SEAFARERS' HAPPINESS INDEX - Q1 2018 - SAFETY4SEA

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SEAFARERS' HAPPINESS INDEX - Q1 2018 - SAFETY4SEA
Seafarers’
Happiness Index
Q1 2018
SEAFARERS' HAPPINESS INDEX - Q1 2018 - SAFETY4SEA
Seafarers Happiness Index Q4 2017
SEAFARERS' HAPPINESS INDEX - Q1 2018 - SAFETY4SEA
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 3

Contents

Welcome............................................................................................................. 2

Story so Far.......................................................................................................... 8

Seafarers’ Happiness Index Data.......................................................................12
        General Happiness........................................................................................................................... 14
        Connectivity..................................................................................................................................... 15
        Getting Ashore................................................................................................................................. 16
        Talking Cash..................................................................................................................................... 17
        Meal Deals....................................................................................................................................... 18
        Exercising and Working Out............................................................................................................. 19
        Learning and Training...................................................................................................................... 20
        Teamwork and Relationships........................................................................................................... 21
        Working Hard.................................................................................................................................. 22
        Welfare is Well Fair.......................................................................................................................... 23

Female Perspectives.......................................................................................... 25

Conclusions....................................................................................................... 26
SEAFARERS' HAPPINESS INDEX - Q1 2018 - SAFETY4SEA
4 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018
SEAFARERS' HAPPINESS INDEX - Q1 2018 - SAFETY4SEA
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 5

Welcome to the Seafarers’
Happiness Index

The Seafarers’ Happiness Index is a means of engaging with crews
on merchant ships to discuss the key challenges facing them, and
to gauge their levels of satisfaction.

This is an ongoing study measuring         The numbers only tell part of the story    who responded have provided
how happy people are about the             though, and we are grateful for the        incredibly important insight into their
various elements of their working life     many seafarers who took the time           lives.
gives a picture of the real successes      and effort to share their views and
and problems within seafaring. It also     experiences. It is the narrative that is   Workload and access to onshore
provides learning opportunities to         woven through their modern life at         facilities once more presented the
improve and develop.                       sea which compellingly captures the        largest setbacks, while on-board
                                           challenges of being at sea today.          interactions and friendships were seen
The Index is made up of a standard                                                    as the best part of the job. As has been
set of ten questions and these             Gaining an insight into seafarers lives    seen within previous Index data, the
cover key areas, such as mental and        and exploring their feelings about         most divisive issue was connectivity
physical health, diet, rest, workload,     key facets of life at sea, can afford      with family and home. On ships where
connectivity, training, access to shore    shipping companies extremely valuable      internet access was available, happiness
leave, as well as relationships at home    understanding. This offers the chance      was marked very highly, but without it
and on board. These are answered           to learn from the mistakes of others,      connectivity was a significant source of
anonymously, and seafarers are             meaning employers can see where            real discontent.
encouraged to complete their answers       things are going wrong and what
during each trip.                          changes are needed.
                                                                                      GLOBAL COMPARISON
Happiness is key to developing maritime    Making sure seafarers are happy means
careers. Happy, satisfied, well-fed, fit   heading off problems, it means making      The Seafarers’ Happiness Index also
and engaged seafarers are less likely      life better for those working at sea, as   gives an opportunity to compare
to have accidents, they are less likely    well as safer and more efficient. The      how people at sea feel compared to
to become disaffected, and are the         Seafarer Happiness Index, when it          those in nations ashore. So, we have
manifestation of the confidence or         was run as part of a seafarers’ social     asked if seafarers were a population
pressures which may be felt elsewhere      network, revealed fascinating trends       of their own nation, how would that
up the industry chain.                     and early warning signs too.               rank against the UN World Happiness
                                                                                      Report?

SCALE OF HAPPINESS                         LATEST DATA                                Currently the seafarers of the world
                                                                                      would almost break into the top twenty.
By sharing their feelings on a scale       The latest Index showed a seafarer         The figure of 6.69 would see seafarers
out of ten, and by providing some          happiness result of 6.69 in the first      positioned at number 22 on the Global
written insight – the Index gives a        quarter of 2018, a figure averaged         Happiness scale, sandwiched between
voice to seafarers and addresses the       across the key areas of seafarers’         the Czech Republic and Malta.
fundamentals of why people are happy       work lives. This shows a rise from the
to go to sea, or not as the case may be.   previous Index report- and so we see       The UN Happiness Report also rates
The feedback provides a blueprint to       that seafarer happiness is on the up.      satisfaction against a scale called The
the improvements needed.                   However, there are some important          Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale,
                                           caveats to consider, and the seafarers     this asks respondents to think of a
SEAFARERS' HAPPINESS INDEX - Q1 2018 - SAFETY4SEA
6 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018

