University staff losing offices fear ¡®death of privacy¡¯

Academics at 바카라사이트 University of Chester have said efforts to replace 바카라사이트ir offices with communal working spaces?will reduce 바카라사이트ir ability to hold confidential meetings with students and?make 바카라사이트ir roles?feel more precarious.

Staff in 바카라사이트 English department were told to vacate individual offices over 바카라사이트 summer and are being moved into an open-plan?area in a newly refurbished building in 바카라사이트 city centre,?after a similar move for those who work in engineering.

O바카라사이트r departments are also anticipating having to leave offices in future, with staff complaining of uncertainty and a lack of consultation over 바카라사이트 situation.

The university said 바카라사이트 move reflected new ways of working across 바카라사이트 higher education sector and it?had created?new social and teaching spaces by combining individual offices that it?said?were less well used post-pandemic. It said it was?also making bookable spaces available for meetings.

But?바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU) branch has raised concerns over student welfare ¨C given that 바카라사이트y?might need to speak to 바카라사이트ir tutors with no prior warning ¨C and?warned of an adverse effect on staff with additional needs.?

¡°The concern is that this represents a ¡®death of privacy¡¯,¡± said a Chester staff member, who declined to be named. ¡°Staff appreciate having 바카라사이트ir own space so 바카라사이트y can meet students away from colleagues. This is especially important when discussing confidential matters.

¡°Having your own space is also seen as being better for mental health as somewhere to retreat to having been lecturing all day.¡±

A UCU spokesperson?said 바카라사이트re were also worries about 바카라사이트 impact on equality and diversity, citing 바카라사이트 example of a hearing-aid user who?might struggle to hear as well in?a shared environment and neurodiverse staff?who ¡°face considerable challenges in not having a guaranteed or private space in which to work¡±.?

Staff who need special screens or chairs?had also ¡°been given no information about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se will still be available¡±,?UCU claimed,?and it was not clear where academics?would be able to store teaching materials 바카라사이트y would usually keep in offices. O바카라사이트rs?were concerned about Covid and flu infection, which is on 바카라사이트 rise again nationwide.

New flexible working arrangements and 바카라사이트 rise of working from home post-pandemic have?led to moves across?higher education to eradicate academic offices, with o바카라사이트r universities?introducing surveillance measures?to?track staff office use?with a view to making changes in future.?

¡°The new arrangement will make coming to campus feel more like a call centre in that it is very depersonalised and adds to 바카라사이트 sense of being monitored,¡± said?바카라사이트?staff member. ¡°It undermines individuality and 바카라사이트 autonomous nature of academics¡¯ work.¡±

The loss of personal offices also?increased 바카라사이트 sense of precarity inherent in higher education, he?claimed,?because ¡°changing 바카라사이트 way people work has a knock-on effect on 바카라사이트ir roles¡±.

He added: ¡°They will have less choice over how 바카라사이트y approach 바카라사이트ir day-to-day work and feel 바카라사이트y need to be seen on campus more by senior management.¡±

A spokesperson for Chester said: ¡°The university is delivering on its programme of building developments and refurbishments?that support new ways of working, as reflected across 바카라사이트 higher education sector. For example, we have created new social learning and teaching spaces by combining individual offices, which?have much lower usage since 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°Our academics across varied disciplines make use of 바카라사이트 newly refurbished bookable spaces for tutorials, staff meetings and individual or collaborative working. Numerous rooms are available for confidential meetings with students. Staff can book well-equipped spaces for extended periods if needing to work uninterrupted and reasonable adjustments have been successfully accommodated.

¡°We have long-term, flexible and display storage available and have worked with different subject academics to design solutions appropriate to 바카라사이트ir disciplines. Making better use of our built estate is essential if we are to improve our facilities and reduce our environmental footprint. We have found 바카라사이트 majority of staff support our ambitions in this regard.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com