The initiative Cámara Aberta CINTECX a Mulleres e Homes STEM continues to give voice and visibility to the people who sustain research activity from within. The protagonist for the month of May in the CINTECX illustrated calendar is Fidel Álvarez Vargas, laboratory technician and quality manager at the centre, who shares his professional trajectory and personal experience during a stage marked by fatherhood and work-life balance.
Fidel trained as a technical engineer in Vigo, although he soon discovered that his vocation was closer to laboratory work. After completing a specialised higher vocational degree, he did not hesitate to apply when vacancies opened at CINTECX. “I always had the drive to apply what I had learned in a research environment, working with samples, analyses and testing,” he recalls. Since then, he has been part of the machinery that ensures the centre’s day-to-day operations run smoothly.
His previous experience in industrial companies, with rotating shifts and demanding work rhythms, now serves as a contrast. Compared to those changing schedules, he especially values the stability of his current working hours. “Having a continuous shift makes a real difference when you have a family,” he explains. This factor became particularly important with the arrival of his son, Elliot, who was also present during the recording of Cámara Aberta.
Fatherhood marked a turning point. Elliot was a much-awaited child, and since his arrival, priorities and routines have been reshaped. “It’s an intense stage, sometimes tough, but it fills us with life every day,” says Fidel, aware that raising a child involves sacrifices, but also brings an enormous daily reward.
Balancing work and life through co-responsibility
In his case, work-life balance is built on an equitable sharing of responsibilities. Drop-offs and pick-ups at nursery school, shared afternoons, walks and playtime are all part of a negotiated and flexible routine. Although his job does not allow for remote work, Fidel stresses the importance of being actively involved in daily care and in decisions affecting his son’s health and wellbeing. “If it can be shared, it should be shared,” he sums up.
Living abroad has also given him a comparative perspective. With a British partner, Fidel gained first-hand insight into the UK leave system, where the length of maternity leave allowed Elliot to spend his first year of life at home. “At four months, it’s really hard to be separated from a baby for so many hours,” he explains, especially when there is no nearby family support network.
Drawing on both his personal and professional experience, Fidel identifies areas for improvement that would help support work-life balance in scientific and university environments: from support services during periods without childcare to adapted spaces or activities on campus at certain times of the year. Measures which, he notes, would ease a particularly demanding stage for many families.
Fidel leaves a clear and honest reflection: beyond work and family, it is also necessary to make time for oneself. “Having a hobby, continuing to learn, doing something that motivates you… It’s easy to forget, but it’s also essential for wellbeing,” he concludes.