ladder, with the best possible life for    which affect them at sea is a hugely        This is not about developing some kind
them being a 10, and the worst possible    effective means of checking the levels      of cult of the happy seafarer, it is not,
life being 0. The ladder then places       of performance on a ship and within a       either, about pretending that there
the numbers in three areas, suffering,     shipping company.                           is black and white when it comes to
struggling or thriving.                                                                satisfaction. Things are not usually all
                                           What do we mean by “happiness”              bad or all good.
The Seafarers’ Happiness Index result      though? Well, happiness is a
of 6.69 would place crews in the           universally understood concept,             The Seafarers’ Happiness Index exists to
“struggling” zone. On this scale it        transcending cultures and religions.        see through that grey fog in the middle.
means that wellbeing is moderate or        Humans, whatever race, creed,               To explore the reasons people working
inconsistent, with moderate views          religion or nationality have a generally    at sea are either feeling positive or
of their present life and future. They     agreed sense of what it is to be happy.     negative, and of suggesting the ways
are either struggling in the present or    Humans tend to assess how much they         that improvements can be brought, or
expect to struggle in the future.          like their life, and the conditions for     lessons applied elsewhere.
                                           happiness appear to be quite similar
In the struggling zone, people report      across the world.                           Happiness is often overlooked but is
more daily stress and worry about                                                      key to developing maritime careers.
money more than the “thriving”             So, even with multi-national crews, the     Happy, satisfied, well fed, fit and
respondents. The UN reports that           concept stacks up well as an important      engaged seafarers are less likely to have
people at this level of happiness are      metric for shipping. Humans prefer a        accidents, they are less likely to become
prone to more than double the amount       happy life to an unhappy one, and we        disaffected, and will stick around –
of sick days, are more likely to smoke     develop ideas of what we want from life     something that is incredibly important
and less likely to eat healthy.            and compare these aspirations with the      as we look at maritime recruitment and
                                           realities of their life. The philosopher    retention.
                                           Jeremy Bentham’s classic notion of
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS                       happiness was, “the sum of pleasures        If you are a seafarer, The Mission
                                           and pains.” Which rather neatly appears     needs you to complete the survey and
While there is much room for               to capture the lot of a seafarer today,     encourage all your colleagues to do so
improvement. Something the Mission         there are pleasures and there are pains     to. If you are an employer, then please
to Seafarers hopes will come with this     – and this is our chance to shape which     encourage the same. The report from
means of measuring and managing            wins out on board ships.                    the most recent data can be found
positive change. It may seem trite to                                                  online at the Mission to Seafarers
talk about happiness, but there is much                                                website and makes for fascinating
management research and data proving       MOVING FORWARD                              reading. You can also access the latest
that happy people perform better.                                                      ongoing survey to have your say.
                                           To ignore or downplay the value of          https://www.missiontoseafarers.org/
Examination of performance indicates       happiness in seafarers is to trample        seafarershappiness
that happy people work harder, achieve     on the concept of these very human
more and create an environment of          constructs. Seafarers prefer a happy life
constant improvement.                      to an unhappy one, hopefully we can
                                           all agree on that much, and we need
Alas most of this management science       to be able to make life as happy as
is based on businesses and institutions    possible, within the realities of what it
ashore, there isn’t a great body of work   is to be a seafarer.
which relates to seafarers. However,
the importance of knowing how
happy people are about the things

                                                                       Steven Jones
                                                                     Founder of the
                                                          Seafarers Happiness Index
SEAFARERS' HAPPINESS INDEX - Q1 2018 - SAFETY4SEA
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 7
SEAFARERS' HAPPINESS INDEX - Q1 2018 - SAFETY4SEA
8 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018

The Story So Far: Q1 2018

WHO
The happiest tranche of
respondents was in the 25-35
year age group – and once                        38.92%
again, these figures were hugely
impacted by the ability to
                                                            27.03%
access the internet and to feel
connected with the shore.
                                        14.05%                       13.51%

                                                                               4.86%
                                                                                       2.16%

                                        16–25    25–35       35–45   45–55     16–25    65+

GENDER
Female seafarers actually marked
themselves lower than the                                 84.32%
general average this time around.
Which was a significant shift from
previous Seafarers’ Happiness
Index results.

                                                                      16.22%

                                                          MALE        FEMALE
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 9

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Deck Crew 20.54%
RANKS

                                                                                                                                                       Second Officer 12.97%
Deck crew and officers tended to

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Catering Department 6.49%
be happier than their engineering

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Electrical Department 3.78%
                                      Captain 11.35%
counterparts – and the middle

                                                                                                                    Second Engineer 5.41%

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Third Officer 8.11%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Engine Crew 7.03%
                                                                                             Chief Officer 7.03%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Fourth Engineer 4.32%
                                                                                                                                                                               Third Engineer 4.86%
cohort of ranks, second officer

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Engine Cadet 4.32%
                                                                      Chief Engineer 3.24%
and third engineer, chief officer

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Deck Cadet 3.78%
and second engineer, performed
better. They recorded the highest
results across the board.

WHAT
Other 12.97% These included gas
carriers, general cargo, specific
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Tanker 36.22%

kinds of offshore vessels, as well
as icebreakers, survey vessels, and
                                                                                             Container Ship 26.49

sail training vessels.
                                                Bulk Carrier 22.70%

Seafarers on container vessels
once again were the highest in
terms of happiness. However,
the differential between those
crews and those serving on
                                                                                                                                                                                Offshore vessel 3.78%

tankers was narrowing when it
                                                                                                                                        Cruise Ship 11.35%

comes to happiness. Of the major
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Ro-Ro 7.03%

constituent vessel types, bulk
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Ferry 4.32%

carriers were the worst performing
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Dredger 1.08%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Yacht 2.16%

– but these were also on the rise
this quarter.
10 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q4 2017

Where

Once again, respondents from South East Asia tended to
record higher happiness marks in their responses.

