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Thread on precarious employment.
I've toyed with writing this for a long time, but I have been reluctant to do so, because I do NOT want it to be taken as fishing for sympathy. I'm extremely lucky and privileged to now hold a permanent academic job. That said,
I've toyed with writing this for a long time, but I have been reluctant to do so, because I do NOT want it to be taken as fishing for sympathy. I'm extremely lucky and privileged to now hold a permanent academic job. That said,
my time as an adjunct lecturer was demeaning, painful, and scarring (financially and emotionally). Did it get me to where I am now? Probably. Was it worth it? I still don't know.
2013 was the worst year. My (then) husband was an immigrant struggling to establish his business, & couldn't find other work in the UK. I also struggled to find work - any work - because we had a baby and childcare in the UK is so expensive.
We couldn't afford the cost of living, so we went to stay with my husband's family in Andalusia. But I wanted to work, we needed money, so when the offer of employment in the UK came up, I took it. It was adjunct work, leading four undergraduate modules in a single semester.
I went back to the UK and stayed on my aunt's couch, because it didn't pay enough for all of us to return and rent accommodation. My baby was only 2. He cried for me at night.
At work, I was not able to join the union, and was not offered library membership. I was not
At work, I was not able to join the union, and was not offered library membership. I was not
allowed to join in the departmental meetings. One of the other staff members told me I was taking on 1/3 of the department's UG teaching that semester, yet I was patronised by other staff members, who had little idea of or interest in my home situation. Some were nice, but
many were simply dismissive or rude. I still wonder what I might have done to my son by leaving him for three months. He was so young. He didn't deserve that. And I am still in debt from my years of precarity - not just in 2013, but after - 2 months unemployed here, 6 there...
The effects of precarious employment will ring down in the lives of those subjected to it, and the lives of those close to them, for a long time yet. And of course it will limit who gets into and who stays in academia.
To every person living with precarity today, I admire and respect you, but most of all, I sympathise with you, because you should not be forced to make these choices.
It should not be the job of precariously-employed people to speak up about this or change the situation. So here are some things that the more lucky among us can do: (i) fight for this issue to be at the forefront of your union's action; (ii) when putting together funding bids,
with buyout for your time, think about what you are offering and how it will affect the person who takes it on; (iii) if you sit on funding councils, don't reward applications for playing with buyout time in an exploitative manner; (iv) if you are influential in your institution,
please, please fight against precarity. If you want to increase diversity, make better working conditions.
Finally, I'm sure there are more ways to fight this. Please add to this thread if you know them.
Thanks for listening. C x
Finally, I'm sure there are more ways to fight this. Please add to this thread if you know them.
Thanks for listening. C x
