Time to move on, but the timing isn't good

QI have been at my job for 15 months. I started in a fellowship role and then was hired. My boss subsequently received a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer. Over time, that has meant absences for endless appointments and treatments, including surgery and radiation. I don't mind covering during these periods; my boss is respectful and the situation has given me much more opportunity.

However, I instinctively know it's time to move on. I can't move up in the company. I am not paid well, and the industry doesn't interest me. I'm very loyal and I know it's just work, but I worry that my leaving will cause my boss added stress during an ever-worsening situation, and that colleagues and associates will view my leaving badly.

It's a tiny organization. Another employee and I do the vast majority of the work. I'm emotionally exhausted. Advice?

— Anonymous, California

AI commend you for trying to care for your own well-being while being considerate about the impact of your taking a new position. Though we always have the right to leave a job that is no longer a good fit, we are also leaving people behind. Given the unfortunate circumstances you've outlined, there is no good time to leave. Whether you stay or go, your boss will still have cancer, and your leaving will be a challenge for the colleagues who remain.

What you can do is plan your exit with care and consideration. Once you secure a new position, give plenty of notice, and create a transition document for your successor outlining everything they need to know to succeed in your position. Work with your boss and colleagues, once you've announced your departure, to redistribute your responsibilities and complete any projects you can complete before your last day.

With open communication and professional generosity, you can make this difficult transition with as little collateral damage as possible.

Calendaring has gotten out of control Q

My work schedule varies from week to week. My challenge is around scheduling. Some of the other administrators will schedule meetings at very short notice and with no notice of what the meeting is about. I've gotten to my desk on a Monday morning, only to find that I suddenly have a new meeting in a couple of hours. These meetings are not urgent and end up being something that could be conveyed in a phone call or by planning a meeting at a later date.

It's a very just-in-time administrative culture, which contrasts with my previous experience at other universities and with research colleagues, where we would schedule individual meetings via email or phone invitations and group meetings by poll.

My public calendar is always up-to-date and I've scheduled a few regular blocks of time for my research, teaching prep and meetings with collaborators, while keeping other times open.

Our calendar software will notify someone scheduling a meeting if the other party has a scheduled conflict, and yet individual and committee meetings still “appear” on my calendar, sometimes at short notice, for times I have blocked off. When I respond, I'm told it's just hard to schedule meetings because people are busy, and these were the best times that could be determined by looking at everyone's availability.

I cannot be constantly available or always rescheduling my other tasks. How can I respond to this situation?

A

There has been a lot of talk about calendar practices on social media lately. A common thread is that academics can be incredibly resistant to fostering healthy, considerate calendaring practices. It is, admittedly, difficult to schedule large groups of busy people, but your colleagues' practice of scheduling meetings during known, unchangeable conflicts is inconsiderate, at best.

It's time for a crystal clear message to your colleagues about how you are managing your calendar. You cannot attend meetings they schedule when you have other professional obligations, which means they are obstructing your ability to do an important part of your job. Suggest using scheduling polls to find meeting times that will work for the most people.

If they are so cavalier as to do this kind of roughshod scheduling, I don't know that there's anything you can communicate that will alter their behavior. But it's worth a try.