Timeline for Is it normal for an advisor to expect >80 hour workweeks from PhD students, and threaten them with dismissal?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
21 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jan 6, 2015 at 6:37 | comment | added | JeffE | It is not his work, it is his studies/research. — It's both (ethically, even if not legally) | |
| Dec 11, 2014 at 14:44 | comment | added | Rob | It looks like countries are different. In the US you have few rights and little recourse. You are a student, not an employee. Even getting benefits was seen as a huge step up, and some schools barely offer that. There is no "HR" department. Also in the US you are either funded by being a TA or RA, TA is typical for schools with undergraduate populations, where you teach and do your research 'when you have time'. THis is pretty terrible by all accounts but at least preps you for teaching (ie the teaching counts on your CV). RAs just do research as their 'day' job. | |
| Sep 5, 2014 at 11:04 | comment | added | emmalgale | @New_new_newbie Most funded PhDs in my field will get more than £10000 otherwise people can't afford to do a full time PhD. I also get extra money because I am at a London university, even though my campus is actually not in London! | |
| Sep 5, 2014 at 10:58 | comment | added | 299792458 | @emmalgale - My jaw just dropped to the floor! Country specific difference maybe. Cheers, rich guy :) | |
| Sep 5, 2014 at 10:55 | comment | added | emmalgale | @New_new_newbie In the UK, we have to pay tax on income over £10,000. My studentship is more than that, so if it was an income, I would be paying tax. We also have to pay National Insurance if we earn more than £153 per week, which I would if my studentship was a taxable income. | |
| Sep 5, 2014 at 10:48 | comment | added | 299792458 | @emmalgale - You don't pay taxes because you are getting paid peanuts. Even if it wasn't exempted, it won't beat the no-tax slab (in my country at least). | |
| Sep 4, 2014 at 13:22 | comment | added | emmalgale | I am a PhD student in the UK, and it does seem like the system here is very different to the US where people seem to be employed as a TA and then do their research on the side. My sole "income" is from my studentship, which technically isn't an income (we don't have to pay tax on it). I don't have to do any teaching if I don't want to, this money is solely to fund myself through my research. We are expected to work at least 37.5 hours per week, and I certainly wouldn't get away with working less than that. We also have a set number of holiday days, which is equal to what the employees get. | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 18:15 | comment | added | nico | Yeah, sorry it was a bad word choice. It was obviously a mutual choice between the new supervisor and the student. (his project changed though, as it was a different lab, but he is much much happier now) | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 18:08 | comment | added | Austin Henley | PhD students can be assigned?? That looks like a potential cause of this problem. Professors are getting assigned students instead of it being a mutual choice. | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 18:05 | comment | added | nico | By the way, I knew a practically identical situation (in France). The student went to HR, was assigned to another PI, and the PI had quite a bad time with the Institute director... | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 17:57 | comment | added | nico | I agree he should change supervisor (see edit). However, bear in mind that his research work is not his personal work. The university and his supervisor benefit from it. Even more, the University has most likely a policy that all of his results will belong to the University (I had to sign that when I did my PhD). He wouldn't get away, say, by publishing his data without his supervisor's name or without acknowledging his affiliation with the University. I then don't see why he shouldn't be treated correctly. His supervisor should not be able to psychologically threaten him without consequences. | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 17:43 | comment | added | Austin Henley | That doesn't make any sense. It is not his work, it is his studies/research. An advisor that expects too much is not a crime, just a bad advisor. He is under no obligation to stay with that professor. From my personal experience, that doesn't exploit me but rather gives me the freedom that I want in my research. | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 17:41 | comment | added | nico | Sorry, but that is just the old bullshit that is used to exploit students. This is as bad as people not putting students or technicians on papers. It is wrong, unethical and borderline on the legality side. His research is going to the advantage of his supervisor, who will get a publication from his work and may be able to use it to get further grants. So he is providing value to the university by teaching and to the supervisor by doing research. That for me is work and he should be protected as any other worker. I'd definitely would have gone to see HR. | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 17:34 | comment | added | Austin Henley | TA = teaching assistant. The OP is talking about his research, which is not his work. | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 17:33 | comment | added | nico | How is it not work? As a TA he is providing a service to the university, and he has the right to be treated correctly as any other person working on university premises. | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 17:30 | history | edited | nico | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 541 characters in body
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| Sep 3, 2014 at 17:26 | comment | added | Austin Henley | But this isn't work, this his PhD research. His work is as a TA. | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 17:21 | comment | added | nico | @AustinHenley I had a contract stating 35 or so (don't remember exactly) work hours/week during my PhD (this was in NZ where you're considered a student during your PhD). I would be very surprised if the university did not have any rule about that, if anything for insurance reasons... | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 17:01 | comment | added | Austin Henley | Most contracts state 35-40 hours... In the US I believe they are 20 hours. You are talking about working hours, but he isn't employed by his advisor. This is his PhD studies. | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 16:48 | review | First posts | |||
| Sep 3, 2014 at 17:18 | |||||
| Sep 3, 2014 at 16:45 | history | answered | nico | CC BY-SA 3.0 |