stress to keep up.
I had the chance to speak to the head custodian at CSS, Rochelle Blanchard, and she gave us an insight as to what goes on daily, and why understaffing is a serious problem.
Even “when job opportunities are posted externally, the positions are on a casual basis where full-time work cannot be guaranteed” she explains. “The starting wage is low” and “pension and benefits don’t start until you are hired full time”, which can be a long wait and “that said, it’s a huge deterrent for people to apply and accept these conditions,” so they remain understaffed.
She begins as early as 6:00 am and starts her everyday jobs which include, but are not limited to, a building check, boiler inspection, AED inspection, fire panel inspection, monthly checks, along with so many others. Not only is this issue inconvenient, but it affects the custodian’s lives as well as our own.
Mrs. Blanchard goes on to say that “Chronically understaffed schools can lead to higher incidences of workplace accidents possibly leading to injuries which results in employees unable to work, which causes more under staffing,”and that “Mental stress can often be caused by work overload.”
Other effects of this include a hectic environment, poor work performance, and an inability to meet proper standards which can “be detrimental to the overall health and safety of the schools,” as she puts it. That means a possible unsafe work environment for all staff and students.
There is so much work to be done and so few staff to do it. Custodians are being overwhelmed and overworked.
She mentioned that staff and students can help, simply by cleaning up after ourselves, picking up garbage when we drop it, being respectful of the school’s property (no vandalism, even if media trends suggest otherwise), and treating the school like our home by working together to take care of it because after all, we all want a clean and safe work environment.