                                          1.62%
                                          North
                                         America

                                                    1.08%
                                                   Central
                                                   America

South East Asia 46.49%
Western Europe 27.57%
                                                                  1.62%
Indian Subcontinent 10.27%
                                                                  Africa
Eastern Europe 9.19%
North Asia 3.24%
Africa 1.62%
North America 1.62%
South America 1.62%                                      1.62%
Middle East 1.62%                                        South
                                                        America
Central America 1.08%
Oceania 1.08%
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 11

27.57%
Western
Europe

               9.19%
              Eastern                  3.24%
              Europe                  North Asia

                                                    46.49%
                                                   South East
                                                      Asia

                                                                            1.08%
                                                                           Oceania

                          10.27%
                        Indian Sub-
                         continent
     1.62%
     Middle
      East
12 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018

Seafarers’ Happiness Index
Data: Q1 2018

How happy generally when at sea?                                   6.72 up from 6.29

How happy about contact with family when at sea?                   7.12 up from 6.68

How happy about access to shore leave?                             6.54 up from 6.10

How happy about wages/salary?                                       6.6 up from 6.18

How happy about the food on board?                                 6.73 up from 6.26

How happy about your ability to keep fit and healthy on board?     6.64 up from 6.06

How happy about the training you receive?                          6.62 up from 6.28

How happy about interaction with other crew on board?            7.08 down from 7.17

How happy with your work load?                                     6.51 up from 5.66

How happy with welfare facilities when you are ashore?             6.36 up from 5.80

Overall average score:
6.69/10 in Q1 2018, up from 6.25/10 in Q4 2017
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 13

Dialogue behind the data

Let’s look at the stories behind the numbers. An increasing level
of respondents took the time to explain how they felt and why –
so this is their story, their life at sea and the experiences that they
have in the job and career as a seafarer.
14 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018

General Happiness ↑ 6.72
How happy generally when at sea?

While the general level of happiness at      When the vessel is underway, and             to encourage seafarers to better see the
sea was on the rise this quarter, there      clear of port, seafarers said that this      positives of their time at sea.
was a very mixed bag when it came to         was a time of satisfaction, and of
the experiences behind those figures.        optimism. They felt able to relax in the     However, multiple respondents
There were some who were having              watchkeeping system, there was a sense       commented that they only felt this way
fantastic times on board and were so         of certainty to the schedule and rhythm      in good weather. Indeed, a surprising
proud of providing for their families.       of life on board.                            number of seafarers commented on
While, sadly, there were others who                                                       the difference to quality of life that the
were seemingly struggling badly.             One respondent captured this rather          weather conditions make. Perhaps that
                                             poetically, “Being at sea makes me           is an issue which can all too often be
The positive responses focused on a          happy because it is far from stresses of     overlooked. When seafarers experience
range of issues – and these included the     the cities, noise, and the sea is relaxing   bad weather, then the patterns of
fact that seafarers felt sense of profound   to the eyes especially when you want         sleep, eating and of leisure activities are
satisfaction at being able to send money     to feel some personal space”. While          distorted and that can have a serious
back to their homes. Despite the fact        another respondent wrote, “Happiness         impact.
that many said how much they missed          at sea are the sunsets, occasional BBQs,
being with their families, the ability to    some fishing, a good film watch with the     The fact that weather conditions can
provide for them seemed to make this         rest of the crew and food”.                  affect life so much indicates the delicate
sacrifice worthwhile and tolerable.                                                       balance of conditions on board. If one
                                             There was a definitely more artistic         thing changes, then it can have massive
Quotes such as, “I am happy when at          set of responses this time around, and       implications for seafarers.
sea because I earn a salary to provide for   another wrote, “Sometimes I can feel
my family’s needs” and “earning for the      the waves bringing luck to me, trying to
future of my family makes me happy”.         talk to me. There is no other wind as the
They capture a definite theme which          pacific wind. When I am there, I feel like
emerged in a number of the responses.        I belong to be there”.

Other positives related to some of the       This is interesting, and perhaps hints at
unique experiences of being at sea. For      something of a resurgence in the artistic
those seafarers who felt that travelling     connection between seafarers and
the world, getting glimpses of nature out    the ocean. Something which appears
in the oceans and feeling sense of awe       to have been lost since the 1960s.
being away from land and experiencing        Fostering and developing this kind of
the power of the sea.                        bond could perhaps offer opportunities

I am happy when at sea because I earn a
salary to provide for my family’s needs.
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 15

Connectivity ↑ 7.12
How happy about contact with family when at sea?

The highest mark on the Seafarers’          Something that should serve as a            of shipboard life. Something that no
Happiness Index for Q1 2018 was the         warning shot to the industry.               doubt this new generation of shipboard
issue of contact with family and lived                                                  leaders will insist on.
ones, and the pleasure that connectivity    Aside from frustration about costs
brings. Virtually every single written      and speed of access, the rest of the        Some of the key quotes, were that
response from seafarers was positive        responses were overwhelmingly               “Contacting the family gives me the
when it came to the pleasure and            positive. Seafarers spoke of the            enthusiasm and positivity about life
enjoyment that being in contact with        happiness, pleasure, relief and joy at      and work at sea. Hearing from them is a
home brings.                                being in contact with home. Many even       good source of strength and motivation
                                            talked of it in terms of refreshing them    despite the isolation we feel when we
The only negative response about            and making them better able to cope         are away.”
actual contact related to the burden        with the rigours of being away at sea.
of knowing “every small adversity                                                       While another respondent states,
they encounter at home”. Which is           Connectivity on board vessels makes         “Communication with the family is
understandable, it can be extremely         seafarers feel like they have a support     very vital in our wellbeing at sea.
difficult to hear of problems, but not be   network, albeit not one that is on          Just a simple “Hello, how are you?”
in a position to assist.                    the ship with them. However, aside          from our love ones takes away the
                                            from those who perhaps wrestle with         “homesickness” and loneliness of being
There were a number of negative             potential problems at home, the rest        away from home”. One seafarers said,
responses when it came to the cost,         feel that being connected is good for       “I need to talk and relax with my family.
availability, and level of service. Being   their mental wellbeing.                     Whether I hear good or bad news,
on vessels without internet access was                                                  talking with my family can release the
almost unbearable to the seafarers who      While voice and video calling are           bad emotions at sea”.
responded. This was a view which was,       popular, it was reported that WhatsApp
unsurprisingly, prevalent in the younger    is increasingly the communications
age groups. However, it was also a view     tool of choice for most seafarers who
which is now permeating the high ranks.     commented. The ability to be in touch
So as millennials progress through          in touch with not just family, but also
their careers, we are now seeing their      circles of friends was seemingly of great
views on access to the internet and         importance.
connectivity shaping the overall picture.
This is no longer an issue with just the    So, seafarers want more opportunity to
cadets and junior officers – senior ranks   connect. They want it cheaper, faster
are now just as eager to be connected.      and to be more of an accepted part

