School of Health & Wellbeing

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

• 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.
• Domestic tasks – e.g. switching on or emptying the dishwasher, cleaning up spillages in the microwave or fridge or on kitchen work surfaces – are NOT professional services staff duties but the shared responsibility of all who use these appliances and areas, including academic staff and students. Please take your turn, and never expect or ask professional services staff to clean up after you. 
• Treat all colleagues as equals and as key members of your team.