academic stress

Here’s an interesting article about stress in academia, from last year:

Mental health problems are on the rise among UK academics amid the pressures of greater job insecurity, constant demand for results and an increasingly marketised higher education system.

University counselling staff and workplace health experts have seen a steady increase in numbers seeking help for mental health problems over the past decade, with research indicating nearly half of academics show symptoms of psychological distress.

In the past, I’ve wondered aloud: the academic contract is for a 38 hour week [hahahahahaha]; the academic culture is one of long hours [60 is typical; 80-90 not unknown]; promotion criteria seem to be based on expectations that are possible within that culture, but not within that contract; when are we going to have the first claim for constructive dismissal? 

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