New Campaign: Tackling Unreasonable Workloads

We are working on two new campaigns for factual editors and assistant editors: Tackling Unreasonable Workloads and Assistant Editor Pathways. Please read on to find out more about our first campaign and look out for another email for the second one.

At our recent branch meeting for factual editors, one of the main concerns raised by members was unrealistic deadlines and workloads.Many editors shared experiences of working late nights, weekends, and carrying the stress and anxiety that comes with feeling constantly behind.

Join us at our next discussion on the 2nd of July

While some companies knowingly push unrealistic schedules, we believe that a large part of this problem is avoidable. Often, it’s caused by misunderstandings, lack of communication, or unrealistic expectations on all sides.

• Executives and production managers don’t always know how long things take, especially in factual editing where unexpected challenges often arise mid-process.

• Editors themselves don’t always know exactly how long a task will take before starting it - and sometimes we unintentionally agree to deadlines that aren’t realistic.

• On top of that, with fewer jobs available in the industry right now, there’s pressure to “prove” ourselves or keep quiet for fear of missing out on future work.

• A major part of this problem is that editors often work in isolation - in separate rooms, on different projects, without opportunities to talk to each other. That isolation can lead to self-doubt. When we don’t hear what others are going through, it’s easy to think that struggling with unrealistic workloads is a personal failing—when in fact it’s a widespread problem.

Share your experience with us at our next Branch Meeting for Editors and Assistant Editors on Wednesday the 2nd of July at 7:30pm at Bectu HQ. You can attend in person or online and can sign up below.

Register

Our Aim:

• We want to launch a campaign to empower editors to have clear, confident, and constructive conversations about deadlines and workloads. By building confidence and strengthening communication between editors and productions, we can help reduce stress, protect our time, and ultimately improve the quality of the work we do.

Through our campaign we hope to provide:

• Practical guidance on how to negotiate realistic schedules and timelines

• Peer support through shared experiences and collective strategies

• A stronger, more confident editing community that values healthy, sustainable working practices

In this meeting, we’d like to:

• Hear your experiences – Have you worked on projects with unrealistic deadlines? What led to those unrealistic schedules? Was it miscommunication, last-minute changes, lack of planning, or other pressures? What was the impact on you or the project?

• Understand the challenges – What makes it hard to speak up when workloads aren’t achievable? Is it fear of losing work, not wanting to seem “difficult,” lack of experience, or uncertainty about how to approach the conversation?

• Gather ideas for solutions – What’s worked for you in the past when discussing workloads? What would you find helpful—template emails, talking points, or something else?

• Explore how we can build collective confidence – How can we help each other as editors? Would regular meetups, written guides, or online spaces for sharing experiences be useful?

Join the meeting

This is the start of an ongoing conversation, and we want to build this together with your experiences, your insights, and your ideas. 

Want to get involved or tell us about your experience? Email us at committee@theroughassembly.com or join our private WhatsApp Community for Bectu Members.