Workloads were already at crisis levels in our universities pre-Covid. Since then, job cuts and the demands of shifting online have tipped them further over the edge. It’s not fair or safe for staff to be forced to work late, on weekends or while on leave just to meet deadlines. It harms our health and our capacity to deliver excellent teaching, research and support services.

NTEU members are campaigning for measures to create fairer and safer workloads. University senior managers must prioritise staff and budget accordingly — we are its most important resource. If they want to do more, they need to employ more people.