{"id":108197,"date":"2020-01-20T16:56:34","date_gmt":"2020-01-20T15:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=108197"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:39","slug":"stress-sleep-deprivation-and-marital-problems-academics-bring-more-than-700-complaints-to-the-labour-inspectorate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/01\/20\/stress-sleep-deprivation-and-marital-problems-academics-bring-more-than-700-complaints-to-the-labour-inspectorate\/","title":{"rendered":"Stress, sleep deprivation and marital problems: academics bring more than 700 complaints to the Labour Inspectorate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Psychological problems, relationship breakdown, physical symptoms. The WOinActie protest movement is heading to the Labour Inspectorate with more than 700 reports of structural overtime at universities.<\/p>\n

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'I'm too busy to be standing here' – one of the protest posters during the WOinActie strike<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHOP, Melanie Zierse<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

In December, the protest movement WOinActie asked academics to describe the problems they were experiencing as a result of the workload at universities. Their intention was to bring a collective complaint to the Labour Inspectorate, and that complaint was delivered today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe expected something like 100 complaints,\u201d says Ingrid Robeyns, a lecturer in Utrecht and one of the group\u2019s representatives. \u201cWe got more than 700. And that\u2019s in December, which is a busy month! That gives you an indication of the scale of the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Damaging<\/h2>

The complaints have been brought together in a brief report<\/a>. Among the issues academics report are a lack of sleep, marital problems and stress. \u201cOne of my children has developed a fear of failure, possibly partly due to my situation and the signals I\u2019m giving off,\u201d one person writes. Other contributors also brought up the effect the problems are having on their family and their health: \u201cHigh blood pressure, poor sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAcademics have such a strong work ethic that we end up damaging ourselves,\u201d says Robeyns. \u201cThe government takes advantage of our passion, and politicians can get away with it because we\u2019re such loyal employees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018Academics have such a strong work ethic that we end up damaging ourselves\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Disconcerting image<\/h2>

Do these complaints reflect the situation of the entire university community? No, says Robeyns: WOinActie\u2019s report is not a scientific study, but rather a collection of complaints. However, those complaints present a shocking picture.<\/p>\n

Universities use \u2018standard hours\u2019 for teaching and other duties, but there are never enough hours allocated. Robeyns explains that this has financial consequences, too: \u201cSome employees are on a 0.7 FTE contract, even though in practice they work full time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Universities have proposed a raft of plans to reduce their employees\u2019 workload, but WOinActie says those plans are not being put into practice. Some also offer academics a course in time management. \u201cThat puts the responsibility on the researcher, as if everything will be fine if you just plan your time better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Distrust<\/h2>

Ultimately, the group is aiming to achieve \u20ac1.15 billion in structural investment for academia. But will that help with the workload, or will it just add even more work?<\/p>\n

Robeyns explains that although extra funding is needed, it won\u2019t solve the problem on its own. \u201cIf the money comes in the form of another new research agenda that makes academics compete for funding, that won\u2019t be any help. It has to go directly to the universities, to benefit teachers. No extra management, no PR officers \u2013 more teachers. And we have to get rid of the distrust, the idea that they don\u2019t work hard enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018No extra management, no PR officers \u2013 more teachers\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Robeyns has personal experience of the problems outlined in the report. \u201cI worked every evening last week. On two nights it was after midnight before I went to bed, and then I was up again at 7. You don\u2019t get enough sleep that way. I work about 55 hours a week, and I know that because I recorded it over a certain period \u2013 without that record I could have been exaggerating the problem. The result is that I don\u2019t exercise enough, and I don\u2019t relax enough. I\u2019m 47 now: I don\u2019t know if I can keep this up for another 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her work for WOinActie is an extra burden. \u201cYou might say I do it to myself, but I think what we\u2019re doing is really important, and I think we can achieve our goal. Even the minister says another billion euros is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Underfinanced<\/h2>

Robeyns\u2019s children have also noticed how hard she works. \u201cOne of them said recently: Mummy, can\u2019t you resign and find another job? Sometimes that\u2019s a very attractive prospect. But I\u2019m passionate about teaching and research; I love teaching young people.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also enjoys supervising PhD candidates, \u201cbut I do get an uncomfortable feeling sometimes \u2013 what will their future be like? And there\u2019s no point moving to a university overseas, because the situation is the same there. I\u2019m speaking as a political philosopher now, but this is a result of the neoliberalism that\u2019s moving through Europe and America. We\u2019re living in an era when the public sector is underfunded, which means that academia is underfunded too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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