Burnout of Administrative Staff Risks ‘Destabilizing’ Colleges

Seven in 10 professional staff members feel unable to step away from work during holidays, according to new research that warns that burnout risks “destabilizing” the work of colleges and universities. While discussion of faculty burnout has been widespread, a paper published in Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education examines the underresearched “wide-ranging, multi-sector phenomenon” among administrative staff in the United Kingdom. It found some “disturbing trends”: more than half reported regularly working more than 10 hours per day; more than 67 percent said they experience frequent, disruptive interruptions; and two-thirds worked during their free time.