Setting crew welfare priorities: Industry should not expect from seafarers to be more resilient than others

In this regard, training on cutting-edge technologies and alternative fuels is essential, coupled with a strategic plan and clear communication. He emphasizes that seafarers must be involved in the process if they are to feel appreciated, respected, and part of the solution. In addition, Steven highlights the alarming trends and how the Seafarers Happiness Index has changed over time, outlining the key areas for improvement in crew satisfaction. In his conclusion, he says that rather than expecting seafarers to be more resilient than anybody else, industry should instead support seafarers in their efforts to “bounce back” from challenges by delving deeper into causes and effects.

SAFETY4SEA: How does a happy crew look like?

Steven Jones: It would be too easy to say that you can tell a happy crew by smiling faces and the sound of laughter. You probably can, but it is a little more subtle than that. From the feedback we get at the Seafarers Happiness Index, a happy crew is well rested, has enough people around them to cover all the work that needs to be done and feels they have things to look forward to. Their happiness and satisfaction often rest on a sense of confidence that they are looked after, and without a dread of pressure or constant worries about sustenance, getting paid or being comfortable. The issues of connectivity and getting ashore are ever-present concerns too.

The top 5 factors that define crew happiness are:

1. Connectivity- Seafarers who get the speed and access they desire at a price they can afford are happier exponentially than those who don’t.
2. Shoreleave – Despite the erosion of the likelihood of ever getting ashore, despite the cost and hassle, and despite the pressure from some companies and senior officers, seafarers who feel they can get away from the ship for a break are happier than those who don’t.
3. Food – Good food means a happier crew. When we hear of Cooks going above and beyond, providing tasty and healthy meals, then we see happiness rise. Conversely, cuts in budgets mean lower-quality ingredients, and we do hear of cooks unable or unwilling to make culturally appropriate meals. Where that happens, happiness plummets.
4. Social interactions – the crew who feel there is space, time and a focus on interactions are far happier. We hear from those who have movie nights, karaoke, BBQs, and gaming sessions and who have a chance to talk with each other, and they are far happier than those who don’t.
5. Pressure, workload, fatigue – Having enough people on board to cover all the work that needs to be done is vitally important. Time again we hear of crews who feel worn down and broken by the pressure. So those who do have enough people around them feel so much happier. Usually, that also means that social interactions improve, so it is all part of the seafarers’ happiness jigsaw.

S4S: From your perspective, which are the key challenges for crew welfare? Do you see any opportunities or positive developments arising?

St.J.: The key challenges to welfare vary across the industry. There are some great shipowners, managers and operators, and many charterers who truly care and want to make sure the people in their supply sphere are cared for. Alas, not all. Outside of this blue-chip level, unfortunately, the standards of care, compassion and empathy drop steadily, until we reach the lower echelons and then they completely plummet. So, we see that there are seafarers who are thankfully very well cared for, and their employers are often seen and heard. Alas, below these levels we also hear from those who are living what is tantamount to a living hell, in almost modern slavery conditions. These crews are vulnerable to change, new owners, sanctions, crime, fraud and criminalisation. They survive their jobs rather than thrive in them. The key challenges for crew welfare are making sure that the voices, stories and experiences of those who otherwise may struggle to be heard can resonate and be shared. That they have a role in shaping the responses that industry and society deliver. There are opportunities and some positive developments, but these need to be pressed home. COVID did some good, it shone a light on the issue of shoreleave and crew changes. The likes of the Neptune Declaration showed how we can rally to produce positives. Now that has come to an end, we need to make sure we learn how to make better things happen for seafarers, and we must have ways of shouting out when things do not change for the better.

S4S: Where does the Seafarers Happiness Index currently stand? Are you satisfied with industry stakeholders’ response on the issue of crew welfare until today?

