Janine Arantes (Aldous)’s Post

Understanding and Supporting Teachers' Right to Disconnect Effective August 26, 2024, the 'right to disconnect' policy under the Fair Work Act 2009 will be enforced, establishing clear boundaries between work and personal life for educators. This reform is part of the federal Labor government’s initiative to improve work-life balance and respect personal time, particularly outside standard school hours. Why is this important? Mental health issues are a significant concern in workplaces, particularly in education. According to Standards Australia, psychological injuries make up about 9% of workers’ compensation claims, amounting to an estimated $3.5 billion annually in costs. In the education sector, Safe Work Australia highlights that 18.8% of all serious claims for work pressure come from educators, highlighting the stress teachers face as part of their working conditions. However, in Nicole Mockler's 2022 analysis of 65,000 news articles, it was revealed that 'teacher bashing' is the prevalent discourse in Australian media. As such, there is a significant need for a change in the media's narrative about educators alongside initiatives such as NSW's Psychological Health and Safety Strategy 2024–2026 that flag Education and Training as a 'high-risk industry' (p. 13). This is essential, as it was noted during the legislative discussions leading to this reform, that teachers were specifically highlighted alongside police, as needing protection due to their high levels of job-related stress and the Standing Committee on Law and Justice, 2023, Review of the Workers Compensation Scheme recommended that 'a forensic investigation into the underlying drivers of stress-related psychological claims in the Education sector' is needed (Recommendation 8). The 'right to disconnect' aims to protect teachers from the pressures of an 'always-on' work culture - one that the media for years has sensationalized through the teacher-deficit rhetoric. We need to acknowledge that the classroom is the teachers' workplace and that teachers should not be expected to be 'always on standby'. To mitigate the severe implications of academic stress in education, needs more than wellness activities or technology to support time efficiencies - it requires significant adjustments to working conditions, such as the right to disconnect. So, in the lead up to when teachers' have the right to disconnect, let’s support our teachers' rights, and challenge any rhetoric in the media that suggests otherwise. Mark Vicars and I pondered these issues in the context of Higher Education, in our analysis "Always on Standby", we invite you to read our thoughts below. #psychosocial #safe #teachers #work #alwayson #righttodisconnect

Facing pay concerns, mounting workloads, and increasingly complex cases, two-fifths of UK university student #MentalHealth workers contemplate leaving their roles. As we move past #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, let’s continue cultivating supportive academic and working environments for all within #HigherEducation. Want to gain deeper insights into the well-being of today’s students? Explore Chegg.org’s #GlobalStudentSurvey2023 for a comprehensive overview: https://lnkd.in/eP8sQhti

Did you know 🚨 The financial landscape for students is changing drastically, with university students now spending 153% more time working part-time jobs each month compared to previous years. 🌱 As the demands on students grow, universities and policymakers need to step up with more support, financial aid, and flexible learning options. #StudentLife #University #PartTimeWork #CostOfLiving #Education #2024Trends #WorkLifeBalance

Dangers of being ‘always on’ in Higher Education In this report on Future Campus Dr. Janine Arantes (Aldous) and Associate Professor Mark Vicars from Victoria University have highlighted the psychosocial risks of academics being "always on standby" in the post-pandemic digital era in a new paper. Their narrative analysis examines the toll of digital labour on academic well-being, noting the constant blurring of home and work boundaries due to technology, which has led to digital exhaustion. The study calls for balancing virtual and physical spaces, implementing supportive policies, and providing academics with greater control over workloads. It also recommends clearer work-life boundaries, mindfulness practices, and automating routine tasks to ease digital labor demands. https://lnkd.in/gx3ewqzS #newfrontiers #isilc

We know that higher education institutions are grappling with substantial pressures and challenges, such as disruptive forces, a growing demand for enhanced efficiency and operational excellence and more. Dive into our 2023 Higher Ed Supplemental Survey to understand the competitive workforce landscape. #benefits #education #health

We know that higher education institutions are grappling with substantial pressures and challenges, such as disruptive forces, a growing demand for enhanced efficiency and operational excellence and more. Dive into our 2023 Higher Ed Supplemental Survey to understand the competitive workforce landscape. #benefits #education #health

We know that higher education institutions are grappling with substantial pressures and challenges, such as disruptive forces, a growing demand for enhanced efficiency and operational excellence and more. Dive into our 2023 Higher Ed Supplemental Survey to understand the competitive workforce landscape. #benefits #education #health

We know that higher education institutions are grappling with substantial pressures and challenges, such as disruptive forces, a growing demand for enhanced efficiency and operational excellence and more. Dive into our 2023 Higher Ed Supplemental Survey to understand the competitive workforce landscape. #benefits #education #health

We know that higher education institutions are grappling with substantial pressures and challenges, such as disruptive forces, a growing demand for enhanced efficiency and operational excellence and more. Dive into our 2023 Higher Ed Supplemental Survey to understand the competitive workforce landscape. #benefits #education #health

Very pleased to see my work on the likely illegality of UK University Employment Practices shared by Times Higher Education. I hope this becomes a prominent, public conversation, and as such shakes UK University managers and the University and College Union (UCU) out of, what I argue, is a longstanding history poor performance on the central issue of staff health, safety, and welfare: a variable well established to impact educational quality and student experience. https://lnkd.in/eP5ea3cm