Purpose: This paper aims to examine the social sustainability of academic work in Australian tertiary institutions, in addition to offering a summary of recent research on social sustainability with a particular emphasis on Barron and Gauntlett's work. Design/methodology/approach: Barron and Gauntlett's principles of social sustainability are used as a lens to investigate some of the current conditions of the academic profession. Findings: It appears that Australian universities often fail to perform in a way that complies with the principles of social sustainability. This paper identifies examples in the literature of conditions which inhibit academic staff's ability to work in socially sustainable ways. Practical implications: The paper proposes that universities incorporate principles of social sustainability into their planning and change management policies and processes. Originality/value: The paper recognises the importance of social sustainability in contemporary discourses of higher education. It contributes to the debates on both social sustainability and the ways in which corporatising universities impacts academic staff.