As we go into Action Short of a Strike (ASOS) it’s important to remember that we are not refusing to do our jobs, and in fact this is a great opportunity for all of us to reset boundaries and aim at a healthier work-life balance.

I’ll try to avoid using too many wellbeing and management buzzwords because I don’t think they help and often they mask the real problems around overwork, stress, and the awful situation that almost every UK university is currently dealing with.

Action Short of a Strike is about following your contract; doing your job as it is set out formally, but not undertaking additional voluntary work. The UCU have a very good guide on this – https://www.ucu.org.uk/ASOS-and-ARPS

However, one of the things they point out as being a voluntary activity that we should say no to, are Open Days. We all know how crucial these are for our departments, courses, and jobs. I think the best way to approach any student-related activities that are deemed as voluntary is to remember they’re student-related and very necessary. That said, keep a note of the hours you have spent and discuss with your manager when you can receive time off in lieu. The important element for ASOS is to prioritise your work – teaching and supervising students being the most important for the majority of UCU members.

But what about when you’re asked to attend meetings, write documents, or any of the additional tasks we’re often given? How do you say no?

Be honest – let people know you’re taking part in ASOS. You may even want to change your email signature and the UCU website suggests:

I am currently engaged in action short of strike to defend [e.g.] pay, equalities, and workload which includes working to my contract. All UCU members are advised not to cover for absent colleagues or undertake voluntary activities as part of this action. For this reason, I am unable to…

Be polite – ask your line manager what they would prefer to be prioritised – here’s my timetable, this is what must be completed by this date (marking, teaching prep, etc.), what would you prefer I do?

This doesn’t need to be a passive aggressive question but rather that we all have an ongoing mountain of tasks. We want to be collegiate but part of that collegiality must be extended to ourselves. Take lunch breaks, finish at 6pm, don’t take work home for the evenings or weekends. Does this mean that sometimes things just don’t get done? Yes.

Have I stuck to keeping proper hours, not overworking, and never working outside of 9-6pm Monday to Friday? Of course not – there are times in the academic year when marking needs to be turned around quickly, for example. But would it really matter if an assignment was returned to students late occasionally? Well, it’s not ideal, but we are human. In my experience students understand that we get ill, for example. Students and their education here at Kent are important and central to our jobs, so we all try to put that first.

Keep people informed – I don’t have time for X task this week, but I should be able to fit it in next week. Or, thank you for considering me, but I don’t have the capacity for that at the moment.

Ask for clarification – does this task need to be done by this date? Can it only be done by me? We are more than just resources, we are people who get tired, who need breaks and support – workloads are unmanageable and it’s one of the reasons we’re undertaking ASOS.

These things should be a normal part of any job – we are allowed to say no to activities that are not in our contracts. Be supportive to your colleagues and don’t ask them to do extra tasks that are not directly within their contract. If you’re not aware of who is your UCU rep for your school or department, find out, because they can also help if you aren’t sure about refusing to take on additional tasks. If you’re feeling pressurised into additional work then also consider getting in touch with us in the branch and asking for a Case Worker. Sometimes all that’s needed is a sounding board to support and help you navigate ASOS.

Keep talking to each other because we are stronger together.