Quitting

[tinselvestsparklepants]

I’m currently working in the best job I could imagine for me - on paper. I’m really good at it and love my fellow staff and students.
But the management culture has grown toxic and dictatorial. Bullying behaviour by management is never acknowledged let alone addressed. There are double standards everywhere and to be perfectly honest I don’t think our managers understand the reality of education. We are micromanaged and have no say in what units we teach - creativity or a sense of personal investment in the course has been beaten out of us. I am so utterly broken that I have written my resignation letter and am about to press send. There are no other uni jobs where I live - I’m a super specialist living rurally so this really will be me ‘out’ if I do it. I will be ok financially and am perhaps more concerned about identity and ‘throwing away’ the wider ‘benefits’ of academia, especially in terms of research. Has anyone else been here - any words of advice? I never thought I’d be in this position.

Ah that's shit, I'm so sorry.

Would you consider part time first? As in, very part time, 50% or less, and actually work your hours? It seems like you do love the job just not the job right now iykwim. Would a bit of space away from it help?

I’ve gone pt. I’m not that long into that but looking into the future I can’t see that the environment will change. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to park the job between hours - it keeps me awake at night. Thank you for your response though, this feels like a very lonely decision.

Could you teach online at a different university? I have taught remotely before

If it's keeping you awake at night, it's definitely time for a change, been there.

Any chance of voluntary redundancy where you are? Might be worth holding out for, I suspect most places will be offering it in the next year.

Oh, OP I'm sorry. I faced this exact situation too, and went part time, and then ended up taking VS and retired early. I would second@GCAcademic and hold out for a package, as the sector is in financial turmoil.

Yes we were in a better position than most and have just had a VS scheme announced. Would you give yourself a deadline and if no option of a payout then walk?

I think the problem with the reduced hours / PT suggestion here is that the boundaries of these posts are poorly respected in many academic jobs. There is an expectation for preparation and marking outside of office hours and this does not seem proportional to the FTE equivalent. Although PT seems like a good idea it can be a further stressor.

Identity is important to many of us and you may feel a bit lost just leaving. The thing is to have a plan that meets some of your needs and gives you a possibly new identity before you tell them to shove it.

What you describe sounds miserable, but are you in a traditional uni already or somewhere online like the OU? If you want to leave your current job and won’t move or commute for another, then yes, I suppose you are out, or if money isn’t a reason to work for you then you could be an independent researcher - you could get an affiliation with somewhere you like and focus on research.

When do you next have research leave due? Have you been applying for funded research leave to get a bit of space from the department?

The voluntary redundancy option is a very good suggestion though - don’t hit send yet! I don’t really see the point in going part time. It’s scarcely any less work for a lot less money.

Have you explored all the other options like talking to an academic career coach etc.?

I'm biding my time waiting for the next round of VS. Can't you just switch mindset and think 'yeah I won't be doing that' every time you're faced with managerial shite. It's what I now do. I always respond to students quickly but managers, nah!

If you are financially very secure then definitely hit ‘send’. Otherwise I do agree with waiting for a VS scheme. You sound close to burnout if you’re waking and worrying at night. How about taking sick leave to recuperate? Burnout seems par for the course in academia. There’s so much to do outside of the academy however. It’s exciting to move on and you will bring so many skills and talents.

Thank you all. This is incredibly helpful. I’m definitely burnt out and have been for a while. Management are deeply unpleasant to put it mildly - I’d say more but I know they monitor social media. We are in a round of VS but I’m entitled to almost nothing and I don’t really want them to be able to decide if I can stay or go - they have to approve it - though I suppose I could try it and quit anyway if they say no. I love the idea of doing independent research - how do you ‘get an affiliation’? I came into academia from industry so I’m not very clued up on how a lot of the research works. Thank you all again. I’m on a non work day today and will be reading all these responses again and again!

It also sounds like there might be something salvageable, given how many bits of your job you do like. Are you teaching just now? Could you take some annual leave and try to get some headspace?
I’ve gone part-time after burnout and it’s working well for me so far. Partly it’s because I have filled my non-working day with things that get me away from thinking about work: learning a musical instrument, a fitness class, arranging to meet friends for a walk. It sounds quite extravagant written out but I needed it to avoid me getting sucked in to doom-scrolling, then my inbox and to do list. Even if I do need to do a bit of writing (and that’s the only work I let interfere) I go and do it somewhere nice with a view.
It’s also because my manager has respected my reduced workload, which it doesn’t sound like yours would necessarily. But wanted to offer a possible glimmer of hope.

Do not go until you get redundancy. Just stay put using any combination you can- sick leave etc.

Lower your levels of engagement - do quiet quitting. Avoid all social media and go through your email subscriptions. Be ruthless- un subscribe from anything that does not immediately concern you.