Guidelines and policies

SHW etiquette for allocating work to professional services colleagues

SHW staff are asked to adhere to the following etiquette when allocating work to professional services colleagues

3 female staff in a meeting room

  • Be realistic about how urgent a piece of work may be. (If it can wait a day, or longer, please say so!) This will help professional services staff prioritise their workload.
  • If you do have an urgent deadline, please consider how much time the task is likely to take for someone who may already have a full workload OR who may not be familiar with what is required.
  • Recognise professional services staff’s expertise and experience in certain areas and, where applicable, ask their advice on how long a piece of work might take, and what issues might arise.
  • Please be patient and recognise the pressures colleagues may be under. If there is a small task that needs to be done, it may be more efficient to do this yourself (for example, setting up a Zoom call).
  • Always be appreciative of colleagues’ efforts to do the best job possible, sometimes under difficult conditions.
  • Treat all colleagues as equals and as key members of your team. 
Approved by SHW Athena Swan professional services group
First approved January 2017
Last reviewed/updated June 2021 
Next review June 2024