13.8 per cent of the calls that we have received about working conditions are related to workload. Our workshop aims to help teachers reach a better work/life balance.

The demands on today’s teachers can be huge. Even though all their work must be completed within school hours for many work is taken home on a regular basis. Many of the thousands of teachers who contact us every year tell us that it often feels like the school day never ends!

Issues around working conditions have consistently represented the third most likely cause of teachers phoning us over the last three years and 2008 has been no exception to this rule.

Calls about working conditions have accounted for 18.3 per cent of all calls so far this year. This category includes problems with workload, legal Issues and queries over performance and pay.

13.8 per cent of the calls that we have received about working conditions are specifically related to workload, which includes the widespread problem of work-life balance and prolonged working hours.

Calls about managing relationships with other adults at work have so far made up 39.7 per cent of calls this year – this includes relationships with managers, colleagues, parents, teaching assistants, governors and lack of support from a mentor.

As a result of these figures, we felt that now was the time to look at the problem in more detail and try and make it easier for teachers in Wales to manage these issues.

At the start of the autumn term, we launched two new workshops, both of which are available to all teachers in Wales, entitled ‘Workload and Wellbeing’ and ‘Communications’. These workshops can be tailored to a session at the end of the school day or conducted on a staff inset or training day.

The first looks at ways teachers can manage workload and protecting their own wellbeing. It focuses on four key areas: workload, work-life balance, health and wellbeing. By allowing teachers the time to look at ways in which they can manage and improve these areas, we hope teachers will learn to deal more effectively with both work commitments and the demands of their personal lives.

The Communication workshop focuses on how important it is to get communication right. In this workshop we look at many aspects of the subject, including active listening, the barriers of communication and how we can overcome obstacles to understanding one another.