Communication with the family is very
vital in our wellbeing at sea. Just a simple
“Hello, how are you?
16 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018

Getting Ashore ↑ 6.54
Tell us more about your access to shore leave.

Shore leave is always a key seafarer         This time around the Seafarers’                Getting off the vessel provides seafarers
concern, but it is an area which has been    Happiness Index showed a modest                with a chance to “relax” and “refresh”
given new prominence by a very recent        rise, up to 6.54/10, from 6.10 in 2017.        themselves, and these were term which
change in legislation. As such we are        However, despite this, the written             was repeatedly use by respondents.
hopeful it will be possible to plot real     responses from crews do seem to paint          One respondent said, “Despite the
time and life change, as the relevant        many of the same problems.                     hectic schedules at port and tiresome
amendments to the Convention on                                                             working hours, I still prefer to go outside
Facilitation of International Maritime       It seems, reading many of the responses,       to remove stresses and refresh my
Traffic (FAL Convention) take effect.        that the rules have not been the real          thoughts about life on board. Having a
                                             barrier to shore leave – it is the realities   personal time is a way to build up your
The amendment to the international           and tight time constraints on board. A         morale and thinking about working
standard on shore leave adds a new           number of seafarers, more particularly         at sea. Going outside is another form
provision, to allow crew ashore while        officers, wrote of the difficulties for        of how a seafarer can handle all the
the ship on which they arrive is in port.    them of getting ashore, as there is            pressure, stress and isolation during the
This new provision says there should         simply so much to be achieved while            voyage”.
be no discrimination on grounds of           alongside.
nationality, race, colour, sex, religion,                                                   Respondents talked about how good it
political opinion, or social origin. Shore   Issues ranging from maintenance, taking        is to see other places, to have a chance
leave should be granted, irrespective of     stores, through to the obvious issue           to buy things, to take in culture and to
the flag State of the ship.                  of managing cargo operations. These            get a break from the relentless nature of
                                             obviously ramp up when in port. Other          life on board. One respondent also felt
If any request is turned down, the           problems relate to the sheer volume of         it was a basic need, “Human are social
relevant public authorities must provide     official visitors to vessels, these all need   creatures, as you can get chance to go
an explanation to the crew member and        managing, accompanying and require             shore, your mind will relax.”
the master, which the seafarer or master     the time and attention of an already
can request to be provided in writing.       stretched crew.                                Sadly, and even with changes to the FAL
                                                                                            Convention, some ports and nations
This is the first quarter in which           Sadly, the result is that shore leave          were once again singled out for not
responses have been received from            becomes less of a priority, despite the        facilitating shore leave. The United
seafarers since the entry into force of      fact so many seafarers spoke about             States and ports in China drew criticism.
the above FAL Convention amendments          its importance. They stressed, across          Huge costs were mentioned in America,
on January 1st, 2018, so it will be          numerous responses, of the fact that           while security checks appeared to be a
interesting to see the changes (if any) in   getting off the vessel provides them with      major barrier in some Chinese ports. It
the responses of seafarers.                  a real psychological boost. It is a means      is to be hoped that the new changes will
                                             of de-stressing, to see new places and to      take effect soon.
                                             have the chance to interact with others.

Human are social creatures, as you can get
chance to go shore, your mind will relax.
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 17

