Almost half of Senedd staff are battling stress due to the expanding Welsh Parliament. With plans to increase from 60 to 96 politicians post-election, pressure is mounting on staff. Manon Antoniazzi, the chief executive, revealed that a whopping 47% find the current workload overwhelming—a figure that just won’t budge.
Despite this, a new wellness strategy aims to ease the load, seeing staff sickness days already dropping from 8.6 to 6.4 days per employee. However, there’s been an uptick in mental health absences, mostly from personal issues, according to Antoniazzi.
In a recent committee session, a hefty £41,830 was approved for the former deputy chief executive’s departure package. This payment was cleared by Audit Wales, ensuring all governance steps were followed.
Meanwhile, pay gaps are still a hot topic, with an annual report highlighting significant pay disparities. Although gender pay is balanced, ethnic minority staff are still facing a 20% lower median pay compared to their white colleagues. Plus, even though applications from ethnic minorities are on the rise (20% of applicants), only 7% land the job.
Cyber-security, data protection, and the complexity of Senedd expansion are also pressing strategic risks, demanding constant vigilance. Amidst these challenges, it’s clear the path forward requires careful handling to ensure the wellbeing of both current and future staff.
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