Scientists have seen a severe impact from the coronavirus pandemic. There has been widespread job insecurity, fatigue, and a drop in morale. Many are now threatening to leave the field if they don't get more government support.
Science & Technology Australia and Professional Scientists Australia conducted an annual survey that found that 71% of respondents felt fatigued, up from 55% in 2020. Nearly two-thirds of scientists also reported a decrease in their morale.
One in five scientists surveyed wanted to quit the profession permanently, according to the June survey.
Jill McCabe is the chief executive officer of Professional Scientists Australia. She stated that the alarming findings were made at a time when people are beginning to realize how important scientists play in our society and our economy.
McCabe stated that while the Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on scientists' morale and fatigue, it was not the only factor.
One in four scientists were on fixed-term contracts. The average contract duration was 18 months. McCabe stated that scientists would prefer to have more security in their jobs than short-term contracts.
Scientists have also suffered from the impact of job losses in universities. Modelling this year revealed that 17,000 jobs were lost in Australia's universities during the first year following the Covid pandemic.
In the survey, 17% of male and female scientists had a different gender pay gap than last year. This was due to women working in lower-ranking positions and fewer women over 45 in science jobs.
McCabe stated that McCabe was most concerned about female respondents, who were twice as likely than male respondents to state that a lack of flexible work options means that they need to leave science.
One in five female respondents said they had experienced gender discrimination or bias in the past three years.
Although there has been an unprecedented reliance upon scientific research and expertise during the pandemics, 40% of scientists did not receive a pay raise in the past year. 7% reported that they had taken a pay cut due to Covid-19.
Respondents reported working an average of 7.5 hour overtime per week. 59% said they were not paid overtime pay.
McCabe called on the future for greater investment in science. She stated that she wants to see the university sector rebound.
McCabe stated that there would be challenges for the government, scientific associations, communities, and education sectors to ensure that people treat the profession with the same seriousness as they did during the pandemic.