Talking Cash ↑ 6.6
Tell us more about how happy you are about your wages/salary

The issue of wages is always bound to        Some felt that “Flags of Convenience        a cargo consignment is delivered. The
be a contentious issue. Given how many       are killing the industry”. Again, this      mysterious, fake shipping companies
seafarers have responded about how           appeared to relate to the use of            simply vanish, and seafarers are left to
important it is for them to provide for      multinational crews on differential pay     count the cost.
their families ashore, then perhaps it       scales.
takes on even more importance.                                                           It was felt there needs to be a better
                                             Wage stagnation was another repeated        international mechanism for checking on
The subject saw a jump up on the             issue – and there was as sense from         companies. While the Maritime Labour
happiness index, up to 6.66 from 6.18        seafarers that they had not received a      Convention has supposedly closed some
previously. However, there seemed to         pay rise in years. Some mentioned five      loopholes, many seafarers feel it is not
be rather more negative comments than        years, others as many as ten years.         simple or easy enough to find out the
last time around, and there definitely                                                   truth about employers.
seemed to be something of an edge to         Perhaps the most troubling aspect of
comments about “foreigners” taking           this issue was the fact that seafarers      As with most areas of the Index, it was
jobs and accepting lower pay. This           are still being taken advantage of by       not all bad news. Again, the positives
was repeatedly mentioned and was a           rogue “manning agents”. Respondents         which emerged focused on the pride
source of annoyance for a number of          spoke of having paid money for work,        that seafarers feel in being a provider for
respondents.                                 only to have their cash and the agent go    their family. Numerous responses stated
                                             missing.                                    that was the main driver for them and
The issue of “cheaper crews”                                                             their career at sea.
undercutting salaries was a significant      Fake shipping companies claiming to
feature of the responses. Multiple           offer good work, but then defrauding
respondents focused on the same issue,       and cheating seafarers is a feature
and some claimed it was “devastating”        of the landscape in some countries.
the industry. One comment received           Respondents from India and the
stated, “Well the big question, we are all   Philippines were particularly affected by
seafarers with international recognized      this issue. Many respondents felt that
certification, yet the salaries are not      this was a form of parallel face of what
equal. Two crew members doing the            is traditionally considered “seafarer
same job should be entitled to the same      abandonment”.
salary. While many seafarers syndicate
fight for their own, when shall we see a     These scams see crews “employed” by
common spirit to fight for better rights?”   companies that do not even exist, and
Related to this issue, there were            then simply left to fend for themselves
concerns raised about Open Registries.       when they ask about wages, or when

Well the big question, we are all seafarers
with international recognized certification,
yet the salaries are not equal.
18 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018

Meal Deals ↑ 6.73
Tell us more about the standard of food you eat on board

From the responses we have received,        There were calls to impose a minimum        criticised for adding oil to meals “as if
it seems that there is an obvious           acceptable spending limit on crew           it were water”. While there are clear
equation when it comes to food on           victualing, and if one were in doubt as     and repeated concerns on the issue of
board and the happiness of seafarers.       to what underfeeding sounds like, one       healthy food, they are not always in the
The cooks need to be qualified, skilled     quote perhaps captures the misery and       ways we might perhaps think.
and knowledgeable. They also need to        grind. One seafarer wrote, “Cook and
be aware of cultural challenges, and the    Master cut our provision ration: No milk    One exasperated respondent said the
expectations of their shipmates.            No bread only one egg for the breakfast:    crew ate too healthily and they were
                                            even drinking water is limited”. That       tired of “meat, chicken or fish and rice
However important the cook is, they         sounds grim, and obviously has a serious    every single day and s****y salads,
need to be supported, resourced and         knock on effect to mental and physical      vegetables and healthy cooking. I would
properly budgeted. They need to             health.                                     prefer deep fried hamburgers and pizza
combine their own skills with the ability                                               all the time”. As they say, there is no
to buy good quality ingredients and be      It also seems that despite the MLC          accounting for taste...
able to store them properly.                requiring cultural considerations to
                                            be taken into account. There is little      Where crews are happy about the
Time again across our respondents, it       evidence, from the responses received,      catering on board, they are really
was these areas which drew the most         that this is happening, with nationals of   happy! The responses indicate just
observations. In the responses which        a range of countries complaining that       how important food is. Those who
quoted the lower happiness marks,           their diet did not reflect the norms of     appreciated the food, and the cooks
cooks were criticised and there was a       their homelands.                            were effusive in their praise. Quotes
sense that feeding budgets had been cut                                                 included, “the cook is great and can
or were inadequate. While the happiest      There were some comments about the          really cook up a storm”, while another
seafarers said the cooks were great,        health aspects of cooking on board.         said, “If you are lucky to have a good
and the quality of the food was good,       Interestingly, seafarers complained that    chief cook, you will be happy. But if
and quantities sufficient. Indeed, there    at home the authorities a minimum           not, all crew will be affected when
is also a correlation between a seafarer    5 veg/fruits a day, but at sea such         performing their duties. Lousy cook =
happiness in their interactions on board,   guidance vanished.                          lousy ship.”
and the higher the answer about food.
It seems that in a time where social        Again, as is often reported, there
cohesion is a struggle, then the dining     are concerns about the overuse of
experience takes on new importance          frying. This is especially a problem on
over and above nutrition alone.             multicultural vessels, some cooks were

If you are lucky to have a good chief cook,
you will be happy. But if not, all crew will be
affected when performing their duties.
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 19

Exercising and working out ↑ 6.64
Tell us more about your ability to keep fit and healthy on board

With shore leave often limited, it can     rather than being left to the crew to
be even more important to ensure that      fund them. One such quote stated,
seafarers are able to access some form     “Not all ships have the facilities like gym
of exercise and activity on board. There   equipment and sometimes we have to
is often a surprisingly mixed bag of       take from our “welfare fund” to buy this
responses when it comes to the matter      equipment which should be provided by
of exercise.                               the company.”

