Quick thread on overwork, since reading @Akil_N_Awan yesterday. I'm not going to say how much I work, but it causes significant stress. I've never bragged but have sometimes talked about it to a) signal my unhappiness; b) indicate the scale of the problem https://twitter.com/Akil_N_Awan/status/1198893017723224065?s=20

And @Akil_N_Awan is right, the system is thriving on overwork and it is having a serious impact on staff. https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2019/05/23/pressure-vessels-the-epidemic-of-poor-mental-health-among-higher-education-staff/

However, we need an honest conversation about overwork - as it is not as simple as saying those who overwork are either part of the problem (insofar as they establish unrealistic expectation and normalise overwork) or doing it because they 'love their job' .

My contract is for (1) 40% teaching; (2) 20% service and (3) 40% research. My teaching is full (2 final year courses, 4 PHDs, dissertation students etc); My service is full as well - research cluster lead, REF tasks. Any reduction in 1 and 2 means more work for my colleagues.

So what happens if I want to do anything else? Say, edit a journal, examine a PhD, review an article/book, be an external examiner? Those are all goods that I am expected to do as a good colleague and increasingly asked to do as I get older.

Assuming the above aren't compensated in our workload model, I face a rock and hard place decision: allow the task to erode research time but work less hours; or do the extra work on top of my 100% load. The former dents my career; the latter means I'm part of the problem.

I could of course say 'no' to everything that goes beyond my workload model, but I'd soon be told that I wasn't being a good colleague and I'd never be able to make a case for career progression. This is why overwork is a wicked problem that causes so much mental suffering.

The overworked are stuck between letting everyone down, sacrificing part of their career, or overwork. Couple that with the ridiculously masculine culture of research (where too many truly brag about publications/grants/trips) and overworked staff can feel unable to cut down

So my preferred response to colleagues telling me they work over 40 hours a week is a) organise collective action to reduce or compensate (in time) the extras we're asked to do and b) let overworked colleagues know they can always talk it over. /END