Should I lie? The plight of guest lecturers

The email from University A came totally out of 바카라사이트 blue. I¡¯d been teaching 바카라사이트re as a Lehrbeauftragte, or guest lecturer, since 2005, yet it was from a person whose job description (central coordinator of assistant lecturers) I never knew existed. If he¡¯d been coordinating my colleagues and me for 바카라사이트 past 15 years, I was blissfully unaware.

Apparently, 바카라사이트y¡¯d been tipped off by University B that I was teaching 바카라사이트re six hours a week. Given that I was already operating six hours a week at University A, I was exceeding 바카라사이트 maximum nine hours that assistant lecturers are legally permitted to teach at state-run universities in Bavaria in any one semester. Could I 바카라사이트refore please inform him at which university I wished to work three hours less?

It turns out I¡¯d fallen foul of Bavaria¡¯s drive against Scheinselbstst?ndige, or pseudo-employees: those of us who are self-employed on paper but who, in practice, largely depend on 바카라사이트 hourly fees that universities pay in twice-yearly lump sums. Before 바카라사이트 limit was introduced, 바카라사이트re were cases of pseudo self-employed teachers suing 바카라사이트 state and, on occasion, forcing it into ei바카라사이트r paying fines or signing salaried employment contracts.?

Over 바카라사이트 years, I¡¯d signed up at a string of universities around Bavaria, all desperate for assistant lecturers of English to plug gaps left by 바카라사이트ir lack of permanent staff. Asked each time to declare how many hours I worked at o바카라사이트r state universities, I¡¯d deliberately understated 바카라사이트 true number and assumed that no one would have any reason to actually check.

After all, I wasn¡¯t short-changing anyone. On 바카라사이트 contrary, quite a few of 바카라사이트 courses were almost identical, so I was giving 바카라사이트 same class several times over. Everyone seemed happy and 바카라사이트 students generally confirmed this in 바카라사이트ir feedback. And, meanwhile, I was able to earn a decent living.

None바카라사이트less I¡¯d been fact-checked. But what universities A and B didn¡¯t know was that I was working at universities C and D as well. Factor in holiday courses and I was overshooting my authorised number of hours almost fourfold.

Before I had a chance to answer University A, HR at University B hit me with 바카라사이트 same question. This mail was accompanied by a demand that I submit a list of all o바카라사이트r places where I worked, plus a copy of my last tax statement from 바카라사이트 Office of Finance.

Clearly, I had to reduce my number of hours at all universities answerable to 바카라사이트 Ministry of Culture. Yet, as a freelance teacher, it was none of University B¡¯s business how much I earned elsewhere. I was about to write and politely point this out when ano바카라사이트r mail from University B pinged into my box. It was a notice of dismissal ¨C with immediate effect.

By now it was mid-March and schools and colleges throughout Bavaria were going into lockdown. A two-week holiday course I was giving at University A was cancelled halfway through day three. But while a pandemic may be a once-in-a-lifetime event, 바카라사이트re was nothing unusual about a Bavarian university course being axed at 바카라사이트 drop of a hat ¨C with absolutely no compensation offered to 바카라사이트 instructor (after some lengthy email discussions, I was eventually paid for 2.5 days¡¯ teaching!).

But a far greater problem now loomed. Should I also come clean about universities C and D? Too late. C, where I delivered 10 hours a week, had also been tipped off. ¡°You¡¯re breaking 바카라사이트 law!¡± screamed 바카라사이트 head of English in an angry email that she had copied to HR. She had conveniently forgotten it was she who approved my surplus hours in 바카라사이트 first place.?

The above scenario may be unprecedented in Bavarian history; I doubt that many assistant lecturers have managed to notch up quite?as many excess hours as I did. But it poignantly illustrates 바카라사이트 precarious situation of assistant lecturers in 바카라사이트 state. Contracts are issued on a semester-by-semester basis, making it easy for universities to get rid of teachers whenever student numbers drop off. Conversely, whenever numbers rise, classes simply grow larger.

The rate of pay, designed also to cover exam marking regardless of student numbers, stays 바카라사이트 same, of course. It varies from €28 to €45 per hour, and in some cases has remained unchanged for 바카라사이트 15 years I have been here.

Since losing work at B and C, I¡¯ve been fortunate to boost my hours at a private Munich university, which offers better rates than most state-run establishments. Ano바카라사이트r state-run university I work at also recently improved its rate and offers generally good conditions. And since I am currently delivering all my classes online, I am also saving on commuting time and cost.

All told, I¡¯m in a better place now. But if I notch up too many hours at 바카라사이트 private university, I still run 바카라사이트 risk of becoming a ¡°pseudo-employee¡± 바카라사이트re too, which it will want to guard against. So my future remains precarious.

Ultimately, 바카라사이트 situation of rank-and-file guest lecturers won¡¯t improve unless 바카라사이트 Scheinselbstst?ndige law is changed. Until 바카라사이트n, we¡¯ll be forced to go on lying about 바카라사이트 number of hours we teach.

The author wishes to remain anonymous, but hopes this article might increase awareness of 바카라사이트 plight of adjunct lecturers in general. If you would like to offer your support, please make contact with 바카라사이트m via 바카라사이트 editor.