St.J.: The role of the Seafarers Happiness Index has evolved over the years, and under a long-term collaboration with the Mission to Seafarers, it has perhaps begun to deliver on much of its early promise. It is quoted in research, and covered in articles, it is a mechanism which delivers the message from seafarers to where it needs to be heard. That is a source of immense pride for me, but far more important than that, I hope it is a source of good things for seafarers. The crew who spend their time completing the survey, sharing their data and thoughts do so because they want to have their say. They open up because they trust us to help amplify their message. That is the commitment of the Index, to make sure that what is experienced at sea can be heard within the corridors of power ashore. There is always more to be done. There is always a desire for more seafarers to share, for more companies to support, to have them encourage their people to take part, or indeed to have bespoke reports. However, overall, the take-up and engagement of the industry have been extremely heartening.

S4S: According to the latest Seafarer Happiness report, are there any possible alarming trends to focus on?

St.J.: The most recent report, covering Q2 2023, has uncovered some extremely concerning issues. We again, unfortunately, saw a drop in the data with a significant drop in overall happiness to 6.77/10, down from 7.1/10 in Q1. We saw also saw happiness levels fall across all question categories, and there were yet more growing problems, perhaps exacerbated by the fact that seafarers are struggling to see improvements return to pre-pandemic levels. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant challenges for seafarers, including delays in crew changes, extended time on board, unfavourable contracts, and declining wages. These issues led to a noticeable deterioration in seafarers’ working conditions. Despite emerging from the pandemic, restoring conditions to pre-COVID levels has proven difficult. Seafarers find themselves stuck at a lower standard, with limited capacity for improvement. Extended crew changes have become the new norm, causing uncertainty and acceptance of prolonged onboard stays.

Seafarers are facing additional difficulties, such as contract alterations, problematic remuneration, non-payment of wages, cuts, rising taxes, increased living costs, and inflation. It seems that while employers reacted swiftly to pandemic pressure, a return to previous pre-pandemic standards has been slow. Unfortunately, standards of welfare and employment are more appear more prone to downward changes than upward progress, and that is a cause for much frustration. We also heard extremely concerning reports from multiple seafarers and vessels about conditions relating to nutrition and hydration on board. There were troubling messages concerning ships running out of stores, and also staggering reports about having little or no access to potable water or even being charged a monthly fee for drinking water. Which seems astonishing in the 21st Century – like the dark days of seafaring.

S4S: Which are the key welfare areas that require room for improvement to ensure good working and living conditions onboard and why?

St.J.: When we consider good working and living conditions it is perhaps useful to split into the physical and mental. From a physical perspective, the issues rest on realities relating to comfort and enjoyment. We hear from seafarers who just do not find their ships very nice places to be. From austere design and poor-quality materials to a lack of design consideration. It seems that too many vessels are built purely as ships, with little thought to the home aspects. All work and no play make shared spaces and cabins rather dull and uninspiring. These issues have often been raised over the years. The same materials and construction in the ship’s hospital as the lounge or saloon for instance. With muted tones, harsh lighting, and soft furnishings which are neither. If we do not provide spaces which encourage a social dynamic, then we cannot bemoan the fact that there isn’t one. From a mental perspective, the issues perhaps are interrelated. Though perhaps there also needs to be a focus on the pressure and fatigue aspects. Which can be heightened drastically by noise, vibration and temperatures onboard. Putting seafarers through some kind of physical torture is only likely to damage their mental well-being too, and that is the harsh reality we so often see.  If we saw even a quarter of the effort put into rethinking propulsion put into reimagining living conditions, we would see far more happy seafarers.

S4S: From your experience and as the founder of the Seafarers Happiness Index, what key lessons have you learned during your time in the industry with regard to life onboard?

St.J.: My time in the shipping industry has been both as a child of a seafarer, then at sea myself, through to working ashore across many different roles. I first went to sea when I was 7 on an early container ship of my father’s. In today’s terms, it had a large crew. There were enough people to allow good watch patterns, people seemed rested, relaxed and able to enjoy themselves. Entertainment, enjoyment and a focus on the standard of living seemed to be at the fore. Then, in my career I initially experienced miserably manned bulk carriers in which everyone was stressed, tired, irritable and frustrated. But then also sailed on cable ships with lots of people. The one truism from all those times is that many hands make light work – and if you have enough people, then life gets better. Now, of course, ships are obviously commercial entities, the focus is on generating profits. However, there has to surely be a balancing act. The Seafarers Happiness Index hears regularly from those who feel that the minimum safe manning is just not adequate. They feel the calculations are wrong, that the hours of rest are fraudulent, and that all is done to reduce the headcount. This has a hugely detrimental effect on the physical and mental well-being of seafarers. It seems the case that there is seldom a vessel that allows itself to readily rise above the minimum, regardless of where it is, what it is doing, and the demands of port calls, cargo work, security, or whatever the real world throws at it. Yes, these things are meant to be considered, but for whatever reason it seems the rules are not working.

