Stressed out

We know that engaging with arts and culture in museums, whether as a visitor or a volunteer, is good for your mental health. But what about the people employed in museums? How is their mental health? 

According to Time to Change, a mental health campaign, mental illness is the leading cause of sickness absence, but 95% of employees give a different reason for being off. So what is the museum sector doing to support the mental health of its professionals?

Working in museums can have a positive effect on mental health and wellbeing. Many people are passionate about the work they do and take pride in the importance and impact of it. For instance, working with collections has been described as a methodical and mindful task, with many scheduling this time to remove themselves from more stressful work. 

People who have struggled with their mental health have noted how supportive their colleagues and the wider museum community are. There are examples of employees instigating self-care activities, such as a staff choir or regular walks with colleagues. And there’s even the #Museum5aday campaign, which emphasises that self-care is not a luxury but an essential. 

It is based on the thinktank New Economics Foundation’s “five ways to wellbeing” actions: connect, exercise, notice, volunteer and learn. The Learning Liaison Forum, a group for museum and heritage learning professionals, created the #Museum5aday journal and handbook, which was funded by the South East Museum Development Grant.

Practicing self-care regularly does not mean that the responsibility for wellbeing at work should all fall on the employee. Employers have a responsibility to create a healthy working environment. “There are measures people can put in place as individuals to help themselves, but as a whole it needs to be tackled by the sector and management at each museum,” says Sam Jenkins, a collections officer at the People’s History Museum in Manchester and the founder of the Museum Wellness Network.

“We need to look at ways of working that aren’t just asking people to do more with what little they have. Until we change the expectancies in the sector, museums are going to continue to push people into mental health problems.” 

Working in museums can come with several issues that are detrimental to mental health. Many jobs within the sector are part time or zero-hour contracts with lots of people juggling two or more roles. Tom Hopkins, now a full-time curator at the Royal Air Force Museum, London, previously held two part-time collections roles at different museums. 

“I don’t think I realised how much I was suffering until I stopped those and started my current, full-time job,” he says. “Now I sleep better, feel less irritable, am more productive – I’m just a lot happier.” 

A significant feature of working in the museum sector is being employed on temporary contracts, often funded externally for a project. This, along with budget cuts, restructures and redundancies, means that lack of job security is a major issue. Staff are overstretched, workloads are too big and people are asked to do more for less to meet funding requirements or work on new initiatives. 

Employees also feel budget cuts have caused a decline in management support with less time for one- to-one engagement, which provides a key opportunity for personal development and private conversations. Managers are stressed and overstretched, which can lead to unhealthy work environments. It can be a vicious cycle. One museum professional, who wishes to remain anonymous, says: “I was receiving emails from my manager at 4am and it made me feel that I should be doing the same.” 

Low pay has long been acknowledged as another issue. But has the sector really considered the effect this has on mental health and self-esteem? A junior curator at a national museum, who also wishes to remain anonymous, says: “There’s the stress and anxiety of not being able to pay your bills, but also the toll it takes on your mental health when you’re constantly told that despite your years of experience, postgraduate training, all the expertise you’ve developed and the sacrifices you’ve made to get there, you’re only worth £20,000 a year.”

It can be difficult to forge a career in museums and a lack of progression can also have an impact on mental health. With few roles on offer and so many people looking for employment, over time the stress of applying for jobs can also affect motivation and self-esteem. Museum professionals often feel lucky or happy to have a job, but this could also mean that they feel unable to open up about any negative feelings, unhappiness or anything that could be perceived as a weakness. Feeling happy to have a job is not necessarily the same as feeling happy in the job. 

Community projects and exhibitions often address difficult topics, and many museum staff regularly work with vulnerable people. This type of work is increasing as the sector, and funders, recognise the importance and ability of museums to change lives. But it appears that the impact of this work on museum employees is not often acknowledged or addressed. 

One project that is supporting its staff is the Multaka-Oxford project at the Pitt Rivers Museum and the History of Science Museum. This is funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, which is run by the Museums Association. Staff on the project are working with volunteers who are forced migrants. 

“The impact a project like this can have on museum staff’s mental health shouldn’t be taken lightly,” says Rachel Harrison, the volunteer and community engagement co-ordinator of Multaka-Oxford. “The staff work closely with people who are going through difficult times, who may have experienced trauma and may have mental health issues. The project pays one of the community partners, Refugee Resource, to run supervision sessions for the team throughout the project, providing individual and team sessions with all staff.” 

Jewish Museum London is another institution that has recognised the impact that the emotional topics it covers can have on its staff. It has embedded support within its workforce by training half its staff as mental health first-aiders, and the museum holds a weekly informal wellbeing session that can include yoga and creative activities. 

“I feel strongly about the need to speak openly about mental health in the workplace,” says Frances Jeens, the head of learning at the Jewish Museum, who instigated this work. “I had been supporting colleagues, as had others, but we had no training. We are lucky that our museum has a great culture and being open with one another is valued highly, so this was a natural next step.”

Museums that are part of larger organisations such as universities or local authorities often find it easier to access training for mental health first-aiders and support such as counselling. But smaller venues need more support in this area and museum development programmes are looking to fill this gap.

“We have become aware that mental health is a significant issue for museum staff and volunteers across the east of England,” says Jamie Everitt, the regional museum development manager for Share Museums East. 

“The evidence is anecdotal, but consistent and unmistakeable. That’s why we are planning a session at our autumn regional conference on workforce wellbeing, as an awareness-raising event. We plan to follow this with events in our training and development programme to support staff and volunteers, to recognise the issues and take action to address them.”

Compared with other sectors such as teaching, retail or healthcare, working in a museum could be seen to be an attractive option for good mental health. But does the sector have enough of an understanding of mental health to support its employees? 

“Most museum staff with mental health conditions may not disclose their disabilities to their employer because of the stigma,” says Clara Paillard, the president of the Public and Commercial Services Union Culture Group. “When they do, they rarely benefit from reasonable adjustments, despite a legal obligation under the Equality Act, often due to lack of awareness and training of managers. Museums try to be accessible for visitors but are often less proactive when it comes to supporting their own staff.”

What is the sector doing to recognise the importance of museum professionals’ mental health? In 2017, the Archives and Records Association created emotional support guidelines designed to support those in the archive sector who deal with emotionally challenging situations at work. But there are only two heritage organisations that have signed the Time to Change employer pledge. 

One former museum professional, who wishes to remain anonymous, says they have been surprised at how different they have found the work culture in their new role. This has included an induction that emphasised care, support and wellbeing, staff being encouraged to take breaks and an organisational culture that is regularly assessed to ensure that staff wellbeing remains a priority.

It’s clear that some museums are doing the right thing in dealing with mental health, but the sector needs to do more as it could be in danger of losing talented staff because of the effect their work is having on their wellbeing. 

Another former museum professional who wishes to remain anonymous, says: “The best thing I ever did for my mental health was leave the sector. I have been astounded at how much my health has improved. I thought I was broken, but I’m not – it’s the sector.”