Looking at the data, those seafarers       While there are others who simply do
who marked their exercise more highly      not feel they have the time or energy
also tended to experience a higher level   to exercise. There were complaints that
of general happiness. So, it seems that    time working and punishing schedules
exercise does indeed appear to impact      mean that there is no time to exercise.
the overall well being of seafarers.       While for some the impact of bad
                                           weather also took its toll. Storms, rolling
The data shows that there are very         and heavy weather often mean that
different experiences at sea. There are    even where there are facilities, then
those who really enjoy and value the       seafarers cannot always access or make
ability to exercise, and who have access   use of them.
to good facilities. They are usually far
more likely to experience better general   In addition, though, lest we forget the
happiness and are happier across a         fact that not everyone sees themselves
range of the other key areas. One          as responding well to exercise. One
seafarer stated, “Exercising boosts your   respondent perhaps captured a sense
mood and confidence. It’ll help also       that many of us have on occasion,
maintaining your mental health.”           stating, “Truth be told, I am just too lazy
                                           to work out”.
Then there are those whose experiences
are more negative. There are crews who
do not have access to equipment, nor
have a space to engage in recreation
and exercise. There was also a sense
that companies should provide these,

Exercising boosts your mood and confidence.
It’ll help also maintaining your mental health.
20 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018

Learning and Training ↑ 6.62
Tell us more about the training you receive on board

Seafarers want to proceed up the career     Those who felt the company was              Unfortunately, there were some
ladder, and they also want to become        encouraging them or were supporting         respondents who felt their employers
ever better at their jobs. This is the      their career development recorded           were not doing enough. One seafarers
feedback that comes back from multiple      higher than average on the Happiness        claimed the company, “does not care
responses to the Happiness Index.           Index, and they spoke positively about      whatsoever for career development.
                                            their experiences. Common responses         You are nothing but a number”. Which
Quite how they achieve career               were along the lines of “great, no          is a shame on many levels. Also, some
profession and development, and their       problems”. They felt that their skills      seafarers stated that it was difficult to
preferred approaches to it seem to          were improving and so too was safety        convince their company of the need for
vary quite significantly. However, it is    on board the vessel.                        higher levels of training. This left them
clear from the data that the seafarers                                                  feeling frustrated and dissatisfied.
who feel they are being well trained        The seafarers who felt that they were
return higher figures when it comes to      not receiving sufficient, or the right
happiness.                                  kinds of training were conversely low
                                            scorers on the Index. They felt that it
There does seem to be come confusion        was sometimes, “not clear what we are
as to what constitute “training”, and for   meant to be doing”. There was a sense
some seafarers they are just happy to       of confusion and frustration.
take part in drills, or to watch a safety
video. While others see the issue more      There was also a sense that a blended
holistically and want their training to     approach to training is needed, and
form part of their own wider career         some reported that too much reliance
picture, and ultimately career path.        on computer-based training (CBT) can
                                            “drain moral”. While some found CBT to
As one might expect, the senior ranks       be useful and wanted more, there was
below Master and Chief Engineer             a universal sense that practical training
seemed to swing from high to low on         either ashore, or from senior officers
the Index, depending on whether they        makes for the best standard.
felt they were being supported.

If you are lucky to have a good chief cook,
you will be happy. But if not, all crew will be
affected when performing their duties.
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 21

Teamwork and Relationships ↓ 7.08
Tell us more about your ability to keep fit and healthy on board

We received quite a mixed response to        It can be all too easy for those who        With ever smaller crew numbers, with
the question of on board interaction         have not been to sea to appreciate the      single occupancy cabins and the fact
this time around. Respondents seemed         proximity to other seafarers, and the       that ships no longer have a bar to serve
to feel that either their shipmates were     fact that maintaining a positive balance    as the hub of activity, then it is perhaps
one of the best things about their life at   between privacy and camaraderie can         too easy to think that online access is
sea, or the worst.                           be a challenge. One seafarer hammered       the reason for people retreating into
                                             this home quite well, stating, “One         isolation. It seems though, that there is
Obviously, those without strong feelings     snorer on board can ruin an entire trip”.   rather more to consider.
don’t tend to take the time to share
their thoughts, over and above the           Whether that is more to do with             One respondent also made an
numerical return. However, it makes for      the snorer or badly designed                interesting observation, stating that,
very interesting reading to hear what        accommodation is perhaps up for             “offices have been moved to lower
seafarers think of their fellow crew         debate. However, it paints a vivid          decks, so you get less people coming
members.                                     picture of the frustrations and the         to visit the bridge”. The act of moving
                                             hardships of living and working in a        working areas away from shipboard
The negative responses all seemed            steel box out at sea.                       activities can mean we are creating
to have a common thread, and they                                                        unnecessary isolation.
focused on the varying degrees of            There were some who felt that since
bullying, disrespect and general lack of     internet was introduced on board            For the positive responses, there were
decency between some crews. This was         that interaction with crew is less now      themes which consistently emerged.
felt, as one might expect, more keenly       compared to the old days, and another       These seafarers spoke of the fun and
from lower to higher ranks, and within       stated that a lot of people stay in their   enjoyment they experience. There was
multinational crews.                         cabins nowadays. There has been a           much talk of jokes and good humour
                                             temptation to think that access to the      on board. One quote perhaps captured
Quotes captured the difficult nature         internet is the problem, but there are      the reality and the need for seafarers
of some on board relationships. They         others that see connectivity as a major     to manage their interactions. This
included quotes such as, “Senior             positive.                                   respondent stated, “Harmony and unity
officers are plain rude”, “Officers are                                                  on board is very crucial in the safety
very arrogant”. While the issue of the       So, what is the truth when it comes to      and success of operations on the ship.
treatment of female seafarers also           the internet? Does connectivity erode       But we cannot select which crew is
came in for comment. One responder           interaction on board, and is being          going on board, each has their own
wrote, “Sexual harassment/bad attitude       online the reason that social cohesion      unique characteristics and attitude. So,
towards women are a problem and              is more difficult at sea today? There       adjustment to interact is really needed.”
needs to change NOW!!” While another         is a danger in jumping too readily to
wrote, “I encounter gender and race          that conclusion, but lest we forget
harassment every day”.                       correlation is not causation.

