Conditions of Employment
The University has agreed Conditions of Employment with recognised trade unions.
The Conditions of Employment apply to UK-based staff. Different arrangements may apply to staff based overseas: for more information contact globalemployment@exeter.ac.uk.
Search the Terms and Conditions by subject using the links to the right.
Under the Agreement for the Implementation of the Framework Agreement at the University of Exeter agreed in July 2006, the following conditions of employment apply to all staff of the University, except those engaged on a casual/claims basis and those engaged on NHS Clinical Grades.
Under the terms of the above agreement, some staff enjoy protected benefits over and above those detailed below.
(Approved by the Joint Negotiating Committee/Joint Committee for Consultation and Negotiation: 12 May 2008, with subsequently agreed changes in October 2009, July 2010, October 2010, November 2011, January 2012, May 2013, May 2015, November 2016 February 2018, November 2023 and April 2024.)
These Conditions of Employment were reformatted in June 2024, representing the collectively agreed terms in a more readable format and updating text to reflect changes to university structure and terminology. This reformatting does not change any collectively agreed conditions of employment agreed prior to June 2024 through the Joint Committee for Consultation and Negotiation. Any questions regarding the contractual status of the June 2024 reformatting will be discussed between the University and campus trade unions and, where necessary, referred to the Joint Committee for Consultation and Negotiation to agree any necessary clarification and/or changes.
University means the Council of the University of Exeter or any committees or officers who have been delegated authority to make decisions on grading and remuneration.
Staff in the academic job families means staff employed in the Education and Research job family, Education and Scholarship job family and Research job family.
Education and Research job family means staff employed as Lecturers, Senior Lecturers and Associate Professors progressing through the Education and Research route.
Education and Scholarship job family means staff employed as Associate Lecturers, Lecturers and Senior Lecturers and Associate Professors progressing through the Education and Scholarship route.
Research job family means staff employed as Associate Research Fellows, Research Fellows and Senior Research Fellows and Associate Professors progressing through the Research route.
Professorial means staff employed as Professors. Professors are covered by the conditions of employment detailed for staff in the academic job family to which they are assigned.
Professional Services staff means all other staff employed by the University.
Term-time staff means staff who work less than 52 weeks per year (including holidays).
Bank/public holidays means the New Year’s Day bank holiday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day bank holiday, Spring bank holiday (normally in May), Summer bank holiday (normally in August), Christmas Day bank holiday and Boxing Day bank holiday, or alternative days designated by the Government.
Fellow workers means “another of the employer’s workers”, in accordance with the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures.
The first part of this document details the core conditions of employment which apply equally to all staff. The appendices detail conditions of employment which are specific to appointments in each job family.
The HR webpages summarise other policies and procedures which govern the employment of staff at the University but which do not form part of the contract of employment.
Appendices
Additional Allowances (paragraph 6 of the core conditions refers):
The University may pay the following additional allowances to staff whose appointments meet the appropriate qualifying criteria.
Shift Allowance and Night Work Allowance will be amended to reflect changes in the national pay spine agreed in the Joint National Council for Higher Education Staff. Other allowances may be amended by the University from time-to-time. (Current rates are published on the Human Resources webpages.)
