Take a tea break with us!.

Hau Taki Haere | Tertiary Update Vol 26, No 4

Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union invites you to take a tea break with us.

On March 25th, TEU members up and down Aotearoa will stop what they are doing, pour themselves a cuppa, and join virtual tea breaks with their colleagues. Members will grab a cuppa and catch up with each other over the tea break all workers are entitled to take. Then it will be time to share ways to manage the workload crisis the tertiary education sector is currently experiencing.

According to TEU Te Pou Ahurei | National Secretary, Sandra Grey, “out of control workloads have long been the number one issue our members have raised with us as a cause of crippling stress, and COVID-19 has seriously exacerbated the problem. Too many of our members are past breaking point. Enough is enough.”

Last year, TEU’s State of the Sector survey of 1,021 people showed 62% of allied/general staff and 77% of academic staff had seen their already unmanageable workloads increase. Seventy six percent of academics said they have less time and capacity for research and, sadly, 61% felt that the increased workload has “caused them to question their own competence including the quality of their teaching and capacity to support students.”

As Sandra Grey explains, “that’s why we’re running a campaign to raise awareness of unsafe workloads and to help to expose the dangerously low staffing levels in our institutions that are pushing our members over the edge.”

“But we can’t do this without widespread member participation. So, on March 25th, at whatever time suits you, stop working, gather up a few colleagues on Zoom or any online meeting space, and take a little bit of time to enjoy a cup of tea together.”

“During your break, we’d love you to talk about ways we can all work together to tackle the workload problem. Make sure you share a screenshot of your break, along with your workload tips, with others in the TEU via social media channels or email them to us.”

TEU members can register your tea break online and receive an awesome Zoom background along with some ideas to guide your conversations.

Will you join us for a cuppa?

Also in this update:

Other stories:

  • TEU webinar on the gender pay gap to celebrate International Working Women’s Day – TEU
  • Third of 'precarious academic staff' face bullying, discrimination - survey – Stuff
  • Te Turuturu provides opportunity to connect with ADI mahi – Te Pūkenga
  • The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions - Te Kauae Kaimahi is gathering funds to for the ITUC's support of the people of Ukraine – CTU