If you’re in research/ academia how much do you WFH?

[chillediguana]

I would be interested to learn how much you are on campus vs at home and how much it varies throughput the year.

I’m currently in a clinical role but considering a move back to doing more research and teaching and am wondering how much things have shifted in this direction post pandemic.

Many thanks

One day a week. We are all one day in my department really, but we are wet-lab team science and so need to be in together at the bench. I could do more from home, as the boss, but like to be in to talk to everyone every day

Thanks for responding that’s interesting. My field is social sciences/ health so less lab based and I’m wondering if that lends itself to more home working.

I'm in health and social sciences, and I only go on campus to teach - so literally around 15 days a year. This is encouraged by our Uni as there are no offices for staff anymore, instead a massive hot-desking area. I don't do those, so WFH it is and I love it. Get so much more done with the commute.

My university has a 'reasonable expectation' that people will come to campus three days per week. How much this is enforced at departmental level and by job role varies.

In my department (social sciences) no-one really checks for academic staff, but the quid pro quo is that we are expected to be entirely flexible about when we do come in and don't refuse to come to meetings, etc., on the basis that we 'usually work from home on Thursdays'.

I'm in health and we've been told the expectation is 60% in the office - so I generally do 3 days a week. However, there doesn't seem to be any sanctions if you come in less.

I stick to 3 days in the office and 2 at home as I don't live too far from campus. May increase that if it gets really hot as we have fierce air con

Thank you all this is really heartening to hear. I have really loved working from home when I’ve been able to. I get so much done without the distractions of an office and just love being in my house. I think my ideal set up would be a half and half split.

No official rules, reality is I'm underworked so only 1-3 days/week. I would prefer more but it's far away & not enough to do.

I'm in 4 days per week (same as before covid) but I have colleagues who are only in 1 day per week. the university are trying to encourage everyone back at least 2 days per week but there is lots of flexiblity.

Usually 3-4 days a week during term time. Occasionally 2 or 5. Outside term time, once a week or less.

Nobody minds how often I come in really, as long as I do what I need to do. But teaching and all committee meetings etc are in person.

At least 3 days in expected in my social science dept. Though in summer campus is pretty deserted.

When UG teaching I seem to end up with 3 12 hour days on campus a term, not through design, but I have some very popular modules. So 2 x 10 weeks of 3 12 hour teaching days, and 2 work from home days (and another day or two at the weekend sadly to fit in marking and prep).

We're expected to be in every day, even if not doing lab work/teaching. There are no allowances any more for WFH, but I'm on the continent now and not in UK.

A lot of this seems to be field-specific differences in working and supervision. In my field it is normal to see your PhD student 2 or 3 times a week. Obv in others once a month is normal. I have a team of postdocs as well as students so even seeing everyone once a week (bare minimum for us) I need to be in a lot. With no change throughout the year

Also not in the UK, but we are expected to be on campus as the general rule. Any kind of regular wfh needs aproval from hod. Up to 20% wfh can generally be agreed, although agreement is valid 1 semester at a time. Maximum agreement is 40% wfh (again on a semester by semester basis and needs very good reasons).ad hoc wfh is ok.

In my (social science) department we're expected to be in the office at least 60% of the time, but no-one really checks, also because even when people are on campus they might not necessarily be in their office. Most departmental meetings and committee meetings get scheduled on Tuesday-Thursday as Monday & Friday are the most popular wfh days.

How many of you are hotdesking? Because our Uni has gone for that big time although much less in my dept. All the admin staff now hotdesk.

@MedSchoolRat - no hot desking in my building except visiting students / interns and emertius profs who are only in once a month max. But it may vary a lot between buildings.

I'm in the humanities and go into the office as & when. I also like working in libraries when I get sick of my study at home.

We are very much expected to be present for teaching, office hours, and extra student tutorials, obviously. Meetings are hybrid, but increasingly everyone's preference is to be in-person (we can have off-the record or check-in conversations about students, for example).

But ... I think you need to be really sure that you are there for all the extra stuff: Open Days, team meetings, whatever. Don't be the bad colleague who uses WFH and/or home commitments and/or commuting as excuses for not sharing all the annoying extras.

In the humanities. I’m usually in 3 (sometimes 4) days a week when I’m teaching. Outside of that, I’m at home full time.

About 50% of the time. Some weeks I am in every day, some weeks not at all. On average, about 3 days a week. I prefer to work in the office as I get bored at home alone and I am easy distracted by other things!

I am very glad to say that hot-desking has not come to my university. I have my own office.

I'm in 2-4 days week when teaching otherwise pretty much FT WFH. It's a 2 hour plus round trip commute so I don't go in just for the change of scene - and I wouldn't see anybody if I did either. It does feel isolated .

Usually in 2/3 days per week in your area. Not enforced but keen for staff to get back to pre covid attendance in the office. tbh, this is reflective of what I did anyway.

Business school here, completely flexible as long as we're in for teaching - I have multiple colleagues who don't live in the same country, although I'm sure that's not official. Some people are in the office pretty much daily, others literally never, personally I vary hugely depending on what I have on and how I'm feeling.

I came from a very old fashioned firm in the financial services and still adore the flexibility.

I am in STEM but more fieldwork and dataset based, not wet lab based.
I work 4 days a week and a typical week is 2-3 days in the office. DH will be WFH less though so I may do 3 days at home as standard BUT I'm also trying really hard to get back to coffee/lunch with colleagues so maybe not.
I do fieldwork and training overseas but also a bit here (including training students) so maybe once a month I spend a day either training students in the department or out with them.