Staff welfare, a lower priority than student welfare?

Covid-19 has seriously disrupted the way Higher Education Institutions operate.  The most obvious impact has been on the way staff and students interact, and the shift to online teaching, assessment, and individual and group engagements.  Understandably the University has sought to minimise any adverse impact on students from these changes. Inevitably given the nature of our sector, it is staff who are the key to supporting students and helping to ensure their welfare during the pandemic.  This has placed enormous strain on colleagues at a time when all of us are facing daily challenges in our personal and family lives.  All the more disappointing then that the University has thus far shown little empathy for the plight of its workforce.  While fine words are plentiful, there is a failure to recognise that staff are not an inexhaustible resource to be pushed to the maximum without regard for the consequences. 

When it comes to our dealings with students, we are told – through almost daily updates to already overflowing email inboxes – to inform students, contact students, invite students to get in touch, etc.  And all this while adapting to a host of new working practices, and frankly, trying not to lose it altogether!

Given the pandemic, UCU accepts that not all issues were capable of being addressed immediately and evenly.  But it is now eight weeks since lockdown and there still appears to be an assumption that the welfare of students is the only priority, and that staff will perform their duties in a kind of robotic way – somehow insulated from the effects of the crisis.  There seems to be little regard for the pressures of childcare or other caring duties or the sheer mental strain of coping with lockdown while working.  While we appreciate the VC’s frankness about uncertainty over the future of sector and our institution, this also serves to exacerbate the stress for many staff. 

Provision of adequate equipment

So far, the University has not revealed any plan for issuing staff members with appropriate electronic equipment.  While there is a lot of talk about students not having access to adequate internet connection speeds and computers, staff are expected to use their own computers, printers, etc.  We are concerned about all staff, but in particular, colleagues who following a workplace assessment have not been provided with appropriate equipment to meet their physical needs (ergonomic keyboards, suitable chairs etc.).  Not enough consideration has been given to the health and safety consequences of moving to home-working.  Given that electronic marking has increased hugely during the lockdown the UCU would want serious consideration to be given to how to manage this change from a health and safety perspective. 

Inflexibility about turn-around of assessed work

The University has now moved the vast majority of assessments online.  It appears that despite the increased burden this places on staff, and the lack of a proper H&S assessment of this change, it is still expected that  marking will be completed within 3 weeks.  In some Colleges we are informed that attempts are being made to shorten even this unrealistic timescale.  This is unacceptable and staff welfare must come first here, taking precedence over students’ interest in receiving their mark within the normal timeframe.

Our advice to all staff who have marking responsibilities is that you should be conscious of your health and wellbeing while marking.  Take breaks, do not over-exert yourself.  You need to determine how many assessments you can comfortably mark in a set period.  You should not strive to meet deadlines at the expense of your health or wellbeing.

If you feel you may be penalised for not meeting a marking deadline contact us immediately.  We will have no hesitation in raising the matter with the University on your behalf. 

All the above are issues that UCU has raised with senior management, and we will continue to do so until we are satisfied with the response.  More broadly we will press senior management to pay closer attention to the welfare of staff as we emerge from lockdown.

We would also like to draw your attention to our current survey of staff workload, collected just prior to the pandemic: Administrative Burden on Academics