• Question: Has this affected your social life?

    Asked by Matt Hooi - Gray to Sonia, Nick, Lizzie, Andrew on 16 Jun 2015. This question was also asked by Chirag6000, Shia Labeouf.
    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 16 Jun 2015:

      Sometimes the terms and conditions of employment are pretty naff.
      I need to give 2 months notice for annual leave, only if I am not needed. My contract does not allow me to get overtime payments – currently have accrued around 70 hours of time owing (or 2 working weeks) and unable to take the time back due to work load.

      Quiet often I will have to cancel previously booked leave due to emergency cases. On the long cases would not be very amiable the following day. The longest case do far – I turned up to work at 8:30 am on Monday morning and left work on 7:45 am Tuesday morning.

      If working in clinical areas it does have an effect on social life, and its not a 9:00 – 5:00 job

    • Photo: Elizabeth Kapasa

      Elizabeth Kapasa answered on 17 Jun 2015:

      I think it has affected it for the better. I have made lots of friends that are doing PhDs and met lots of professors and industrial contacts which is good for networking in the future. My time is flexible as a PhD student and I can decide how to use it, which is pretty great! So sometimes I can work longer one day if I want to finish early or take the day off another day.
      Although, when I have cells in culture I need to be careful about when I take my holidays since I have to change the medium (liquid with nutrients they need) regularly.
      I guess it depends what your work involves.

    • Photo: Andrew Phillips

      Andrew Phillips answered on 19 Jun 2015:

      My works gives me lots of chances to socialise – it’s a great way to meet lots of people in research and industry. I’ve also been able to go to lots of conferences overseas. You do need to work while you’re at the conference, but then you can always take a holiday as well.

      I have to be in when I’m teaching, but apart from that I have a lot of freedom to work as I decide. I think most engineers in universities work longer hours than they need to, but that’s generally because they enjoy what they do and you’re motivated by knowing that there will be a reward to putting the extra hours in. Also it’s great having the flexibility to work late one day so you can stay out with friends and family another day.

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