Harmony and unity on board is very
crucial in the safety and success of
operations on the ship.
22 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018

Working Hard ↑ 6.51
Tell us more about your workload

As with other issues covered in the         The sheer amount of responsibilities and     This seems to be adding greatly to the
Seafarers’ Happiness Index, there is        roles to be completed when arriving and      stress of seafarers, which of course
very much a two-tiered view within the      alongside in port were repeated time         has an impact on physical and mental
written responses we received. There        and time again by respondents. The           wellbeing.
are those who are happy to be busy, and     operational demands of berthing and
who see it as way of passing the time.      cargo work, are then exacerbated by a        Those with a more positive view of the
While there are those who feel that they    slew of visits to the vessel, by officials   workload issue often saw it as a form
are worked too hard, taken advantage of     and often by company officials. Throw in     of “badge of honour” to work hard and
and even abused.                            additional maintenance work, and the         get things done. There were many who
                                            receipt of stores, and it can be seen that   felt proud that they pushed themselves
There were a few responses which            the work load increases massively when       so hard. While others were fortunate
virtually shrugged and said the work        in port.                                     enough to work for companies who
load levels are “as you would expect”,                                                   applied both the letter and spirit of the
but for others the issue is far from cut    There was also criticism that all too        regulations. One respondent stated,
and dried. Obviously, the mirror issue      often there are new responsibilities         “Workloads are regulated well according
to work load is that of rest, and many      placed onto seafarers, but that there        to the Code of Safe Working Practice
respondents spoke of the fact that they     was little consideration of the work         and SOLAS regulation”. Though it seems
don’t mind the heavy work load, but         that already had to be completed. One        not all companies are so compliant.
that it impacts so badly on their ability   seafarer commented, “Companies seem
to get enough sleep.                        to find more to do without adjusting
                                            what was previously required”.
Time and again the issue of rest and
recuperation was mentioned, “Only           While others commented that
work...no quality time”, said one           “Workload increases almost daily with
respondent. Another commented that,         more and more bureaucracy from head
“Although as per STCW 2010 we should        office”, and there was a sense that
have enough rest, during ships arrival      managers ashore were passing too
and departure it is difficult to maintain   much work to ships, “Work that should
work hour / rest hour”.                     have been done ashore in the office is
                                            given to the ship, our job is supposed to
                                            navigate and deliver the goods in port,
                                            not doing paperwork”.

Workloads are regulated well according
to the Code of Safe Working Practice and
SOLAS regulation.
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 23

Welfare is well fair ↑ 6.36
Tell us more about the welfare facilities

As we have seen from the question            One seafarer stated the Missions “…give       From all the responses there were two
of shore leave, seafarers are far from       us a moral and wellbeing boost. we get        centres which were singled out for
guaranteed to be able to get ashore          cherished as well as refreshed by having      praise, and the seafarers who visited
when they arrive in port. If they are        contact with chaplains, access to WIFI,       them were hugely impressed by the
fortunate to get off the ship for a little   support from the staff, and a chance          facilities and the welcome that they
much need rest and recreation, then it is    to talk to our families”. While another       received. These were the Mission to
important that they have the means to        interesting response captured the fact        Seafarers’ Centre in Mombasa, Kenya
get to facilities they need.                 seafarers’ centres and missions are so        and the Rosenhill Seamen’s Center
                                             important in helping to, “bridge the gap      which is in Gothenburg, Sweden and
Obviously from the Mission to Seafarers’     between land life and sea life”.              operated by the Swedish Seamen’s
perspective the emphasis is very much                                                      Service, a division of the Swedish
on the seafarers’ centres, and the ability   Sadly, many of the negative responses         Maritime Administration.
for crews to use the facilities to access    were about how difficult is to sometimes
the services they need and want.             get ashore and to actually visit the
The actual Seafarers’ Happiness Index        centres. There were many responses
figure for this question has risen this      which focused on the cost of taxis, or
quarter, which is pleasing. This is          the strict rules in place which stand as
especially significant as we have started    barriers for seafarers wishing to get
taking hard copy responses from the          ashore.
seafarers visiting Missions in port. So,
thankfully the fact that the numbers are     There were some suggested
rising seems to suggest that the crews       improvements and observations too –
who do avail themselves of the centres       and one interesting one was the fact
are happy.                                   that Seafarers centres should be able
                                             to provide crews with an experience of
From the written responses, we had a         local culture. So, a chance to taste local
spread of sentiments. Thankfully the         cuisine, and to perhaps feel once more
majority wrote to praise the centres.        that thrill of travel that is sometimes not
There were multiple responses which          associated with modern seafaring.
stated, “they help us very much”, and
“they are so welcome to see”.

…give us a moral and wellbeing boost. we
get cherished as well as refreshed by having
contact with chaplains, access to WIFI...
24 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 25

Female Seafarer Perspectives

As noted, we had a fairly large number of returns from
female seafarers, with 16.22% reporting on their happiness
levels. This is a significant increase from previous Happiness
Index results. A large percentage of female respondents
served on Tankers, most were in the age 25-35 section, and
were predominantly from Western Europe.

This was both pleasing to note and          and friends at home, and this eased         about being sick of salad and healthy
provided some interesting insight. On a     loneliness, isolation and also better       food, and preferring, “deep fried
purely numbers perspective, the female      equipped them to deal with the              hamburgers and pizza all the time” was
seafarers were actually lower when          pressures of being often the only female    actually made by a female seafarer.
it came to the question of “General         on board.
Happiness” levels. The total average                                                    Sadly, there were mentions of sexual
was 6.72, female seafarers marked           As with all seafarers, if the moral on      and gender harassment, and of
themselves as an average of 6.46, which     board is good then they reported higher     the effect that this has on moral,
is a change from previous surveys when      levels of satisfaction. Respondents also    happiness and job satisfaction. From
female seafarers have tended towards a      wrote of the importance of camaraderie      the responses received, it seems clear
higher level of satisfaction.               and of feeling part of a team. Those        that regardless of gender, the building
                                            females who reported higher happiness       blocks of happiness remain the same –
We thought it might be useful to assess     levels on the questions about               but there is an obvious and vital need
the responses from female seafarers,        connectivity and also the interaction       to ensure that harassment, bullying or
so as to better build a picture of what     with other crew on board, went on to        singling out of people is stopped, as a
seafaring means to them, as both a          have higher scores across the board.        matter of urgency.
career but also living their life at sea.
                                            It seems that good relationships with
The positives that female respondents       fellow crew, allied with a sense of being
voiced opinions on focused on were          able to contact those at home, these
actually very similar to their male         are the foundations which really mean a
counterparts. There was a great             lot to female seafarers.
emphasis placed on connectivity,
perhaps even more than by male              Food was another key issue – and
seafarers. Female respondents wrote         female seafarers seemed to be more
a great deal about how important            attuned to the need for a healthy diet.
it was to feel a connection to family       However, the most vociferous answer
26 | Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018

Conclusions

Overall there the Seafarers’ Happiness Index figures have
shown a rise, and while it is obviously early days, it is positive
to see growth across various key issues.

The average Seafarers’ Happiness level      belonging and engagement is crucial.          their career progression, and most felt
expressed by respondents was up from                                                      that their employers were supportive
6.25 out of 10.0 in 2017 to 6.69 in this    There were some dissenting voices,            and looked to provide them with the
first quarter of 2018.                      which felt that crews being online            tools they needed.
                                            was negative to interaction on board.
The happiest tranche of respondents         However, it is difficult to wholly point      Unfortunately, the one area of the
was in the 25-35 year age group – and       the finger of blame at people being           Index which fell this quarter was that of
once again, these figures were hugely       online, especially when the social fabric     on board interactions. This is still one
impacted by the ability to access the       of vessels has been altered. Fewer            of the highest performing factors and
internet and to feel connected with the     people, shorter trips, single cabins, the     issues within the Seafarers’ Happiness
shore.                                      removal of the ship’s bar – all have had      Index, but it is a concern to see the
                                            an effect.                                    data falling. Comments about issues
Deck crew and officers tended to            Seafarers do retreat to their cabins,         such as harassment and even racism
be happier than their engineering           they do spend time online and there           were noted, and it is an obvious area to
counterparts – and the middle cohort of     is less interaction on board. Which           monitor. Given the rising global tide of
ranks, second officer and third engineer,   came first though, in a chicken and egg       nationalism, it could well be that some
chief officer and second engineer,          conundrum, did seafarers sit in their         attitudes or views are filtering into the
performed better. They recorded the         cabins and go online because there was        seafaring population. This is a concern,
highest results across the board.           less opportunity to interact, or is their     and we can hope that it is a blip rather
Female seafarers marked themselves          less chance to interact because people        than a trend.
lower than the general average this         are online?
time around. Which was a significant                                                      The issue of workload saw a surprising
shift from previous Seafarers’ Happiness    The issue of shore leave saw a positive       rise this time around – however, in
Index results. While, once again,           shift in sentiment, but it is not yet clear   the comments received, the same
respondents from South East Asia            the effects of new legislation are being      old problems came to the fore. This
tended to record higher happiness           felt. Wage sentiment rose too – rather        is especially prevalent around vessel
marks in their responses.                   than much focus on the level of wages,        activities in port. Too many tasks, so
                                            though there was some disquiet about          many visitors, a slew of activities, as
Seafarers on container vessels once         stagnation, the main problems were            well as the operational norms and
again were the highest in terms of          around timely payments.                       requirements – these all add up to a
happiness. However, the differential                                                      huge and significant spike in workload
between those crews and those serving       The parallel issues of food, health and       as a vessel nears and arrives in port, and
on tankers was narrowing when it            exercise saw rises – there were many          as it sits alongside.
comes to happiness. Of the major            comments about the quality of Cooks,
constituent vessel types, bulk carriers     and the importance of ingredients.            Seafarers’ welfare facilities ashore also
were the worst performing – but these       Seafarers value these hugely, and where       saw a rise in positive sentiment, and
were also on the rise this quarter.         there is a sufficiently high spend on         respondents time and again stressed
                                            food, where Cooks are able to prepare         just how important it is to have
“Happiness” on the part of seafarers        good and varied, culturally sensitive         access to the support, interaction and
can be seen as being driven by some         menus – then these are happy seafarers        facilities that the centres provide. The
key basics. As has long been stressed,      indeed.                                       only negatives were that, as has been
connectivity is a key component                                                           covered in the shore leave question, it
of satisfaction. The ability to feel        Training saw a rise too in this quarter.      can be too hard and expensive to get off
connected to life at home, to talk with     There was a positive sense from               the vessel.
loved ones or to just have a sense of       respondents about the importance of
Seafarers Happiness Index Q1 2018 | 27
The Mission to Seafarers
St Michael Paternoster Royal
College Hill
London
United Kingdom
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Tel:   +44(0)20 7248 5202
Fax: +44(0)20 7246 4761
Email: info@missiontoseafarers.org

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