It can be hard to say no to service requests in academia. Nature’s Careers team sought advice on how to ensure researchers don’t get stuck doing unpaid labour.
Dear Nature,
I’m a scientist based in the United Kingdom. A few years ago, I was verbally encouraged to organize an international conference by staff at a university. At the time, I wasn’t employed at the university or elsewhere in a full-time position, but I’d like to work there in the future. I agreed to the request because the staff suggested it would raise their group’s profile and also help to set me apart in future job applications. I asked repeatedly to be compensated for my conference efforts, and had to wait a long time for the institution’s ambiguous responses. I also could not easily pull out of my commitment to host the event, because it would have negatively affected the attendees and required me to pay a significant cancellation fee.
My request for compensation was eventually declined, but only after I had delivered the conference. I calculate my efforts to be the equivalent of nearly two years of full-time work. I feel embarrassed, pained and stuck. How can an institution be made to pay? And how can I prevent this situation from happening again? — A distressed scientist
Nature’s Careers team reached out to two researchers and an employment lawyer for advice.
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