IMO resolution A.1047(27)) of course notes that safe manning is a function of the number of qualified and experienced seafarers necessary, but time and time again, seafarers say that something is going wrong. The sums don’t seem to stack up, with the net result that reality is not being adequately anticipated or reflected. So, the biggest lesson I have learned is that having the minimum amount of people on a ship should not be the goal, instead, it has to be seen as it is, as a race to the bottom.

S4S: With the energy transition and changing technologies in shipping, are there any issues relating to crew welfare that need extra care?

St.J.: The energy transition can deliver some long overdue and fantastic changes for the industry. However, at the moment all it seems to be bringing is confusion, stress and frustration. The feedback the Seafarers Happiness Index has received has been primarily from officers who feel left out of the transition, who feel ignored or sidelined. Chief Engineers who would like to have a say, who want to put their experience and knowledge into the mix, but who feel shunned by the way the future is being perceived, debated and managed. Training for seafarers on new technologies and especially future fuels does need to be improved, and a strategic approach developed. At the moment, it seems that people ashore, not even former seafarers, are leading the charge and that is a source of growing resentment.  So there needs to be extra care given to communicate symmetrically with seafarers, to make those at sea feel valued, respected, listened to and considered as part of the solution.

S4S: Do you think there is need for regulatory update or best practices towards to further enhance crew welfare? In your view, how can we go the extra mile for changing seafarers and industry’s mindset and embracing a healthier lifestyle?

St.J.: The rules are there, the best practice laid out, and welfare organisations and P&I Clubs are constantly rolling out all kinds of initiatives. However, while common sense should dictate the rest, it is clear we are still collectively struggling to make life healthier at sea. We hear of slashed food budgets and drastically reduced feeding rates. We hear of vessels running low on food waiting to make calls into cheaper ports, or cooks who only seem to want to churn fried food out. Access to fruit and vegetables is limited, and costs are cut at all turns. Then there are issues of recreation and exercise. We hear of “gyms” without equipment, or running machines broken for decades or more. While other seafarers are saddened that some senior officers criticise them for “spending too much time in the gym”.  The idea of health and physical well-being does not seem to sit well at sea. On ships which do not have enough people, or which are worked extremely hard, then it seems a healthy life, with good exercise and rest, will always be next to impossible. The small ship bounced around rough seas with multiple port calls, this is not an experience likely to make for time in the gym. Realities persist, and it can be hard to make room for healthier lifestyles at sea. However, that should not stop us from trying. So, yet again it becomes a case of listening to seafarers. Hearing their views and experiences, to ensure we can fix the problems as they actually exist. That should be the priority over rules and regulations, as this is change which can and should be implemented now.

S4S: What further changes do you think the maritime industry needs to make to attract more men and women to a career in seafaring/ within the maritime industry? How should we work to raise industry’s profile and visibility?

St.J.: In the UK, we think we suffer from “sea blindness”. If you ask most maritime people they will bemoan the fact that young people don’t know about ships, or that careers at sea are not promoted. However, the facts are somewhat different. Seldom an evening passes without some major TV network featuring something about ships, from “Mega Ship” to the BBC and “UK Coastguard”. I actually watched a port State control inspection on primetime TV. The reality is that there is more exposure than ever for shipping. No, what is more realistic, is that seafaring is just not very attractive to young people. So we desperately need to work harder. We need to address diversity barriers and bring in all people, regardless of who they are. We also need to make skills more readily and obviously transferable to roles ashore. We need to work harder to promote seagoing careers, but we must make them worthy of those who we want to attract. We need to sort out the issues of connectivity, we need to make sure we are not working people to a drop. That they can see the world, they can meet people, enjoy experiences and have a career which gives to them, not merely takes from them.

