What does an unmanageable workload look like?

Unreasonable workloads are one of the key disputes of our strike, but it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what ‘unreasonable’ looks like - especially in academia. This is something we talk about a lot on the picket line, and really it seems that everyone feels overworked in a different way. Often, these differences can become sore points, or even points of conflict, between colleagues: “So-and-so can’t be overworked because they’re always available for school pick-ups” while “People without kids don’t know the meaning of overwork!” At the same time, knowing that someone else might be worse off makes struggling staff members reluctant to speak up about their own overwork: “I can’t complain really, at least I have a permanent contract/get home by 6 most nights/am getting some teaching experience”

Our series on “What I would be doing if I weren’t striking” gives you some idea of these issues, as well as some insight into issues around pay inequality and precarious working conditions. But one thing you might not realise is how little these issues are talked about within universities. In fact, many striking staff members have been surprised - and heartened - to hear they are not alone in feeling overwhelmed. Research, and even teaching, can be very isolating pursuits and no one wants to be the first to admit that they aren’t managing as well as their colleagues. The picket line has been a place to share our struggles, get tips on coping, and be reassured that we’re not alone. 

So, with these thoughts in mind, here are a few ways in which overwork manifests itself in Chandler House and in departments across the UK. All are valid and none of them should be considered normal in a place of higher education. 

• regularly forgoing sleeping or eating in favour of working
• not having time or energy to buy and prepare nutritious food
• missing out on spending time with your kids
• working like you’re “sitting a timed exam for 35 hours a week, 46 weeks of the year” in order to have time to spend with your kids
• wondering whether it’s even responsible to have kids (or a pet) when you don’t have any time for them
• working when you’re not getting paid to work
• feeling guilty for not working more than you’re getting paid to work
• feeling guilty for not working more than the hours you’re working when you’re not getting paid to work
• just getting it done (marking, drafting papers, writing letters of reference, applying for funding), rather than taking time and care over it
• never having time to read current research in your field, except incidentally 
• not having time to take part in scholarly activities in your department (talks, seminars, reading groups…)
• putting off or saying no to opportunities that would benefit you (training, talks, networking, mentorship,,,), because you have to spend your time dealing with urgent matters now
• not having time or energy to socialise
• not having time or energy to contribute to your community (by volunteering, chatting with a neighbour, stopping to support a neighbourhood market…)
• not having time or energy to do the things that make life worthwhile for you (yoga, camping, macrame, flint-knapping, kazoo-playing…)
• having to ignore your body’s signs that you’re overworked (back problems, eye problems, skin problems…)
• never feeling like you’ve done ‘enough’
• not having time to think creatively, which is really at the heart of the academic enterprise
• not having time to support colleagues when they’re struggling

Students and staff alike can feel these pressures, and unreasonable staff workloads contribute to a worse experience for students. UCU members are fighting to address unsustainable workloads not just for themselves, but for the students who will benefit from staff members who are able to keep up with research in their field, to take care over their marking and teaching prep, and to lead fulfilling lives outside of the office. We’re also fighting to help students who want to become staff members, so that universities can attract people who can’t or don’t want their job to take over their life. Remember: our working conditions are your learning conditions!