Fair employment for all

As we aim to make employment fairer for all our colleagues, we are progressing three key priorities:

• To significantly increase our use of permanent contracts of employment, recognising that fixed term contracts will be appropriate in a limited range of circumstances, such as cover for study leave and family leave.
• To reduce the University’s use of ad hoc working arrangements, including ensuring all of our regularly timetabled teaching is delivered by colleagues employed on standard contracts of employment.
• To improve the working arrangements for Postgraduate Research Students employed as Postgraduate Teaching Associates.  

The University Executive Board (UEB) has endorsed the following Fair Employment For All principles:

• Permanent employment is the normal expectation;  
• Fixed term contracts and non-contractual working arrangements are only used in a limited range of defined circumstances;  
• The number of fixed-term contracts is reduced;  
• Procedures are available for individuals working on fixed-term contracts and non-contractual working arrangements to seek a review of their contractual status in appropriate circumstances;  
• There are standard paid time allowances for preparation, marking and associated activities for postgraduate students engaged in teaching;  
• Regularly timetabled teaching is delivered by individuals engaged on standard contracts of employment. 

We are committed to ensuring fixed term contracts are used only where this is appropriate. The table below shows the percentage of contracted staff (excluding PGR students engaged as Postgraduate Teaching Associates) employed on fixed term contracts at the University at the beginning of each academic year. 

In addition to our core staff, other individuals contribute to the University's education activity through occasional teaching and marking. These individuals are paid on a claims basis because they are engaged for short, specific pieces of work. They include experts in professional fields outside of higher education who contribute to professional development programmes, such as the MBA and degree apprenticeships, by delivering masterclasses or supporting practical assessments. The short-term nature of these assignments mean that contracts are not appropriate. 

The University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) has published information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on employment contracts in the higher education sector.

The graphic below shows that the area where we see the higher percentages of fixed term contracts are in research appointments/fellowships and that this broadly mirrors the extent of funding from external sources, which are in general limited term research grants. Many research posts and research fellowships are funded by external sources on a time-limited basis. Researchers are often therefore employed on a time-limited research project or awarded a fixed duration research fellowship. In the main academic population, only a small proportion of staff are employed on fixed-term contracts, again mirroring the extent of external funding sources. 

Below is a list of actions we have taken to help us achieve our FEFA commitments:

• In 2018, we improved the contracting arrangements for our postgraduate research students who undertake regular scheduled work, by giving them an annualised contract rather than engage them on an ad hoc basis. This has meant that they are now able to access the full range of benefits that are offered to colleagues on either a fixed-term or permanent contract.  
• Between 2020 and 2023, we converted over 800 colleagues previously on fixed term contracts onto permanent contracts and we continue to review fixed term contracts in order to move those eligible onto permanent contracts.
• During 2024/25, a series of biannual pro-active reviews took place to review the employment status for current employees on fixed term contracts. The first tranche reviewed employees with a length of service greater than 3 years 3 months, followed by second tranche for employees with greater than 2 years 6 months and final tranche of those with 2+ years. These reviews led to an additional conversion of 231 colleagues who were previously on fixed term contracts to permanent contracts. 
• HR support and training for managers and HR teams has taken place to increase the awareness of FEFA and the actions they can take to deliver on our FEFA commitments.   

In addition to the above we have been working with our local unions, and the University has already taken the following steps to improve contractual arrangements for colleagues:  

• Introduced business rules to ensure that a temporary contract is issued for longer assignments and that casual employment arrangements are only used for work which is ad hoc and short term.
• Agreed the circumstances in which fixed term contracts should be used. Each time a fixed term contract is renewed, it is assessed against these standards and considered whether it should be converted to a permanent appointment.

UEB have approved the following action plan for the remainder of 2025/26: 

• From the beginning of the academic year 2026/27, all new vacancies with a contract term of two or more years will be employed on a permanent contract (subject to a limited range of exceptions).  This will be referred to as our ‘FEFA recruiting principles’.
• To support these recruiting principles, a process will also be introduced for an individual contract review, whereby an employee/worker can request a review of their contract status if they have been engaged in the same role on a fixed term or temporary basis in successive years.
• Continue to review the percentage/number of fixed term contracts across the University.
• Continue to provide HR support and training for managers to increase the awareness of FEFA and the actions they can take to deliver on our FEFA commitments.
• 6 monthly monitoring data to be shared with both the Wellbeing, Inclusion and Culture Committee (WICC) and trade unions.
• Regular cycle of communications with staff community on progress of the FEFA programme.
• Develop a costed proposal for a matching process.
• Develop a costed proposal for bridge funding.
• Review our business rules for the permitted use of fixed term contracts, to ensure fixed term contracts continue to only be used for necessary and objective reasons.