The ME Association: We are seeking a research correspondent to join our team!

Andy

Andy

Senior Member (Voting rights)
Do you have a passion for M.E. research? Then please consider an application to join our team. Being a research correspondent is an exciting opportunity for someone who:

  • has a scientific background and a good knowledge of research issues relating to M.E.,
  • has good interpersonal skills,
  • has the confidence to work independently,
  • can produce work to a high standard, and,
  • is able to work from home.
Your key role will be helping others in our community better understand the research advances that are taking place, advances that have the potential to bring us all hope.
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https://meassociation.org.uk/2020/0...ng-a-research-correspondent-to-join-our-team/
 
I have just read the post on the MEA website. It's regular employment for a few hours a week plus attending writing up conferences. And it requires someone with relevant science qualifications and good communication skills.
I find it odd that there is no mention of salary or employment contracts and only a 200 word application asked for, not a CV, or equivalent, as well. Does this mean they are expecting it to be done by a volunteer for nothing?

@Russell Fleming
 
Trish said:
I have just read the post on the MEA website. It's regular employment for a few hours a week plus attending writing up conferences. And it requires someone with relevant science qualifications and good communication skills.
I find it odd that there is no mention of salary or employment contracts and only a 200 word application asked for, not a CV, or equivalent, as well. Does this mean they are expecting it to be done by a volunteer for nothing?

@Russell Fleming
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My assumption from this (my bolding)
This role could provide you with a sense of purpose and help you gently return to the world of work or provide an additional income.
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is that there will be payment of some sort involved.
 
I think it is positive that they are able to offer a limited hours role that’s still paid. As some who only 2 years ago had to apply for ill health retirement because I could not reliably maintain 15 hours a week working in a team this sort of role where you can work at your own pace for a few hours a week is very very difficult to find. I was already in a large organisation and I couldn’t find any options like that.

For someone who’s had ME as a younger person and health might have eventually improved enough for them to feel they want to try to get into work for the first time it must be horrendously difficult to find an opportunity that doesn’t put your health at risk of deteriorating because the hours and type of work are too much of an over exertion. I think the sense of purpose from a job you enjoy or being a writer or charity volunteer i or whatever floats your boat can make a big contribution to how you feel about yourself. I know I felt good about getting Millions Missing off the ground in my old city and making it happen last year.
 
I like when as much work as possible is done in ME organisations by volunteers; it means that more funding is available for things like biomedical research and medical education initiatives.

I know a number of ME organisations who don't fund any research; and with some others only a very small percentage goes to research.

I know in the organisation I volunteer for we could very easily have said we had no money for research if we had spent it on paid hours.

Not criticising this ad more replying to some of the comments, which seem to be pushing in the opposite direction.
 
The MEAssociation has distinct funds and fundraising for research and services to members. I think if they decide they want someone with science qualifications and communication skills to report on current research with a regular weekly commitment and able to attend and report on conferences, it's reasonable to expect to pay that person. Larger charities that charge membership fees are doing so on the basis of providing a continuous service to members, not just whatever they can find volunteers to do.

Dolphin said:
I know in the organisation I volunteer for we could very easily have said we had no money for research if we had spent it on paid hours.
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I agree it's great when volunteers are available to make best possible use of them where possible, and save some of their funds for research if that's the basis on which donations and membership fees are collected.
 
Yes, it's a tricky thing. If people are bringing their skills and their effort to do something of worth regularly, should they be expected to do it for free? Often the people who are most expected to work for free, and who do work for free, are the people for whom a small salary would make the biggest difference.

I've seen this in organisations with some paid healthy employees, but some volunteers with ME/CFS who do at least as much and bring many skills with them.

But I agree with your point, @Dolphin. It gets most complicated when there is a mix of paid and volunteer workers and the volunteers are carrying substantial responsibility.
 
Trish said:
The MEAssociation has distinct funds and fundraising for research and services to members. I think if they decide they want someone with science qualifications and communication skills to report on current research with a regular weekly commitment and able to attend and report on conferences, it's reasonable to expect to pay that person. Larger charities that charge membership fees are doing so on the basis of providing a continuous service to members, not just whatever they can find volunteers to do.


I agree it's great when volunteers are available to make best possible use of them where possible, and save some of their funds for research if that's the basis on which donations and membership fees are collected.
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Research is not the only thing funds can be spent on: mailouts to large groups of doctors for example is expensive. Again we wouldn’t have been able to have done that if we had spent money on paid people.

I remember when Action for ME had an income of around £1 million per year but wasn’t funding any research. They had a research fund and then closed it. So staff expenses can have knock on effects. Similarly a charity could have a research fund but not promote it.

If one tries hard enough, one can easily justify spending money on other things than research. A lot seem to think it’s really governments’ responsibility to fund all the research without much evidence. Similarly if one tries hard enough, one can say people should be paid but it often means there is less money for other things.
 
This is not a comment on the ME post specifically, but rather a general response to the debate on charities use of volunteers versus paid staff.

Though I understand that contributors and supporters want as much value for money as possible, I think it is important that the ME charities model good employment practices and contribute to developing exemplars of successful work roles for people with ME.

Obviously each individual charity needs to set up their own objectives and priorities, but to fall into a stereotype of only employing ‘healthy’ people and relegating people with ME to solely volunteer roles is not acceptable practice. Also to have differential pay scales for people with and without ME is not acceptable and presumably unlawful.
 
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