“Non-working research” Thinking about how university teachers work | NHK News

“Research not working” 20:36 on August 20th, thinking about how university teachers work

“Even if you come to work on Saturdays and Sundays, if you are a voluntary researcher, you don't fall for work on a holiday. Both colleges and teachers were conscious of that.
It is the word of a university teacher who has continued "non-working research" where wages are not paid for holidays.
However, there are now a number of universities that receive correction recommendations from the Labor Standards Inspection Office because these ways of working are illegal. As I proceeded with the interview, I was able to see the complex reality of what kind of work I am doing and what is the problem.
(Matsue Broadcasting Station reporter Mami Yamazaki)

The majority of teachers attend work on Saturdays and Sundays.

“The majority of teachers, including myself, often appeared on Saturdays or Sundays. I had been there for about 20 years. Even if I went to university, it was a holiday if I was a voluntary researcher. It's not going to work.

This is a testimony from an interview conducted by a Shimane University faculty member who met through interviews, subject to anonymity.

In addition, the teacher showed me the documents of the work records that I had filed with the university for health management.

The Saturdays and Sundays column of the document was blank, meaning that I was not working.

However, the schedule book that I had personally stated on Saturdays and Sundays was "Graduation thesis correction" or "Thesis writing".
I worked without reporting to the university.

Another professor told the interview that after working until about 10:00 pm on weekdays, he went home, took a bath, and went back to the university to study until morning.

This teacher did not report to the university.

The background of the correction recommendation

However, this way of working was regarded as a problem.

In August last year, Shimane University received a correction recommendation from the Matsue Labor Standards Inspection Office that it was violating the Labor Standards Act that wages were not paid late at night or on holidays.

The Labor Standards Inspection Office was “working” even if it was a “voluntary researcher” and “extra wages” should be paid at night or on holidays.

As a result of research by the university, over 200 people, more than half of the teachers at the Matsue Campus, have paid unpaid wages in the past two years, totaling about 90 million yen.

The Shimane University example is not a special case.
At the same national university, Kagawa University was about 25 million yen, and privately, Matsuyama University was about 100 million yen, with unpaid wages.

Now, correctional recommendations have been issued one after another to universities around the world.

What is “discretionary labor”?

Is something happening at the university?
When we proceeded with the interview, it became clear that there was a work style called “discretionary labor system” in the background.

The “discretionary labor system” is a system in which workers are given discretion, such as time allocation for work, and it includes 19 professional services such as university teachers, lawyers, and copywriters.

Regardless of the actual hours worked, it is assumed that you worked for a certain amount of time and you will be paid. There is no so-called overtime fee.

However, the risk of health damage increases if you work for unlimited hours.

For this reason, various arrangements between labor and management are necessary for the introduction.

At Shimane University,
▽ When you work from 10pm to 5am or on holidays, obtain permission from the Dean, etc.
▽ University pays extra wages for this time,
Etc. were established.

However, the university side said that “voluntary researcher” does not need permission as an exception, and some faculty members were conducting research at the university on Saturdays and Sundays without permission.

“Non-working research” conducted with the understanding of both the university and the faculty.
There was a scalpel here.

In response to the correction recommendation, Shimane University has changed that even if it is a “voluntary researcher”, prior permission is required.

Rather than grasping the working hours by self-reporting by the teacher, a method of managing working / working hours with an ID card was also adopted.

Through these efforts, we are trying to accurately grasp the actual working conditions.

Shimane University says it is responding appropriately to NHK coverage based on guidance from the Labor Standards Inspection Office.

Reasons for working without compensation

Why do we conduct “non-working research”?
When I asked more questions to the teachers who corresponded to the interview, I was able to hear the reason.

“When I was resting, I was worried that somebody in the world might be doing the same thing as me. I wanted to do some research, so I was out on Saturday and Sunday.”

“Research is a job, but on the other hand, it ’s a hobby and a life. I ’m doing it, not doing it.”

Both research planning and health management are the responsibility of individuals.
He does not think that he is working because he likes and conducts research at his own will.

In addition, the teacher gave another big reason.

This is limited to national university corporations such as Shimane University, but these universities receive “operational grants” from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and allocate them to research expenses and labor costs.

However, the operating expenses subsidy is decreasing by about 1% every year due to the financial difficulties of the country.

Among them, there are many faculty members who have a strong refusal to cut research expenses by cutting labor costs.

“We know that wages are paid for holiday work. It is common knowledge that just paying extra wages for late nights or holidays will reduce the cost of education and research. I think that if you try to continue your research while staying, you won't be charged for overtime. "

University-specific circumstances

Dr. Atsuko Kuroda of the Environmental Safety Division at the University of Tokyo, who is investigating how university teachers work throughout the country, points out that there are circumstances unique to universities.

The first is teacher awareness.

“I don't have much awareness of being a worker / employer, and I work with the consciousness of being the head of a tenant who lives in a department store.”

The other is the particularity of research work.

“Usually, labor is done as ordered by the company or boss, but there are parts that are not so related to research, so it is difficult to define and draw.

In addition, there are recently circumstances where faculty cannot concentrate on research.

According to Kuroda, the work of university teachers can be broadly divided into four categories: “Research”, “Education”, “University management and operation”, and “Social contribution”, but recently there are too many jobs other than “Research”. If you try to study calmly, it will become a weekend.

However, it is a fact that we are forced to review it after receiving a correction recommendation.

Kuroda points out that labor authorities, universities, and teachers should search for solutions in a way that can be convinced, rather than abruptly changing awareness or systems.

One suggestion is to organize and define what university work / labor is.

“Whether you are discretionary, you will have to think about what kind of work you can continue to produce research results without harming your health. I think that the people involved will discuss the same table about what is included, what is included in labor, and what is called a voluntary syllabus. ”(Mr. Kuroda)

A work style that gives you a sense of satisfaction ...

As the momentum for promoting work style reforms increases, transparency in the way teachers work at universities is also required.

While saying "voluntary researcher", it should not lead to long working hours and health damage.

However, on the other hand, it is also true that there is a need for a variety of working styles among faculty members, and it is inevitable that the willingness to work will be lost as we stifle with researchers around the world. Must not.

Is it a choice between “self-study” or “labor”, or is there a way of working that allows more people to understand?

Through this interview, I felt that it was time to seriously search.