S4S: If you could change one thing that would have an either profound or immediate impact on maritime stakeholders’ wellness & wellbeing, what this one thing would it be and why?

St.J.: I would make sure that every single seafarer in the world feels recognised, supported and is part of the maritime fabric. There are only 1.9 million seafarers – just akin to a modest-sized city in terms of population, and yet so many of them are disparate and unknown. It is my strong assertion that we need to bring them into a new mechanism, one in which the industry can know who they are, and what they need and want. To do this, I feel that it is vital to have a seafarer equivalent of the IMO number for ships. So, each seafarer has a unique identifier within a secure, private and protected system tied to the IMO or ILO. This would mean that we can ensure that we can respond to their needs and that instead of crews being a mysterious homogenous group, we see and understand the people they are, and can respond to the needs they have. Such as system can ensure a robust response to problems, from abandonment to criminalisation, or security concerns to accidents. It would take away the emphasis on flag States or even seafarer home nations, and instead bring them into the United Nations network of responses and responsibilities. Seafarers as global citizens, recognised and protected as such, what an ambition that would be.

Each number would be granted for life – and so a seafarer could access welfare and care in retirement too. We could begin to understand issues of diversity, we could manage supply and demand, and training and development. Such an approach could improve identification and seafarer records, assist in security clearance, and shore leave, reduce fraud and facilitate assistance and welfare. It could also provide increased accountability for employers and crewing agencies.

S4S: Do you have any projects/ plans that you would like to share with industry stakeholders?

St.J.: I was honoured to recently co-facilitate a Mission to Seafarers Executive Roundtable on Crew Welfare during Singapore Maritime Week, with Sue Henney of Idwal. The focus was on identifying solutions to make life better for seafarers. One key area we discussed was the need to ensure that all parts of the supply chain are tied to and visibly committed to the right levels of crew welfare. It was felt that the likes of huge retail charterers, as examples, need to think about seafarers when they make their sustainability reports. This really resonated with me, and if you look through the reams of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) statements from some of the biggest corporate names, it is often impossible to find any focus on those at sea. It is as if their goods magically leap to market. That has to change. Most social reports on ESG merely say they never breach human rights and don’t use slaves. Which seems a pretty paltry baseline to start on. They may speak of community engagement, but seldom if ever mention the seafarers on whose shoulders so much of their business actually rests.  It is vital, therefore, that the seafaring social aspects of ESG are brought as much to the fore as the others, but to make the right decisions data, intelligence and insight are key.

S4S: What is your key message to industry stakeholders and people onboard to foster their resilience?

St.J.: I see it from a different perspective. I don’t necessarily think that fostering resilience is the way forward. We have done that for centuries. Expecting seafarers to be tough, macho, and able to deal with all eventualities has been as much a problem as a solution. In expecting or demanding hardiness and strength, we have eroded humanity and empathy. We have developed the attitude that seafarers can (perhaps even should) cope with whatever is thrown at them. That is unfair, it is damaging, and it is unsustainable. Lessons about the nature of operational resilience will also have to be re-learned in the future when it comes to autonomous vessels. The computers, systems and sensors which will make such advances happen are never any more resilient than they have to be. They only operate under their designed parameters. They need to be at the right temperature, and voltage, with the expected inputs, et al. It is perhaps interesting to ponder why that would be wholly acceptable for hardware, but we always want to people to be resilient beyond their limits.  Yes, of course, we need seafarers to be able to deal with challenges and to have the skills, knowledge and experience to deal with what may reasonably be expected to occur at sea. However, we should not expect them to be more resilient than anyone else.

Expecting people to be inherently resilient can normalise adversity, it downplays structural factors like ineffective policies, resource gaps, or toxic cultures. It makes seafarers somehow complicit in things going wrong. That is a toxic attitude within the industry. Such undue expectation burdens the individual seafarer, and probably also makes it harder for diversity to break through. It also downplays trauma and we get to a need to encourage seafarers to “bounce back” when we should be looking deeper at causes and effects.  Such an approach impedes reform and keeps problems as opportunities to toughen up. It glosses over any impetus for change, but change is needed and is vital to making sure that life at sea is all it can and should be.

The views presented are only those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.