It's warm, and I'm genuinely wondering why I'm sitting here writing this blog right now. An hour ago, my housemates left for a nearby lake to cool off. I didn't go, because 'there was still work to do' — including this piece. The work isn't going anywhere, my husband said, and is Sunday afternoon really the most suitable moment for it? But this is where a career of over forty years in academia takes its toll: I actually think Sunday afternoon is a perfectly fine time to work. Getting things done undisturbed and in relative peace that don't get done during the rest of the week.
During the years I worked as a lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities at Utrecht University, Sunday was reserved for my research. Formally, I had 0.3 FTE of research time within my full-time position, but in practice, teaching and supervision swallowed up most of the week. I did that with great pleasure, as I did the organisational tasks that came my way within a department where most colleagues were decades older and felt they'd already done their share. Of exactly what wasn't entirely clear to me. I only started seriously thinking about my overloaded work schedule when I was pregnant with my first child. During one of many conversations about the possibilities for my husband to work one day less — not open for discussion in his international work environment at the time, but enforceable under Dutch law — he said: 'We keep talking about my step from five to four days, but when are you actually going from seven to six working days?' Ouch. My husband had a point, and I made a serious effort to discuss a reduction in tasks with the faculty. Workload, however, was not a topic, and as soon became clear, those conversations typically boiled down to tips on how I could work more efficiently. Ultimately, for several reasons, I chose to switch to a policy role — a choice that was viewed with dismay by my colleagues. Such a shame, they felt, to step down from academia to support staff. Personally, I've never regretted that choice.
Fortunately, there is now more attention for workload and work-life balance within academia. It is explicitly addressed in the staff survey, and annual review meetings allow more room for tailored agreements that fit employees' individual situations — both academic and support staff. Yet I still see people working extremely hard within our faculty. Delivering good teaching and conducting groundbreaking research is no routine task, and supporting those processes also demands attention, commitment and creativity. 'You don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps' belongs to the realm of old-fashioned office humour — but if you interpret 'madness' as drive or inner motivation, it's not far off. And I realise that applies to me too, because why else am I sitting behind my laptop on this Sunday afternoon?
Every reason, then, to ease off in a few weeks' time. And to go on holiday, or to quietly think through a wonderful research proposal. Or whatever you like. I wish us all a wonderful summer.
