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Blurred boundaries
Academics and uni staff stressed and pressured to work in own time .
University staff are increasingly working in their spare time , with new research showing that 50 per cent of academics and professional staff
receive work-related texts , calls and emails from colleagues on the weekend .
The research from the University of South Australia found that staff who worked outside of normal hours were more likely to suffer from burnout , psychological distress and poor physical health .
The researchers surveyed 2200 staff across 40 Australian universities and found that 26 per cent felt they had to respond to work-related texts , calls and emails from supervisors during their leisure time .
While 57 per cent of employees said that they ’ d sent work-related digital communications to other colleagues in the evenings and 36 per cent reported it was the norm to respond immediately to digital communication at their institution .
UniSA researcher Dr Amy Zadow said that Australian workers are feeling more pressure than ever because of the need to be available 24-7 .
“ Since COVID-19 , the digitalisation of work has really skyrocketed , blurring work boundaries and paving the path for people to be contactable at all hours ,” Dr Zadow said .
Zadow and her team found that those uni staff who were under pressure to respond out of work hours reported higher levels of psychological distress ( 56 per cent compared to 42 per cent ); emotional exhaustion ( 61 per cent compared to 42 per cent ); and poor physical health ( 28 per cent compared to 10 per cent ).
“ Our research shows that high levels of out-of-hours work digital communication can have a significant impact on your physical and mental wellbeing , affecting work-family relationships , causing psychological distress , and poor physical health ,” said Zadow . ■
Fiona Nash will serve a 3 year term . Photo : Lukas Coch
Regional focus
Former Nationals deputy appointed as Regional Education Commissioner .
The government has appointed ex-Nationals senator Fiona Nash Australia ’ s first Regional Education Commissioner .
Created in the wake of the Napthine Review , the role of the commissioner will be to oversee the implementation of the strategy to improve regional , rural and remote tertiary education .
Nash , a former Nationals deputy leader , served as a senator for NSW between 2004 and 2017 and held key portfolios such as Minister for Regional Development , Minister for Regional Communications and Minister for Rural Health .
Since leaving politics , Nash has been the strategic adviser for regional engagement and government relations at Charles Sturt University , and this year became a director of the New South Wales Skills Board .
Minister for Regionalisation , Regional Communications and Regional Education , Senator Bridget McKenzie , said Nash brings a strong knowledge of education to the role , and will be a fierce advocate for students .
“ I know Fiona is committed to driving implementation of the recommendations from the Napthine Review , and will work to reduce the disparity between city and country students , particularly in relation to education participation and attainment .
“ The role of the Commissioner will bring a national focus and direction for regional and remote education and champion the educational needs of students in regional communities .”
Nash said she looks forward to working with all stakeholders in the sector in the pursuit of improving educational outcomes for students .
“ The Napthine Review identified country Australians are less than half as likely to obtain a university degree by the age of 35 , compared to those in our cities ,” she said .
“ There are many factors that contribute to this gap , and I welcome the opportunity to work to ensure every Australian has the option to access and benefit from a high-quality education , regardless of where they live .” ■
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