Well-being in academic employees – a benchmarking approach

Abstract

Research from several countries indicates that university lecturers and researchers are particularly vulnerable to work-related stress from various sources. This chapter draws on the findings of research conducted by the authors in the United Kingdom (UK) over several years to highlight the value of a benchmarking approach in monitoring the wellbeing of academic employees. The literature on the stressors and strains experienced by academics is initially reviewed. The findings of three studies using a well-established framework to assess psychosocial hazards in the university sector in the UK are then presented and discussed. Except for job control, respondents reported lower wellbeing for each of the seven specified hazards than recommended, with evidence of deterioration over time in some areas. The implications of these findings and the value of supplementing the benchmarking approach with hazards reflecting the current working context are discussed. Priority areas for interventions to enhance wellbeing among academic employees are identified and topics for future research proposed.

The challenges of COVID-19 for the well-being of academic staff

“…These wide-ranging changes in working practices and the nature and extent of demands experienced by academic staff have placed an additional burden on a group of professionals who were already at high risk of work-related stress and mental health problems [ 6 ]. A combination of increased demands and reduced resources will have serious implications for a profession already at risk.…”

Does removing default retirement ages benefit individuals? A comparative empirical case study of the university sector

“…Work intensification and workload are recurring issues in academia; this has been the case even prior to the removal of mandatory retirement ages. In the UK, institutions have seen growing referrals to counselling and occupational health services (Morrish, 2019), increasing stress and declining wellbeing among staff (Deacon, 2018; Kinman and Wray, 2013; Tytherleigh et al, 2005). The intensification of academic work, like a stronger focus on performance issues, is due to a number of overlapping factors, being both internally and externally driven.…”

Reconstructing my identity

“…Work-life balance (or lack of) appears to be a common factor. A survey of University and College Union members from 2013 reported that more than half of the 14,667 respondents from higher education neglected their personal needs because of the demands of their work (Kinman and Wray, 2013, pp. 3-4).…”

“…3-4). Academics working in higher education experience “considerably less” well-being than those in other industries (Kinman and Wray, 2013, p. 14).…”