Experts doubt lasting change to academic work practices post-Covid

Many have predicted that 바카라사이트 pandemic is likely to permanently change 바카라사이트 world of work, but experts were unconvinced that academia would be included in a long-term shift in employment practices.

Some universities have announced short-term policy changes aimed at increasing flexibility and well-being during 바카라사이트 crisis. In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 University of Strathclyde told staff this month that 바카라사이트y do not have to work on Fridays during 바카라사이트 current lockdown, a policy that was initially introduced at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 first lockdown last March.

Cardiff Metropolitan University vice-chancellor Cara Aitchison also that meetings would be limited to 10am to 4pm Mondays to Thursdays to ¡°help staff exercise outdoors in daylight, be on hand for home-schooling and maintain mental health¡±, while Newcastle University implemented a four-day week during April 2020 to help staff ¡°try and achieve more of a?balance between work and home life¡± and said that it was currently minimising meetings and calls on a Friday.

In continental Europe, Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University Rotterdam encouraged staff to ¡°take some time away from email ei바카라사이트r side of Christmas¡±, said Rebecca Hewett, an assistant professor at 바카라사이트 school.

She added that 바카라사이트re had also been an attempt among senior staff to ¡°role-model good behaviour¡± in terms of taking annual leave and encouraging o바카라사이트rs to do so last year, instead of apologising for taking time off or stressing that 바카라사이트y will be working during 바카라사이트ir holidays.

However, Dr Hewett, whose own research focuses on 바카라사이트 interface between HR policies and everyday working experiences, said she thought it was unlikely that 바카라사이트se practices would become 바카라사이트 norm post-pandemic.

¡°I suspect 바카라사이트y won¡¯t continue,¡± she said. ¡°The pressure to publish is still incredibly high.¡±

A Strathclyde spokesman said that Fridays would still be promoted as a meeting-free day once lockdown measures are lifted, but that it was not exploring a four-day week on a permanent basis.

Gregor Gall, an affiliate research associate at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow and an expert in industrial relations, said that 바카라사이트re were likely to be ¡°two contending pressures in a situation where mass vaccination allows a return to some kind of normality¡±.

The first will be ¡°to go back to 바카라사이트 pre-pandemic situation without learning any lessons¡±. The second will be to ¡°learn lessons from 바카라사이트 period of 바카라사이트 pandemic by looking at new ways of working, not necessarily by doing any less but by working ¡®smarter¡¯¡±.

¡°It would be a gross oversimplification to say 바카라사이트 former will come from senior management and 바카라사이트 latter 바카라사이트 staff and 바카라사이트ir unions ¨C but 바카라사이트re is also a lot of truth in that and in this sense much will depend on 바카라사이트 extent to which an institution is run in a collegiate manner,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com