Allowance | Qualifying criteria |
---|---|
shift allowance |
working a planned and regular cycle of shifts on a long-term basis which alternate in immediate succession or overlap to cover a period of 11 hours or more in 24. Applicable to appointments in grades B to E only. |
split duties allowance |
required to work more than one attendance to complete a day’s work where the break is two or more hours. Applicable to appointments in grades B to C only. |
night work allowance |
where there is a requirement by the University for work at night (ie between 10pm and 6am), as part of a planned and regular cycle of shift working, for any hours worked between 10pm and 6am, provided that no other enhanced rate is paid for any part of the time worked. Applicable to appointments in grades B to E only. |
standby/call-out allowance | These arrangements are set out in separate documents. |
first aid allowance (all new allowances ceased from 01/10/2021) |
Applicable to staff who were newly qualified or requalified prior to 01/10/2021). The allowance will continue to be paid to these staff until the expiration date of their certificate (3-year cycle) or if they stand down. First Aiders appointed after 01/10/2021 will not receive this allowance. It is a requirement that Estate Patrol Officers and Assistant/Duty Managers at the Sports Park (and some other appointments, where stated in the letter of appointment) are qualified first aiders or become qualified within the 6 months of appointment. Consequently, all postholders must have an up to date first aid qualification to be able to properly fulfil all the requirements of their post during hours when they are rostered to be on duty. It is the postholder’s responsibility to arrange training with the Health and Safety Office before their first aid certificate expires. In the event that the first aid certificate is not renewed, the University will expect you to re-qualify within 8 weeks of your first aid certificate expiring. Should the qualification not be obtained within 8 weeks, the University may take steps to terminate the employment. Redeployment to other posts within the University will be considered. |
Aerial Arboriculture allowance | Applicable to qualified and active ‘tree surgeons’ and qualified and active ‘tree ground workers’ in Estate Services. |
tool and goods carriage allowance | Applicable to operational staff in Estate Services who are required to use their own vehicles in accordance with the 2000 collective agreement between the University and recognised trade unions. |
acting up allowance | Applicable in circumstances detailed in the University policy on acting-up payments (available from the Human Resources website - follow the link for ‘Salary information’.). |
Concordat on Careers for Research Staff
The University is committed to the principles of the Concordat (available from https://www.exeter.ac.uk/staff/exeteracademic/yourdevelopment/researchdevelopment/researcherdevelopmentconcordant).
EXTERNAL WORK
- Subject to sub-sections (b) and (c) below, the University expects Professors and staff in the Education and Research job family to devote their exclusive service to the University.
- Members of staff are required to disclose other employment to their Head of Department. Provided that there is no undue interference with the performance of normal duties of the member of staff, a member of staff may undertake literary work and occasional broadcasting without seeking permission. The University reserves the right to seek further information about such work where it has concern that there may be a conflict of interest or an impact upon the employee's normal duties.
- Regulations regarding consultancy work are set out below.
CONSULTANCY WORK
-
- Consultancy activity is defined as the provision of expert advice or services to external clients undertaken by Professors and other staff in the Education and Research job family through a contract for payment. It does not normally include external examining, refereeing and guest lecturing at other Higher and Further Education institutions.
- The University encourages Professors and other staff in the Education and Research job family to be involved in consultancy in order to contribute to the University's mission of transferring knowledge, developing business and community relations and increasing income from non-regulated sources. Consultancy can also help to develop research collaborations and maintain longer-term relationships with funders.
- There are two types of consultancy recognised by the University:
- 'University Consultancy', ie undertaken as part of or supporting the work of the Faculty, drawing on the University’s reputation, or utilising its Intellectual Property (IP) or facilities; and
- Private Consultancy’, ie work undertaken that does not draw on the University’s reputation or utilise its IP or facilities.
- The purpose of these Regulations is to ensure that:
- consultancy is undertaken on a professional, business basis;
- to protect the commercial interests of the University; and
- to ensure that potential conflicts of interest are avoided.
- University Consultancy
- Unless otherwise expressly agreed under the Private Consultancy section below, all consultancy must be managed through the Consultancy team in Exeter Innovation in accordance with procedures approved by the University (weblink to follow).
- Taking account of guidance issued by the University (weblink to follow), staff in the Education and Research job family may be able to receive additional remuneration in the form of an honorarium paid through the University payroll for engaging in University consultancy.
- Private Consultancy
- The University permits Professors and other staff in the Education and Research job family to engage in private consultancy for up to 10 days per annum (pro-rata for part-time staff). Members of staff are required to disclose private consultancy to their Head of Department in accordance with procedures specified by the University. The Head of Department will take account of guidance by the University (weblink to follow) in determining whether to permit such private consultancy.
- Following consultation with the Director of Human Resources, exceptionally a Pro Vice Chancellor may agree that a member of staff has permission to undertake more than the 10 days of outside work referred to in paragraph 6.1 above. Any such agreement should be recorded in writing.
- Staff undertaking private consultancy must make their own arrangements for managing the work including, insurance, invoicing, payment of any tax etc and cannot use the facilities, equipment or name of the University when carrying out this activity.
The following revised Policy on Attraction and Retention Premia was approved by the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive Group in December 2017 and by the Joint Committee for Consultation and Negotiation in February 2018.
- The University of Exeter is committed to the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. However there are occasions when the grading determined for a role results in an inability to successfully recruit to or retain staff in particular roles. In such cases the University will consider the application of attraction and retention premia for certain roles, as a supplement to the pay for the grade of the role.
