Letters: November 2019

I was sad to learn that work ethic and ‘world class’ science (whatever that is) have somehow become equated with long work hours (Chemistry World, September 2019, p25). Philip Ball quite rightly points out that excessively long work hours are neither particularly productive nor necessary in those contexts.

It is immaterial whether professors and supervisors, who have enormous influence over the success or otherwise of graduate students and postdocs, are encouraging excessive work practices or ‘simply pointing out the realities’ of life in academic research. The fact is they have a duty of care to protect the health, both physical and mental, and ensure the safety of all those working under their aegis. Employee burnout caused by excessive working regimes is a worrying and growing trend around the world, particularly in younger professionals. In addition, many workplace accidents are a result of human error, which is much more likely when people are under stress and tired.

Rather than fuelling these problems, professors and supervisors are ideally placed to reverse this trend, exerting their influence to moderate work behaviours. They might well find that work ethic and the quality of science are undiminished. The wellbeing of their staff will certainly improve.