• Work

• Feedback Cycles

• Reconciling stakeholder interests

Mental health issues and attrition rates among PhD candidates are high. This is indicative of the many challenges they face, including a high workload and dependent working relationships. In some cases, they also experience socially unsafe work environments, where incidents of inappropriate behavior can escalate. A socially safe working environment, where PhD candidates feel included, protected and free to voice their opinions, fosters better job performance, satisfaction, and engagement. Although the consequences of a socially unsafe environment span multiple levels – from the individual (increased anxiety and depression) to the team (reduced collaboration and learning) and the organization as a whole (higher absenteeism and costs associated with complaint procedures) – many solutions focus solely on individual cases or skill development, such as time management or active bystander interventions, while a systemic analysis is required to provide structural and sustainable solutions. In this conceptual paper, we present a multilevel model of PhD candidates’ social safety, connecting three major theoretical approaches to social safety at three levels (individual, team, and organization) and identifying possible risk factors within the academic environment. These factors relate to the structure (e.g. power imbalances, competitive environments), culture (e.g. culture of silence, lack of supervisory support) and reporting system (e.g. lack of transparency) of the academic organization. We explain how these risk factors together impact PhD’s social safety at the different levels. We propose that universities should first identify risk factors in their own organization and use this knowledge to develop a systemic strategy to promote social safety among PhD candidates.

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• Other

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• Unstructured

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