ABSTRACT

The “Researchers’ Pyramid” has represented the first main effort to formally recognize in Italy a specific category of professionals that, despite working in the healthcare field, has never been able to benefit from the stabilization options granted to the rest of the medical and healthcare staff. Stabilization of researchers by the Pyramid should infact represent a chance to hire a large number of professionals that have been working in local public IRCCS and IZS for a long time, like the Clinical Research Coordinators.
During the last trimester of 2019, we decided to start an investigation on the impressions of researchers about the new legislation, which introduced the researchers’ Pyramid. This is a new path of 5 + 5 years thought to culminate with the stabilization of the researcher according to merit criteria, which should have ensured a big turning point compared to their working conditions. Three months later, in the midst of a national emergency, we verified how much the reform staff had really impacted the working life of people who at that time should be totally dedicated to research against the virus.
Over half of respondents is optimistic regarding the actual benefit of the reform for employment stability. Over half (63.4%) of the “not optimistic respondents” considers the Pyramid a false path towards stabilization. Concerns were expressed in relation to the evaluation criteria during the ten-year period, considered by a third of the interviewed too exclusive and often not very suitable. Many individuals (41.5%) report the poor valorization of personnel and much apprehension was recorded relating to the possibility of extending the reform to other institutes. Only 1412 of the over 35,000 potential beneficiaries have been hired. The reform overall seems like an important opportunity for entry level or inexperienced personnel, a watered-down compromise for expert professionals. The fear conveyed from the great majority of the interviewed is that the pyramid is only a trick. It talks about a stabilization process, although it hasn’t clarified how, after the ten-year period, this will take place. It also allows a partial solution of the problem in a very small share compared to the total number of clinical centers that do research.

IMPACT STATEMENT

The paper provides an overview of the researchers’ impressions about the new legislation that should have ensured a big turning point compared to their working conditions.