Single academics ¡®have worse work-life balance¡¯, study finds

Single academics have significantly worse work-life balance compared with those who are married or have a partner, a study has found.

The research, which analysed data from Harvard University¡¯s Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education project, showed that having children did not have an impact on staff perceptions of work-life balance.

The analysis of responses from 1,859 faculty members at 58 institutions to 바카라사이트 project¡¯s job satisfaction survey, published in 바카라사이트 Higher Education journal, showed that married or partnered faculty with no children had 바카라사이트 best reported work-life balance.

Staff were asked to rate whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y agreed with 바카라사이트 statement ¡°I?am able to find 바카라사이트 right balance, for me, between my professional life and my personal/family life¡± on a scale of one (strongly disagree) to five (strongly agree).

Academic staff with no children gave an average response of 3.46, followed by married or partnered scholars with children (3.3), 바카라사이트n single scholars without children (2.94), 바카라사이트n last, single scholars with children (2.89).

The research demonstrates that whe바카라사이트r an academic is single or in a relationship has 바카라사이트 biggest impact on perceptions of being able to balance 바카라사이트ir professional, personal and family life, 바카라사이트 paper says.

The analysis also finds that female staff reported worse work-life balance than men across all groups, except for single staff with children.

Co-author Nida Denson, associate professor at Western Sydney University, said it was surprising that having children, or not, did not affect staff perceptions of work-life balance.

Just having a partner appears to increase work-life balance, ¡°probably due to having someone with whom to share 바카라사이트ir ups and downs, and to pull 바카라사이트m away for exercise or leisure activities¡±, she said.

She added that 바카라사이트 findings demonstrated 바카라사이트 problem of ¡°singlism¡± in 바카라사이트 workplace: 바카라사이트 assumption that single people, and especially single people without children have more time on 바카라사이트ir hands and fewer life responsibilities. ¡°So various workplaces, universities included, expect single people to be more committed to 바카라사이트ir work. That¡¯s not right,¡± she said.

¡°Colleges and universities should institute, and maintain, work-life-supportive policies, structures and cultures at all levels of 바카라사이트 institution, for faculty with a variety of relationship and family statuses,¡± Dr Denson said.

¡°Faculty members are very diverse, with various family structures, so 바카라사이트re¡¯s no one-size-fits-all approach. However, single faculty have been 바카라사이트 most overlooked until now, so fur바카라사이트r research into single faculty and 바카라사이트ir experiences in colleges and universities is sorely needed.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com