- Attraction and retention premia may be one-off or time-limited payments (on appointment or following a fixed period provided the employee remains in employment and not under notice) or ‘market supplements’ or ‘personal value supplements’ to salary (paid in monthly instalments with salary), as defined below.
- The University will monitor the application of attraction and retention premia as part of its equal pay review process. The University reserves the right to amend this policy and to revise and withdraw attraction and retention premia to comply with equal pay standards.
Market Supplement
- A market supplement may be paid where:
- there is a clear business need, assessed against the strategic priorities of the University; and
- there is appropriate evidence that market pay rates for a specific role – irrespective of the role holder - are significantly higher than the University rate; and
- there is evidence of recruitment and retention difficulties; and
- all other approaches towards recruitment and retention have been considered.
- Where a market supplement is approved, it will apply equally to current and new appointments in the defined ‘ring-fence’ of similar roles (defined by, for example, specialist discipline and level/grade).
Personal Value Supplement
- A personal value supplement may be paid where it is appropriate to make an additional payment as a supplement to the salary of a specific individual, rather than a role. A Personal Value Supplement will only be approved where all of the following apply:
- an identified individual has specific skills, experience etc which are essential to the strategic priorities of the University;
- there would be a significant, measurable negative impact on the University’s operations and ambitions if the identified individual was not recruited or retained;
- there is appropriate evidence that the essential specific skills, experience etc could not be recruited if the identified individual was not recruited or retained;
- there is appropriate evidence that it is necessary to make a payment above the top of the grade (for example, the identified individual is already paid a higher rate in their current role, if they are being recruited into the University or a current employee has been offered a similar appointment at a higher rate by a competitor organisation);
- all other approaches towards recruitment and retention – including paying a salary at the top end of the grade, and one-off “joining bonus” at recruitment and “retention bonus” payments - have been considered.
Decisions
- Attraction and retention premia must be approved by the Director of Human Resources following consideration of a business case from the Pro-Vice Chancellor/Divisional Director. The equality impact of the attraction and retention premia must be fully considered and recorded in the business case.
- Human Resources will maintain a record of the rationale for each attraction and retention premium and will write to an employee awarded an attraction and retention premium advising them of the additional payment and referring to this policy.
- Attraction and retention premia will be subject to:
- statutory deductions;
- periodic review and withdrawal or reduction if the circumstances which led to the approval of the market supplement or personal value supplement change.
- Market supplements and personal value supplements will be pensionable and (except where they are being reduced or withdrawn) adjusted in line with general increases to the national payspine.
- One-off and time-limited payments will not be pensionable and will not be adjusted in line with general increases to the national payspine.
Review and withdrawal
- Attraction and retention premia which are paid as market supplements or personal value supplements will be reviewed by the Director of Human Resources at periodic intervals to ensure that there is a continued justification and that the level of premium is appropriate. A review may take place earlier if there is evidence that the circumstances which led to the approval of the supplement have changed significantly. The review may conclude that the supplement should be maintained, increased, reduced or withdrawn.
- In the case of a personal value supplement, the University’s need for the essential specific skills, experience etc which are held by the identified employee may no longer apply – for example because of a change in the University’s strategy or operations or a restructuring of part of the University which results in the employee being assigned to a different role or with different duties.
- If an employee in receipt of a personal value supplement receives a formal warning under the Disciplinary or Capability/Performance Procedure, consideration will be given to withdrawing the personal value supplement.
- In the event that a market supplement or personal value supplement is reduced or withdrawn, the employee will be given 12 months’ notification in writing before the change takes effect2.
- Unless a continued and revised premium is justified and approved under this policy, when an employee in receipt of a market supplement or personal value supplement is promoted or regraded, the value of the supplement above the new salary will be phased out in accordance with paragraph 15 above.
- If, following a restructuring, an employee in receipt of a market supplement or personal value supplement is redeployed into a position at a lower grade, the following protections will apply separately:
- withdrawal of personal value supplement as set out in paragraph 15 above;
- pay protection on substantive grade for a period of one year as set out in the Policy on Pay Protection3.
2 - For Market Supplements agreed prior to October 2017, where the supplement is to be withdrawn or reduced, the employee will be given three months notification in writing before any change takes effect and the market supplement will be reduced by one third of its original value each year.
3 - https://www.exeter.ac.uk/staff/employment/hrpoliciesatoz/payprotection/