Nearly a quarter of driver testers and technical staff did not feel safe at work during the Covid-19 pandemic, while 45pc said their work had been negatively impacted by the virus.
A Road Safety Authority workforce survey also found that a third of employees believed that high-performing people were poorly recognized, and 26 percent were dissatisfied with the level of collaboration in the workplace.
There was also a large number of employees, about one in three, who felt that senior managers were not consulting employees about important decisions.
More than a third of staff also reported feeling stressed at work, while only 60pc believed they could switch off when not at work, the survey found.
The Road Safety Authority had initially refused to release a copy of the survey, as the information had been provided in confidence by staff.
However, it was later released after an internal review under the freedom of information laws.
Working remotely proved to be a popular option for employees who could. In the survey, 90 percent said they would like working from home or blended working to be a permanent option in the future, and 81 percent said they could do their job while working remotely.
In addition, 84pc said communication while working from home was effective, and 76pc said they felt “as motivated as ever” about their jobs during Covid-19.
For certain remote workers, including driver testers and technical personnel, the pandemic was more challenging and while 58 percent believed that the measures put in place by the RSA made them feel safe in the workplace, 15 percent disagreed and 8 percent “strongly” disagreed.
There were overwhelmingly positive findings when it came to customer management and communication. More than 80 percent of staff agreed they were treated with respect, supported, kept informed and consulted on matters that affected them.
Staff were also happy that the RSA was doing a good job for its customers. Overall, 81 percent of staff believed the service provided by their department was “excellent,” while 72 percent felt the RSA was doing everything it could to keep customers happy.
Just over 50 percent thought RSA customers thought they were doing a good job, and 12 percent of staff disagreed or strongly disagreed.
The findings were slightly less positive when it came to employees’ roles and opportunities to develop, as 21pc felt they had not been given an opportunity to develop work skills, while 22pc felt the RSA was not taking full advantage of them. One in five employees disagreed that there were viable career opportunities.
In a review, the RSA said the findings were generally positive and staff engagement had increased in recent years, although not so much at driving test centers and technical staff.
It said there was an overall well-being score of 69 percent, but work needed to be done on internal communication, personal development and new ways of working for external staff.
A presentation on the study said: “The main areas of development that emerged were interdepartmental collaboration, recognition and staff development. Relationships with senior management are a major driver of overall employee satisfaction; as are the learning and development opportunities.”
A spokesperson for the RSA said they are committed to strong staff involvement. He said the study was conducted in 2020 during Covid-19 restrictions, when “providing services” [was done] under very difficult circumstances”.
“Notwithstanding this, [we were] very pleased to see satisfaction levels of 84 percent – above the industry standard – and 80 percent of staff say they are proud to work for the RSA,” he added.
“In addition, staff recognition of our goals and vision was measured at 91pc, indicating that our people have a clear understanding of the critical role they play in realizing our mission.”