A DCM Institute survey has found that village managers’ holidays are still being disrupted by COVID-19, with more than half believing the virus will continue to impact their work-life balance into 2023.
The survey of 448 participants in the DCMI Village Manager Professional Development Program garnered 79 responses. Of these, 31 indicated that COVID was currently present in the community they work in or are responsible for, while 57 said it was present in their community over the Christmas and New Year period.
While 47 respondents took leave over the holidays, 10 had their leave impacted by staffing level issues, six had their leave impacted by residents with COVID-19, and four reported having COVID-19 themselves; in addition, nine saw their annual leave impacted by having to attend the village and eight said they had to work from home.
One manager commented that their team was not paid enough to deal with COVID and its impacts, including reporting requirements, while another said that their own bout with COVID was unable to be covered, leading to “havoc” that they had to address from home when they went on annual leave.
“Unfortunately, this data shows that COVID is still a concern in retirement villages, impacting on the work-life balance of hardworking village managers who have had their holidays interrupted for a third year running,” said James Wiltshire, Executive Director of the DCM Institute (pictured).
“DCM Institute is always here to support its members, and gathering information like this is an important part of our role in keeping a finger on the pulse of the industry, which in turn enables us to help village managers during these stressful times.”