Workload and well-being go hand in hand. With the recent ratification of initial recommendations from the Workload Reduction Taskforce, by the Minister of State for Schools and the general secretaries of the four main education unions, attention is once again focused on the expectations placed on leaders, teachers and support staff.Establishing clear boundaries, clarifying roles and expectations and the time available to fulfil them, can help facilitate more effective workload management; and promote wellbeing for yourself and your colleagues.Boundaries provide clarity about what’s expected and how it will be delivered, avoiding potential exploitation by others; help to build trust and mutual respect and improve relationships between colleagues, managers, and leaders. They maintain autonomy and a sense of self; sustain a healthy divide between professional and personal life; increase performance and boost overall well-being.Like most leadership skills, the ability to set and uphold boundaries — and relax them when necessary — is something that can be learned and improved. Initially, it may feel uncomfortable introducing new ones, or for others to adjust to them, but the long-term benefits are well worth it.If staff feel unable to set boundaries, or if those sets are not respected, well-being declines, stress levels heighten, and resentment grows.Leaders often feel obliged to respond immediately and always be available to everyone, which creates conflicting demands on time and an increase in stress. Setting and abiding by clear boundaries can reduce this conflict.It is also important to set personal boundaries, these help underpin the importance of self-care and promote personal and workplace wellbeing. Whether feeling pressure from others or putting this on yourself, it can be too easy to work long hours or when not feeling 100%, and this can be damaging in the long run.A good starting point is to clearly define between work and home life, and the hours you are prepared to work. Letting the amount of work dictate the length of your day, will result in disruption to a healthy work/life balance.Set your work time and prioritise tasks starting with the most important. Be disciplined about stopping once the time is completed – you can pick up where you left off next time. Times may need to be flexible; there are busier periods in every academic year, when there is simply more to be done and hours are likely to be longer – for example, during assessments and examinations.Encourage boundaries around in-school working hours and time spent working at home. Make them part of the culture, embed them using a coaching approach, with leaders modelling them. It is important to ensure everyone maintains them.Being disciplined about setting time frames and keeping to them is not always easy, and for many, it needs to be learnt. Whether boundaries are defined by the school or college, or personally, here are some points for consideration:LeadershipSchedule uninterrupted time for specific work or tasks, particularly those of high importanceEstablish clear expectations about acceptable conduct between all staff. PhysicalAvoid interactions with colleagues who reduce your effectiveness and as a leader coach those staff members who hurt othersAt home, keep work out of your bedroom and personal living areas, where possible.WorkloadAgree to tasks within your professional skills and have effective conversations if asked to take on tasks outside your abilitiesEffectively manage additional responsibilities that will adversely affect your contracted duties. Time and CommunicationSet times to read and respond to communications and agree on an acceptable response timeEnsure communication and expectations are clear and delivered through the right media Be ruthless with your time – create opportunities for breaks and non-work conversations, but limit time spent on non-work-related talk during scheduled work times. Common misconceptions about enforcing workpl...
