As an ECR I was told, by the VC of the institution at which I worked at the time, that ECRs should ‘reasonably expect’ to work 75 hours per week. And that those who couldn’t wouldn’t succeed in academia /1 https://twitter.com/btcwarwick/status/1199936484935122944

For whatever reason very few of my senior colleagues felt that they could advise me otherwise. So I tried. And it had impacts on my health, my realtionships and my quality of life /2

Obviously I wasn’t performing to the best of my abilities. My students and personal tutees weren’t getting the best I could have given them. My colleagues weren’t getting the best I could have given them. And my friends and family were getting... nothing. /3

Eventually I threw all my efforts into getting external funding to ‘buy me out’. And I got it:100% buy out for 5 years. That grant (ERC) transformed my career. Not only because of prestige etc but because it gave me breathing space. Time to work ‘normal’ hours, to have a life /4

It shouldn’t take an almost impossible to get grant for academics to feel that it’s ok to have a life outside of work. I didn’t have senior colleagues who felt able to stand up for me when I was an ECR but I’m now able to stand up for my early career colleagues /5

Students deserve to be taught by people who are not overworked, underpaid and/or treated as though they are disposable. Students deserve to be taught by people with the security that allows them time and space to think and create. That is why I am striking #UCUstrikeback /6

So please, support your lecturers, support your colleagues. Don’t cross the picket lines. /end #UCUstrikes