Professional staff call for holiday equality with academics

The BOT at Ohio State University reduced staff holiday just this spring. Always ahead of the ....

My institution only differs amount on leave based on grade. Those on grade 6 and above get 4 more days than those on 5 and below.

I thought these issues were supposed to be addressed way back in 2006 with the "Harmonisation of Hours" etc. that took place along with consolidation onto the single pay spine (the JNCHES Agreement?) Guess not. Some are more equal than others, it seems.

The difference in holidays is often explained/justified due to the atypical working hour arrangements and expectations of academics. The additional leave days compensate for, amongst other things, the late nights working towards submission deadlines, the various weekend and evening classes, the Christmas (summer, actually most holidays sessions) holidays spent marking hundreds of papers due to the tight turnaround times to have everything marked before the assessment boards (often amounting to hundreds of thousands of words), the conferences, travel and many other things that make the time commitment requirements of academic positions extend beyond 9 to 5. If it wasn't for the additional holidays, there are few other "perks" that make the professions worthwhile (definitely not the remuneration).

Academic leave is a bit of a mirage. Although I nominally get 35 days, u generally take time off when I have the space in my schedule, and don't generally record it when I do. In any case, I'm not sure I've ever manages to take more than 20 days in a year. Perhaps the way to harmonise leave would be to reduce academic entitlements, but actually out measure in place so they can actually take them.