Work: part-time (0.6FTE)

Caring responsibilities: 4 children (age range 17 – 4)

Theme: Caring responsibilities, part time working (60%) 

I am a Reader in the Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment (CeMi - https://glasgow.thecemi.org/), IMCSB. I joined Glasgow after completing my PhD in Queen Mary, University of London, working as a PDRA in 2002. During this time, I have enjoyed working in a traditional academic role; teaching UG and PGT students, supervising UG, PGT and PGR students, devising research projects, writing manuscripts, presenting at conferences etc. However, I have also very much enjoyed my home life! When my first daughter was born in 2005, I was about to start a Dorothy Hodgkin Royal Society fellowship, which supported part time working. I specifically applied for this fellowship as I was very keen to work part time upon starting a family.  I have never looked back and still work 60% now, finishing at 1pm daily. 

Glasgow University, in particular my colleagues in IMCSB, have always been nothing but accommodating. Since my daughter was born, we have extended our family with two boys and more recently another little girl. This has been both wonderful and stressful, not least during the recent lockdowns – keeping all four kids entertained and up to date with school work whilst schools were closed, and also balancing work was often interesting! However I feel very blessed to have a healthy and (most of the time!) happy family.

My husband is also an academic and we often think back to our PhD days, when we both met, feeling amused at what we then considered stressful.  However we both realise that as you progress in your academic career, you take on more responsibility in an incremental fashion.  This gradual increase in work pressure helps us all develop as academics. Pressure is something I have learned to cope with, which I always try not to confuse with work stress, which only brings negativity. For example, through prioritising work commitments and resisting letting it become work stress, even if this may mean letting people wait longer for something I have agreed to do. Of course, nobody finds this easy! My family life has always been a steadying influence, it helps to rationalise the work pressure when coming home to watch football games, help with homework, listen to school and relationship problems – the good and the bad!  This enforced distance from work has certainly helped me maintain a balanced approach over the years.

Of course, there are downsides.  A cancelled meeting will forever be a delight – the gift of time is always appreciated! As with most academics, evening work is a sad necessity and there are times when work can start to feel overwhelming, whether that be the pile of lab reports and essays than need marking in days, a paper you can’t get time to sit and write, or the grant rejection email that arrives just as you are heading to bed. Rather ironically, I am writing this on a Sunday evening at 11pm! I will also forever feel awkward when asked to attend meetings in the afternoons (when I do not work), or during the school holidays, typically being the most junior person there having to make my apologies (this includes Institute seminars). Dealing with feelings of guilt, I think, is all part of part time working, for me at least! However, I know I am lucky to be able to have both a busy work life and a busy home life – both of which bring me pressure and happiness, you just need to remember to focus on the latter at times.

Contact: catherine.berry@glasgow.ac.uk

First published: 23 August 2021

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