R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means at sea. Steven Jones, founder of the Seafarers Happiness Index, channels Aretha Franklin to make his point about declining levels of contentedness across the world’s oceans.
If we ever begin to question the power of respect in shipping, it’s probably a good idea to look back to popular culture and check ourselves. Whether Erasure or Aretha, we will be quickly reminded of the power and importance of respect in all relationships.
Respect can make us feel ten feet tall, overcoming all barriers, succeeding where mere mortals fail, as we commit ourselves to over-achieving at every turn. Heady stuff, I’m sure you’ll agree. Respect then, the vital spark allowing people to feel willing and able to do great things.
Conversely, the lack can make even the best people ultimately shrug and give a two-finger salute…or middle, depending on your cultural mores. You get the idea. Unfortunately, all this is very relevant as the latest figures from the Seafarers Happiness Index have once more shown a fall, with the issue of respect, or lack of it, very much to the fore.
With crewing shortages looming, smart companies will take steps to recognise and celebrate their seafarers
Yes, alas, 2023 was the year in which troubling peaks and troughs gave way to a constant fall. The nursery slopes of our usual ups and downs becoming a terrifying black run. Never have we seen a full year of dropping sentiment, down, down, down and down, the troubling trajectory of 2023.
The latest decline in the fourth consecutive quarter has seen satisfaction ratings fall to 6.36 on the 10-point scale, down from 6.6. This sustained downward spiral once more highlights growing discontent among crews worldwide.
What, though, is driving this downward curve and consistent sense of dissatisfaction? Well, at the core of mounting seafarer frustration are feelings of being overburdened, undervalued, and disconnected. Which would be bad enough, but then we also hear a sense of feeling under-rewarded and even when things are passable, just a general sense of being ignored or overlooked.
Heaping indignity onto indignation, seafarers speak of having to deal with a day-to-day lack of respect from ashore. Raising concerns that within all too many companies, shoreside management is seen to lack empathy or operational knowledge. While concerns for crew welfare struggle to even reach a compliance level, let alone better. The “do what we have to, and no more” approach seems the norm.
There are too few companies which seemingly strive for excellence when it comes to their people. This is not only a disappointment, but it will likely come back to bite the industry big time. Yes, some do great things, and when they do, seafarers really do appreciate and realise how important it is. Though the more usual tale is one of ennui, dismay and usually resigned disappointment.
Lest we forget, respect is the foundation of any strong relationship, professional or personal. Nowhere is this more evident, perhaps even important, than at sea, where bonds between ship and shore should be able to rely heavily on mutual understanding and shared trust.
The slippery slope of falling satisfaction of seafarers, and their calling out lack of respect highlights how feeling undervalued and disconnected by management eats away at self-esteem and morale.
Now, these may seem very “soft skillsy” in nature, but they come with some very hard lessons indeed. There can be no hiding as respect starts with real and demonstrable concern for health, safety, and personal needs. It is about minimising or easing burdens.
Respect for seafarers is about doing the best to make things better, whether they be work or rest, heck even leisure. Better communication, genuine empathy and carefully considered policies demonstrate true respect. Something which cannot be faked or forced. It emerges from a place of sincere appreciation and care.
Streamlining reporting and cutting superfluous paperwork, empowering all onboard with the latest digital tools, and not making them belt-and-braces back to paper. Every minute lost to pointless bureaucracy is disrespectful of seafarers’ time and abilities. Every rude and inconsiderate block of shore leave, every dollar slashed from the feeding rate, all weaken the bonds of shared endeavour and undermine the relationship across all sides of the equation.
So, back to the harsh, yet simple truth. Respect is a vital and fundamental relationship foundation, and while it may come with increased costs it also can deliver immense rewards. Where we see respect we see reciprocal loyalty, satisfaction, and performance. Much good can come from the willingness, capacity and desire to treat seafarers as they should be.
When crews feel their efforts are appreciated, they happily redouble their commitment. By supporting seafarers and minimising daily burdens, we can reignite that spark of loyalty and pride that once defined this profession.
With crewing shortages looming, smart companies will take steps to recognise and celebrate their seafarers. While those who fail to show fundamental respect will struggle to attract and retain talent in coming years.
Respect breeds optimism and progress; disrespect fosters disillusionment. The choice ahead is clear for both seafarers and industry alike. As seafarers face security threats and risks the world over, as they travel further and longer on voyages and do so with stoic determination and commitment, the very least we can all do is give a little respect.
As a Harbor Pilot, I’ve been blessed to be able to enjoy a dialogue with ship Masters from all over the world. They all have different levels of education, training, and experience. They are different ethnicities and nationalities, they have a variety of politics.
The conversations I have with ship’s officers that are men/women aboard a variety of vessel types from all over the world, that are usually stopping at my port for cargo or taking fuel/provisions. So I’d like to think the anecdotal evidence of their shared opinions is worth knowing.
When I started Piloting 30 years ago, most officers and crew that I met and worked with enjoyed their career choice and looked forward to staying in it for the long haul. Yes, there certainly were things that needed improvement aboard most any ship(s). But the job itself as a ship’s officer and even unlicensed crew was something these individuals WANTED to become, enjoyed doing, and looked forward to continuing.
It’s my impression that is much less so today. The horrible treatment of all seafarers during COVID certainly demonstrated how little EVERYONE ashore thought about mariners from anywhere. Yes, even my fellow American citizens at sea were made to feel like they were plague carrying criminals who had no rights. Why should they?
“You mariners want respect????”
I’m certain there are likely more than a few marine department office staff that won’t even read this story (why should they bother?) much less care about solving some perceived problem.
The challenge as I see it is that most maritime businesses are being “managed” by attorneys and accountants (the proverbial bean counters, eh?). Don’t misunderstand my allegation. There may well be an experienced mariner within the office on shore, perhaps a fellow who sailed (briefly) as a Master of Chief Engineer along the way. But despite his input, the boss at the head of the table is typically (today) a person who was schooled not at a maritime academy or even set foot aboard anything that floats. His decisions appear to be swayed more by the spreadsheets from the bean counters and/or threats/warnings from the in house legal department. He/she is an MBA trained individual who was brought in to make money for the company. Bravo.
In the long run, if this same individual … or his underlings at HR down the hall … can’t figure out what the problem is with regard to hiring and retention, then they’ve much more to learn. Perhaps, God forbid, maybe they don’t know as much as they think they do?? The ship’s officers know all too well about budgets, expenses, costs, overtime, blah blah blah … When they’re getting dozens of emails a day from one office about ALL the concerns of various department heads ashore, trust me. They get it. But do you?
When was the last time anybody from your office took a stroll down to the dock and tried to speak to any of the officers onboard, in the middle of taking stores, bunkering, overseeing a technical repair, monitoring the longshoremen, signing off/on new crew, watching over the crew as they are taking a random drug test … oh, wait, I almost forgot, in the middle of all that, WORKING CARGO!!! At 0200 in the morning I might add.
And don’t forget to ensure they are all doing that within the few hours you have in port before the schedule demands you must get away and resume your voyage … all while meeting the REQUIREMENTS for adequate rest! Given the pilotage required to get out of some ports and sail through the harbor approaches that will likely last several hours and demand the utmost attention by the bridge officer after dropping the Pilot off … it truly is amazing we don’t see more maritime accidents than we already do. Those that are “fatigue related”. Yikes, remember the EXXON VALDEZ?
Yes, a little respect for the crew’s job aboard ship might be a good thing to learn. But if you think you don’t have enough time to spend a few days riding aboard a coastwise ship, observing their life onboard, then you’re already starting to appreciate the challenge they have while at sea. You’re just scratching the surface.