Workaholism isn’t a valid requirement for advancing in science

The importance of a work-life balance is highlighted by Bryan Gaensler (Director, Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto) in an article from 13th July 2015 in The Conversation.  This is an excellent article and well worth reading…..

‘Science demands a lot of its disciples, so scientists should take control, not be controlled. Young researchers should determine how, where and when they work best, should set themselves rules, and then should try to stick to them. Ever since my time as a postdoc at MIT, I aim to walk out the door by 5 or 6 every night, I try not to answer emails on weekends and I take my allotted vacation time. Just as heads and directors are expected to be exemplars in our research, we must lead by example in work–life balance.’

What do you think? Does the competitive culture of working long hours exist here?  Do you have a work-life balance?  How can this be improved? Should we all be more open about taking holidays and not working weekends?

What time do you think it's safe for me to leave work?

What time do you think it’s safe for me to leave work?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *