Time to focus on HE staff’s quality of life, says new Oxford v-c

Hopefully other VC's will follow Professor Tracey's lead and recognise that well motivated and fairly rewarded staff can only improve the quality of any institution, leading to better research and student experience. I work in a digital team that isn't directly customer facing and the flexibility working from home allows me, has brought with it not only increased productivity, but a life changing impact on my work life balance and wellbeing. All members of my team dread a mandatory return to campus when there is no meaningful reason to do so. Hopefully our new VC will show the same consideration for his staff as that promised by Professor Tracey.

This needs to be wholly equitable and include consistency across all academic staff. Let's not forget the 22 week teaching year and average contact time with students of what is estimated to be 8-11 hours per week (during term). Some staff play closely to that and have capitalised on working form home and online work mainly to their benefit. Support staff have no such flexibility with their 52 week a year attendance and general targeting of resources to make savings and cuts. To highlight just one strand of what makes a university work seems blinkered.