In the framework of the Professional Equality group at IRAP, we propose a coffee break open to everyone (young or not so young, permanent or not, researchers, engineers, women, men, other, …), once a month from 13:00-14:00 to discuss subjects that are common to everyone.
These coffee breaks are a moment to have a coffee, but also to share experiences, where the format will be a 10 minute introduction to the topic to discuss, followed by general discussion for the rest of the time.
Below you will find the planning for this semester:
- Wednesday 30th September – Being a working parent – Gervais de Lafond room, IRAP Roche site, videoconference link
- Tuesday 13th October – How to cope with the increasing volume of work? – Lyot room, IRAP Belin site
- Monday 16th November – Being a minority in the work place
- Thursday 3rd December – Handicap in the work place
- Thursday 21st January – Imposter syndrome
Balancing parenthood and work remains a significant daily challenge for many employees, despite the wide range of support available. Mental strain and the difficulty of managing one’s time are two of the challenges to be addressed, amongst others. We will share tips with one another to make everyday life easier.
Many of us have noticed an increase in our workload over recent years, and we are seeing the number of weekly meetings rise as well, which leaves little time for other aspects of our work. We will discuss the reasons behind this observed overload and how to manage our weeks to avoid stress and overtime.
Diversity is very important within an organisation as it fosters creativity and innovation; however, this diversity can lead to difficulties in understanding others, biases towards colleagues or even discrimination. To create an inclusive environment, it is necessary to understand our colleagues’ perspectives, and even to put ourselves in their shoes, in order to foster a more cohesive and positive environment. We will discuss diversity in all its forms, including age, rank and background, sexual orientation, gender, etc. We propose that we reflect together on how to address bad practices through an open discussion, with a view to identifying recommendations to improve our daily lives.
According to official health statistics, 14.5 million people aged 15 or over (28 per cent) report having at least one severe functional limitation. Despite this significant proportion, the challenges faced by people with disabilities are rarely discussed. We will discuss visible disabilities, such as mobility issues, for example, and invisible disabilities, such as dyslexia, anxiety, allergies or even old age. We will discuss issues relating to accessibility, how others understand these matters, and other difficulties encountered. We will discuss how to raise awareness amongst those around us of the challenging situations faced by our colleagues.
Impostor syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which a person constantly doubts their legitimacy and attributes their successes to luck rather than their own abilities. These feelings can lead to a fear of being ‘exposed’ or judged as incompetent, despite clear evidence of success. The syndrome can also lead to self-sabotage. We’ll discuss each other’s experiences, our doubts, and how to overcome this situation and regain self-confidence.
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Being a working parent |
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30th September – 13:00 Salle Gervais de Lafond Roche site |
Below you will find previous cafés held in this series, with support material available:
- Wednesday 6th March – Work-life balance – see the introduction to the discussion
- Thursday 28th March – Countering stereotypes – see the introduction and some ideas proposed during the discussion
- Monday 6th May – Precarity – see some slides with resources related to academic precarity
- Tuesday 28th May – Dealing with stress
- Friday 28th June – Conflict management