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The School of Psychology is making its culture and policies more inclusive and supportive for staff and students, drawing on feedback shared through the University-wide staff survey, its own culture survey, and a range of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) activities. Find out about three new initiatives introduced by the School to help mitigate the unequal impact on staff of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Covid-19 found to have disproportionately impacted women’s careers

Survey results showed vast inequalities in the amount of time staff were able to work during the pandemic. Some staff - predominantly those without childcare duties - managed to maintain their usual work pattern or, in some cases, actually increase their research and scholarship activities. Yet this was relatively rare. Most staff, especially those with younger children who were responsible for childcare and home schooling, found their research and scholarship time drastically curtailed by the additional demands of the pandemic. Those who were responsible for childcare and homeschooling were disproportionately women. 

New initiatives support career development and address inequalities

To support those whose plans and career trajectories were deflected downwards because of the pandemic, our School designed three new initiatives: a pandemic mitigation fund, pandemic mitigation study leave, and confidential drop-in sessions to support people in submitting promotion applications with individual circumstances statements.

The pandemic mitigation fund provides funding for those whose teaching, admin, research, or scholarship activities that would have contributed to our School’s strategy were impacted by the pandemic. The fund can be used flexibly to allow people to identify what would be most helpful for them to re-establish their previous trajectory. Similarly, the pandemic mitigation study leave initiative allows faculty to apply for a reduction in their workload to spend more time on activities that contribute to our School’s strategy and help reestablish their pre-pandemic career trajectory. We’re delighted that all three initiatives are now live and have been taken up by our staff. 

If you’d like more information about these initiatives, please contact the co-chairs of the School of Psychology’s EDI committee, Matt Easterbrook (m.j.easterbrook@sussex.ac.uk) and Sophie Forster (s.forster@sussex.ac.uk).

About our staff survey updates

Case studies will be published each month highlighting how Schools and Professional Services Divisions are using feedback from the staff survey to improve staff experience. Read recent case studies: 

• How MAH is helping to bridge the gap between colleagues  
• HR Division builds trust, connection and belonging
• ITS and Sussex Projects focus on happiness at work
• How Finance is building a culture of inclusion and wellbeing

Look out for further updates next month and find out more on the staff survey webpage.