We campaign against excessive workloads, which we believe cause significant stress and ill health.
The UCU Workload Survey (2016-2021) (pdf 2.2MB) focused on health and safety and found that on average, staff work more than two days unpaid each week. More specifically:
- Lecturers work on average a little over 50 hours a week, whilst Teaching Assistants (including GTAs) work a little over 64 hours a week
- Academic-related staff are working an average of 44.8 hours a week, which amounts to one day unpaid each week
- Casualised staff are working, on average, the equivalent of four days unpaid each week
- Part-time staff are also working beyond their contracted hours.
Local branches, including KCL UCU, have used the survey results to support our campaigning, organising and bargaining. In September 2023, we successfully settled a local dispute with King’s management that included:
- an increase in London Weighting
- a childcare subsidy deal, ensuring increased rights to parental leave and
- the creation of three working groups on equalities, casualisation and workload.