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[crumpet]

I think I've reached a bit of a crisis point with my post as a Lecturer. I suspect that I'm not alone in my crisis and I would appreciate some mutual support at this time.

Cue winge

At the moment I am working about 14 hours a day, 6 days a week. I grow increasingly behind despite this work schedule. The majority of my time is spent doing admin tasks rather than teaching or doing research. My health and personal life have suffered considerably since taking up my post. I expected to work long hours in a permanent academic post, but I expected these hours to be spent teaching or researching, not doing tasks for which I did not train. I'm just not sure its worth it to me anymore.

I enjoy my colleagues and I think my own REF publications are lined up fairly well. Even so, I fear that the UK HE situation continues to add pressures to our jobs. I worry that this situation will only continue to worsen.

Does anyone have any silver lining stories? Any commiserations?

[hegemony]

I feel your pain.  I was in a similar state not too many years back.  However, you must know that this pace is not sustainable.  You need to brainstorm hard about how to streamline things, pare down inessentials, reclassify more things as inessentials, and cut down on the workload.  Perfectionism is untenable, and feeling as if everything is of great importance is also untenable.  I know you didn't ask for a lecture, but there it is.

[qrypt]

I have a burdensome admin job, but I've found it to be totally manageable.  I rarely work during evenings or weekends. 

The job that really scares me is HoD.  My own HoD keeps encouraging me to apply for promotion (to professor), but even if I had any reasonable chance for this (I don't) I wouldn't go for it -- it would mean becoming HoD in pretty short order, and I'd rather pluck my own eyeballs out. 

[crumpet]

I feel your pain.  I was in a similar state not too many years back.  However, you must know that this pace is not sustainable.  You need to brainstorm hard about how to streamline things, pare down inessentials, reclassify more things as inessentials, and cut down on the workload.  Perfectionism is untenable, and feeling as if everything is of great importance is also untenable.  I know you didn't ask for a lecture, but there it is.

Thanks for this. You are absolutely right that its not sustainable.

In my case, I think its less about perfectionism and more that my department has thrown a lot on me. I have tried to get things re-allocated as I am overloaded but as I am the newest hire, they just dump stuff on me regardless. I have considered just letting stuff drop in response since they are asking unrealistic work loads. I am doing 4x as much admin as one of my colleagues who is also a Lecturer. Its grim. And I don't like not having a handle on things.

Thanks for the lecture...I'll do a bit more brainstorming of how to force this issue.

Qrypt, HOD terrifies me as well...I'm too far off from it now, but I'm already petrified.

[babbinacara]

There are some people who are perpetually in the frame for admin, committees, etc. That sounds like you. I am one of these also. I did a massive admin task (for which, no, there is no training) for the last three years, on the promise that I would then get three years of doing essentially nothing but teaching and research.

Surprise! so many people are on leave, we have been restructured and lost an administrator, and I am straight onto three new committees. Because I am also conscientious and reasonably decisive, I'm one of our department go-to people for a lot of smaller one-off committees, working groups, etc. I have said 'no' only about three times in the last five years, each time when I was actually near breaking point. Most weeks, I spend twice as much time on admin than on teaching and grad students. Even less on research. My physical and mental health is fragile, and it is entirely down to the huge time-suck of admin. This is my 'normal'.

It's no way to live. Admin will not lead to promotions. Admin is not why we are here. Admin is not why we dragged ourselves through PhDs and fought off competition for these jobs. We know this.

But I've said 'yes' because saying 'no' would see someone else to a cr@p job that would create problems for colleagues (and me). I've said 'yes' because saying 'no' would see some other conscientious colleague further loaded down. Does this sound like you? We both need to work towards 'no'. Not towards a 'yes' but I'll do a half-@ssed job, but just 'no'.

[crumpet]

There are some people who are perpetually in the frame for admin, committees, etc. That sounds like you.

It's no way to live. Admin will not lead to promotions. Admin is not why we are here. Admin is not why we dragged ourselves through PhDs and fought off competition for these jobs. We know this.

But I've said 'yes' because saying 'no' would see someone else to a cr@p job that would create problems for colleagues (and me). I've said 'yes' because saying 'no' would see some other conscientious colleague further loaded down. Does this sound like you? We both need to work towards 'no'. Not towards a 'yes' but I'll do a half-@ssed job, but just 'no'.

