Working Hours and Time Off

We strive to be well-rounded scientists. We work hard, but know that a good night's rest and sufficient time to relax and enjoy time with our families, friends, and hobbies are vital components to doing good science.

Lab members are expected to maintain a healthy work-life balance while working in the lab. The rhythm of academic life, with day(s)-long experiments, hard grant deadlines, and a never-ending list of tasks one could be doing can make it difficult to recognize when to take time off and recharge, so it is important to think and plan about how to achieve work-life balance in advance. On average, lab members should strive for 40-45 hour work weeks, with occasional (I mean it!) heavier workloads closer to deadlines. Working efficiently and taking time to engage in hobbies or interests outside of the lab will help you become a well-rounded individual and lessen the likelihood of burnout.

But wouldn't working 60+ hour weeks get more done?

No! Research has shown again and again that consistently working long hours can, in fact, negatively impact your productivity. Companies that experiment with limiting hours often see a huge surge in output while those that expect long hours often see many of those hours wasted as workers work less efficiently. 8-10 hours of efficient work, 7-8 hours sleeping and 7-8 hours of other activities appears to be a good balance for most people.

Ultimately, the specific hours you work don't matter as much as whether you are being personally productive and promoting lab community by supporting your labmates. I would encourage everyone to try and be in lab between the hours of 10 - 4 in order to be available to labmates for answering questions and being a visible part of the lab, but if there is a good reason for you to not be around (say, you are writing a grant or manuscript) and you are more productive at home, or at a coffee shop or at a picnic table, go for it, although checking in with the lab via Slack is always appreciated.

That said, please be present for all lab meetings and, of course, any other meetings with me and let us know if you are going to miss any of them.

Absences/Vacations

I expect you to take vacations when you need to and to adjust your work as necessary. Please let me and the lab know in advance that you will be away on the lab calendar. Again, work-life balance and time away from the lab are essential to prevent burnout and promote creative thinking, but it definitely helps the rest of the lab if we know you'll be away! If something comes up last-minute, let us know as well, otherwise we'll worry about you.

Evening and Weekend Emails/Slacks

Respect your labmates' work-life balance. While we all will probably at times check and write emails/slacks in the evening or on the weekend, no one is under any obligation to respond to them unless there is an actual emergency or upcoming deadline. If these sorts of crunch times can be anticipated, I will share them with you.

Answer my emails in the morning! I do a lot of my best thinking at night, and I might send you an email at 11 PM with an idea for the next day. You do not need to respond immediately. You don't even need to open it. If there is an exception to this rule, it will be clear: the email will be titled URGENT, or I will reach out to you via other avenues.

Likewise, while I will sometimes work in the evenings or on weekends/holidays, I do so only when necessary or when I'm feeling particularly inspired by a project. Please respect my time by giving me sufficient notice about your own impending deadlines so I can get things done for you (e.g. letters of recommendation, feedback on manuscripts or proposals, etc) while maintaining my own work/life balance.

Finally, when I do work on the weekends, I will avoid entering the lab or otherwise observing whether anyone is there. I want to avoid the idea that you can get bonus points because I see you working in the lab on the weekend... that can get toxic very, very quickly.