"if you want to make it in research you can't work 9-5"
This makes me furious - a thread. https://twitter.com/UoM_PMH_PGRs/status/1200073421318692865

0: When I was an early career researcher at Surrey, I had a similar chance to air concerns to our Dean of Research. Same subject came up: as an institution, Surrey pushes ECRs harder, for longer hours, with no rewards.
Response: work harder, can't do research on a 9-5.
Fuck that!

1: there are successful academics with work-life balances. We don't see them. In my experience, they're disproportionately underrepresented groups. They do it. It can be done. "You can't" is a lie, or it's bullshit.

2: The Uni profits off perpetuating this myth. In this sector when you work overtime, you de facto work for free. They WANT you to work for free.

3: Management perpetuates the idea that you do it for personal reasons. This is just dodging responsibility. They avoid admitting it's a systemic problem - and therefore avoid having to scrutinise themselves.

4: Other sectors do fantastic, astounding things on 9-5. Since I changed careers, I've been literally told to go home earlier because my work habits might hurt me.
You know what?
That made me happier, more productive, harder working. Academics deserve that, too.

5: Academia doesn't track your work time. They literally don't know how much you work. They don't care. It's as much as they can squeeze. By not tracking work hours, they get away with squeezing harder.

6: Academia doesn't have managers. Few professors I've worked with know how to effectively distribute, coordinate, track, and evaluate work. Fewer still take the time to do it.
There's a reason other sectors invest in good management - it works, it makes your teams productive.

7: Academics think that the glamour of research excuses them from investing time into boring management issues.
If anything, since they're effectively spending my taxes to do it, they have a responsibility to do it better than everyone else.

8: Perpetuating these myths has costs. Financial. Reputational. But most of all - human.
The rate of self harm, depression, suicide, anxiety, exhaustion, burnout in academia should speak for itself. It's shocking.
And it can't possibly be individual "drive to succeed" at the root

This rant is dedicated to all my friends & acquaintances who hate themselves because they've internalized academia's bullshit culture.
I was there, once.
Demand better.
Or leave.
Because Academia doesn't deserve wonderful people like you.
/fin