Yes. I think you've described my world at the moment. Initially, I thought I was being passively side-lined as a bad researcher (I'm in a research star department). But no, they're nominating me for a research award and think my publications are all top in my field. I've also pulled in some major grants. I think I just feel uncomfortable saying no since I'm new-ish and tend towards the people-pleasing end of the spectrum so they take advantage of that.

But you're right, I think I just have to say no firmly from now on. In the meantime I plan to do what I can and if I can't do something in a reasonable time span, let them know the consequences and be firm. It can either fail OR they can have someone else pitch in.

Thanks for the affirming email. Its helpful. I am sorry to see someone else in this predicament!

[sandgrounder]

I think I've reached a bit of a crisis point with my post as a Lecturer. I suspect that I'm not alone in my crisis and I would appreciate some mutual support at this time.

Cue winge

At the moment I am working about 14 hours a day, 6 days a week. I grow increasingly behind despite this work schedule. The majority of my time is spent doing admin tasks rather than teaching or doing research. My health and personal life have suffered considerably since taking up my post. I expected to work long hours in a permanent academic post, but I expected these hours to be spent teaching or researching, not doing tasks for which I did not train. I'm just not sure its worth it to me anymore.

I enjoy my colleagues and I think my own REF publications are lined up fairly well. Even so, I fear that the UK HE situation continues to add pressures to our jobs. I worry that this situation will only continue to worsen.

Does anyone have any silver lining stories? Any commiserations?

Are you me?  I identify with every word of the first paragraph of your whinge. A grant has released me from that particular hell temporarily this semester (thank God for buy-out), but like babbinacara's case has shown, as someone known to be good at admin, I do not trust the assurances that I will not come back to major admin roles at all. I agree with babbinacara that practising the word no is crucial, but it's hard isn't it? Just wanted to say be careful not to put actual health problems down to simple stress, I nearly caused myself a lot of damage that way last year. I'm not sure it's a commiseration but it helped me to read that I wasn't the only one feeling that way.

[mingus]

Definitely you.   

[crumpet]

Sadly, I figured I would have a few kindred over-admined people out there.

I'm trying to practice saying no. Its difficult.

Are you all new-ish hires as well? I wonder if this is hitting us particularly hard because of that...

[mingus]

Just bungle one or two of those admin jobs.   They'll leave you alone after that.   

[sandgrounder]

Sadly, I figured I would have a few kindred over-admined people out there.

I'm trying to practice saying no. Its difficult.

Are you all new-ish hires as well? I wonder if this is hitting us particularly hard because of that...

No longer that new but in a dept with a lot of deadwood at professorial level (institutional problem really of people promoted too early to keep them happy for the last RAE, who have done nothing meaningful ever since) and a failure to deal with the fact that these profs are no longer pulling their weight in any category of the job. So the work gets dumped on the  earlier career types.

[qrypt]

Just bungle one or two of those admin jobs.   They'll leave you alone after that.   

This is (of course) terrible advice.  It's true that they might leave you alone.  But there will also be resentment and disappointment. 

I suppose you could get away with it if you are really a research star, with regular big grant income. 

[mingus]

Just bungle one or two of those admin jobs.   They'll leave you alone after that.   

This is (of course) terrible advice.  It's true that they might leave you alone.  But there will also be resentment and disappointment. 

I suppose you could get away with it if you are really a research star, with regular big grant income. 

Resentment is there whatever you do =>  Your resentment professors :-)

Disappointment too is just part of life.   One can't run one's life on the basis of who will be dissapointed by what.   

The only other option is for the OP to suck it up and get on with things.

[crumpet]

I'm going to practice saying no tonight to an outrageous request. I'll let you know how it goes...

If it doesn't work I might be forced to do a poor job on it...and I'm trying to be okay with that! I'm not nearly enough of a research star to get away with that quite yet!

[larryc]

Crumpet, in your original post you hint that you are on the verge of quitting. If that is really the case, you could try first to jettison some of your duties. "Look, boss, I am working 16 hours a day and can't keep it up. I have to give up either A and B, or C. Which should it be? Or do you want me to choose?"

This is only a good strategy if you really are willing to walk away.