Uni staff’s action call on workload
HUNDREDS of university staff have signed an open letter to their vicechancellor and university authorities demanding action over workload following the suicide of a lecturer.
The letter, signed so far by 523 mostly academic staff at Cardiff University and published on social media, warns: “We are acutely aware there are many others at serious risk of physical and mental injury. Simply, our workloads are too high across the board.”
The letter, which is still open for more to sign, was drafted by the Cardiff University branch of the University College Union (UCU) after business tutor Malcolm Anderson was found dead outside his office.
An inquest into the father of three’s death heard he had been “silently struggling” with his workload.
Mr Anderson, 48, who was deputy head of section and a personal tutor in accounting at Cardiff University’s Cardiff Business School, was found dead minutes after arriving at work at the university’s Aberconway Building in Colum Drive on February 19.
The union claims that senior management have been aware for a number of years that staff are struggling with the pressure of increasing workload.
The UCU’s open letter, addressed to to Cardiff University vice-chancellor Professor Colin Riordan, members of the university executive board and Cardiff University Council, adds: “Robust and meaningful action in respect of workload issues is required now. This must be more than an ineffectual and facile tackling of the symptoms of overwork...
“...This is a crisis in the here and now and it must be addressed on a systemic level. It is within only your power to bring it back under control, and it is your responsibility to do so. We request that you provide a response to this letter detailing concrete steps you will take.”
Cardiff UCU spokesman Dr Andy Williams said: “We’ve published this open letter because Cardiff University has a major problem with staff workload and mental health.
“Its own staff survey shows that only half of all staff can do their jobs without regularly working unreasonable hours. The figures are even worse for staff who teach and do academic research, with only one in five not regularly doing unpaid overtime on weekends or in the evenings.
“All this has a real strain on our health. Half of all UK academics suffer stress-related mental health problems. At Cardiff this has even been a factor in colleagues taking their own lives.
“But the university sticks its head in the sand...
“It’s time we stood up to this toxic working culture for our own sakes, for the sakes of our students and families and for the sakes of our universities, too.”
Of the 523 Cardiff University staff who have supported the open letter 88% are academics, 11% are administration staff and 5% PhD students.
Cardiff University said: “Whilst we are aware of the open letter, to the best of our knowledge the university has yet to receive it formally. As soon as it is received a response will be sent.
“However, what we can say is that we recognise that workload and wellbeing are extremely important issues. That’s why in 2014 we introduced a new workload policy and subsequently a workload modelling framework in consultation with the trade unions.
“This policy is designed to help the university in working towards a systematic approach to workload allocation and to identify those members of staff who may be working to excess and take appropriate action...
“The university has also established the Workload Governance Group, whose role is to assess the over arching impact and operation of the workload policy and to ensure that as far as possible the policy is implemented consistently and fairly across the whole of the university...
“We take the wellbeing of all our staff extremely seriously and we urge any member of staff who is concerned about their workload to raise it with their line manager so all available advice and support can be offered.”