I don’t work for free and I still get all my admin and research done
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You’re working six days a week, checking emails in the evenings and on weekends, because the admin pile-up just won’t stop.
When it comes to admin overload in academia, two forces drive the problem:
Mindset: We’re conditioned to be helpful. A request pops into our inbox, and it feels urgent. Colleagues are waiting, students need reassurance, the department is grumbling. We’ve always been A-plus performers, so we give each email, form, or pastoral check our very best effort, even when it seems unnecessary.
Mechanics: How much time have you actually been allotted for admin? Workload models are often opaque or unrealistic, but they exist for a reason. In reality, most academics should spend only 8-12 hours per week including email! Yet I see colleagues routinely devoting entire days to email triage or committee work, convinced it’s part of being a “good” academic. It might feel like it’s your job, but it’s actually not. It might feel productive in the moment, but it’s not when you’re going for promotion.
Your evenings and weekends are for doing nice things. Reading fiction, tucking your kids in, chilling with a wine or sparkling drink, watching telly, going for dinner with friends. Switching off your brain will also result in better sleep.
It starts by calculating your true admin allowance, and then fiercely protecting it.
I recently met a colleague who had no idea we’re contracted for just 36 hours a week. “I easily work six days a week,” she confessed. Why keep working for free? I do not work for free any more than I give my university some of my cash as a donation.
If you’re telling me it’s to solve a pressing problem in science or humanities, or because you’re so passionate about your research area, then go for it. I’m not here to stop that (necessarily). But if it’s because you have too many emails to process and you’re feeling anxious, or because you’re double-checking up on students you’re worried about, or you’re going through the departmental board minutes to see if what you said has been captured, I want you to check in on that admin allocation time and ask whether you’re over. And then set strict boundaries on this.
Set your boundary:
Calculate your weekly admin hours (20–33% of your contract or if you have a larger admin role calculate that).
Protect research time in your calendar and put admin tasks in there so you can see what you’re spending it on.
Practice saying, “I’ve reached my admin limit for the week, let’s reschedule this for next week.”
Work smarter with AI
Tedious tasks, like scouring long admin documents, meeting notes or drafting routine emails are perfect for automation.
If you need help with managing your time, keep an eye out for my free quarterly webinar I Know What You Did Last Summer, returning in June. We’ll map out your research milestones together.
